Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* Tribune | Jury sends out questions during deliberations in state Sen. Emil Jones III bribery trial: Jurors resumed deliberations in the federal corruption trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III, and early Tuesday afternoon sent questions to the judge during their talks. Included in them was whether Jones needed to agree to accept something worth $5,000 or anything of value, and whether a decision to do so needed to remain in place without Jones changing his mind. The panel also asked about the difference between federal and state laws against bribery. The judge gave lawyers in the case an hour to come up with proposed answers to the jury’s notes. * Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker balances messaging as some Dems encourage party to avoid LGBTQ issues: Pritzker was confronted with polling data on LGBTQ issues during his first FOX News interview as governor earlier this month. The March FOX News poll showed 68% of respondents favor President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to ban transgender women from women’s sports, and 54% support federal policy that recognizes only two genders. Pritzker brushed aside the poll. “You can go issue by issue and you can ask a question whether people support this issue or that,” he told the FOX News host. “Here’s what people really care about: They care about their health care, they care about their affordability, they care about the kitchen table issues that really matter every day.” * Chicago Mag | With ridership lagging and a fiscal reckoning looming, the L is in trouble. Here’s why our train is worth saving: Even acknowledging that the CTA is underfunded, it’s fair to wonder whether the agency could be doing more with the resources it has. Stephen Schlickman, the head of the RTA from 2005 to 2010, recalls that in 2007 his agency faced a $400 million shortfall, so he requested that the Illinois auditor general conduct a review to ensure that the problem wasn’t mismanagement. He questions why the CTA doesn’t undertake a similar probe. (The CTA says it conducts its own audit annually and is subject to triennial audits from both the Federal Transit Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation.) And he can’t make sense of how the CTA spent its COVID relief money: “I’m sorry, they got billions of dollars from the federal government, and why the service, crime, filthiness of the CTA became so bad is beyond me.” * American’s Work force | Reviving the Springfield and Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council: Yelverton began by sharing his journey from Las Vegas to Illinois, where he said he found a home in the labor movement. He has spent the past 19 years with the Illinois Federation of Teachers. In 2020, after being named Interim President, Yelverton was elected President of the Springfield and Central Illinois Trades and Labor Council. Under his leadership, the council has been rebuilt from the ground up, as he was the first President elected after the Council came out of Trusteeship. Now, the council has grown within the community through engagement and supporting young people with scholarship programs, Yelverton said. * WAND | Multiple university presidents in Illinois sign letter criticizing federal ‘government overreach’: The letter cites the importance of higher education to American prosperity and common good. And while the presidents are “open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight, they dispute “undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses.” * WMBD | 1% grocery tax approved by Washington City Council: It’s become a hot topic across Illinois after Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly eliminated the statewide 1% tax on groceries beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Since then, municipalities from Pekin to East Peoria and across the state have adopted similar ordinances in an effort to maintain the sales tax revenue that would be lost if they go along with the state’s repeal. * Daily Egyptian | SIU admin, faculty seek clarity as ‘multiple’ international students affected by visa crackdown: At an SIU Faculty Senate meeting on Tuesday, April 15, Provost Sheryl Tucker told concerned faculty members that “multiple” students had been affected – though she declined to give an exact number, citing federal privacy laws under FERPA. […] This marks the first acknowledgment from SIU that more than one international student has been caught in the federal dragnet. Previously, the university had only confirmed a single case – a student whose visa was revoked and who has since left the country. * WGLT | Bloomington council weighs housing incentive options, hears annual report from police chief: The housing shortage is on the minds of many in Bloomington, including the city council. During a meeting Monday, Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus presented an update on the issue. Tyus discussed changes the council could make to incentivize developers to build in Bloomington. In a time of economic uncertainty, he emphasized the value of putting forth a clear “standardized incentives” plan. Knowing what help they can expect to receive in advance, Tyus said, would help dispel developers’ reluctance. * WCIA | Classes cancelled at Tri-Point schools due to threat: Tri-Point Superintendent Jay Bennett said in a letter to the school community that administration received notice early Tuesday morning of an anonymous threat. He cancelled school on all three campuses in the district on Tuesday as student and staff safety is their top priority. * Sun-Times | Yusef Jackson invests in company that’s reaped big profits from state of Illinois program: Yusef Jackson — a son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and brother of U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill. — invested in a company that has profited for more than a decade from a controversial, lucrative arrangement with the state of Illinois, records show. The financial interest of Yusef Jackson surfaced recently in court records in a federal civil case involving Vendor Assistance Program LLC. The clout-heavy, Chicago-based VAP has pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars through a state program that allows it to buy up government debt to vendors and later collect the late-payment penalties from the state. VAP started to work on the state program in 2011, amid a huge backlog of payments to vendors; politically connected lawyer Brian Hynes co-founded the company and was a main investor for many years, according to public records. * Chicago Mag | A History of Violence: In Chicago, as in so many American cities, it’s hard to imagine a more intractable public policy problem than gun violence. But University of Chicago Professor Jens Ludwig, 56, cofounder and director of the school’s Crime Lab, delivers some hope in his groundbreaking new book, Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence. Based on a wealth of scientific data on decision making by violent criminals and his own fieldwork in Chicago, he offers social policy strategies for transforming neighborhoods into safer spaces. * Borderless | Chicago’s Venezuelan Community In Limbo Amid Trump’s Push To End Deportation Protections: The Venezuelan community in Chicago is grappling with fear and uncertainty after President Donald Trump’s attempt to terminate Biden-era deportation protections. Although a federal judge recently blocked the effort to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS), many immigrants say the damage is done, reigniting anxieties that they may be forced to return to a country they fled amid violence, political persecution and economic collapse. * Sun-Times | Sex, drag and Whitney Houston: ‘Wake of a Dead Drag Queen’ returns with a flamboyant punch: To Guest, who is a queer Black man, “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen” is personal, connecting him through the art form to his uncle and to Southern drag culture. This is the play that sparked his career, winning him awards and helping to pull himself out of despair when his acting career stalled. * Crain’s | Prime Healthcare, new owner of Joliet hospital, shutters its pediatric services: Prime Healthcare, the new, for-profit owner of St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, is suspending pediatric care at the former Ascension hospital that its owned since March 1. The hospital will continue to provide pediatric emergency care as a certified Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics, but will offer alternative roles at St. Joseph or one of its seven other Chicago-area hospitals to eight pediatric care staff members, a spokeswoman for the health system said in a statement last night. Its two pediatricians have been offered positions with Prime’s affiliated medical group. * Sun-Times | ‘Long and rather wrenching’ sentencing expected for Highland Park parade shooter on Wednesday: Robert Crimo III will likely get life in prison for killing seven people and wounding four dozen on July 4, 2022. But it is unclear whether he will show up in court since much of the hearing could take up hours of survivors’ victim-impact statements. Prosecutors have not said how many victims are set to talk in court. If enough do, the hearing could stretch into a second day. * Illinois Answers Project | Cook County Jail Restrained People In Chairs 874 Times — And Never Reported It To The State: Cook County Jail used restraint chairs nearly 900 times from 2019 to 2023 and failed to report the incidents to the state unit that monitors jails, as required by state regulations, Illinois Answers found. “They’ve admitted somewhat of a … failure and misunderstanding,” said Illinois Rep. La Shawn Ford, who represents part of Cook County. State standards require jails to report use of a restraint chair as an “extraordinary or unusual occurrence” to the Jail and Detention Standards Unit (JDSU) within the Illinois Department of Corrections within three days of the incident. But Cook County Jail never did that. * Daily Herald | Illinois PGA again trying something new: The Illinois PGA Open Series tees off on Monday at White Eagle in Naperville. That’ll be the first of six one-day tournaments open to IPGA professionals (members and associates), amateurs with a handicap index under 10.0 and other professionals at least 18 years old. Players under 18 may be accepted but must submit a playing resume first. […] “We have been talking internally, and branching out to more of our staff,” said Andy Mickelson, the IPGA tournament chairman, director of golf at Mistwood in Romeoville and the section vice president. “We went to the CDGA (Chicago District Golf Association) to get their blessing. It’ll be good for tournament golf in Illinois. We think it’ll be a big hit.” * TNND | Tariffs will stifle US and global economic growth, slow progress on inflation: IMF: President Donald Trump’s far-reaching tariffs and the chain reaction of countermeasures they’ve triggered, if sustained, are likely to curb economic growth in the United States and the rest of the world this year, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. Economic growth in the U.S. is forecast to slow to 1.8% in 2025, ninety basis points lower than the IMF’s prediction from January. In 2024, America’s economy grew at a pace of 2.8%. * Reuters | US FDA suspends milk quality tests amid workforce cuts: The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for testing of fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. The suspension is another disruption to the nation’s food safety programs after the termination and departure of 20,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA, as part of President Donald Trump’s effort to shrink the federal workforce. * LA Times | DOGE layoffs of federal mediators leave grocery chain talks, other labor disputes in limbo: In fiscal 2024, the agency, which has a budget of $54 million, employed about 143 full-time mediators who conducted more than 5,400 mediated negotiations and provided some 10,000 arbitration panels. And recent estimates show that the mediators’ services save the economy more than $500 million annually, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit cites data from the agency’s website that have been scrubbed in recent weeks. Just five mediators and a few support staff workers remain at the agency after the cuts, according to the lawsuit.
|
It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WAND…
* ABC Chicago…
* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…
* Riverside-Brookfield Landmark…
SB1618 and its companion bill in the House missed deadlines to make it out of committee. * Rep. Mike Kelly…
|
Former Marie Newman campaign manager, city worker announces against Sen. Feigenholtz
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Nick Uniejewski announced a bid for Sen. Sara Feigenholtz’s seat in the 6th District. From his campaign’s Facebook page…
It looks like, at least in part, this primary is a result of ‘Islamophobic’ tweets made by Sen. Feigenholtz. Background is here and here if you need it. Sen. Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) has been in the General Assembly since 1995 after she knocked out fellow Democrat Rep. Ellis Levin. As far as I can tell she hasn’t faced a primary since. But she hasn’t announced if she’s planning to run for a third term in the Senate. According to its last D-2, Sen. Feigenholtz’s committee is sitting on a million dollars in available funds. Uniejewski’s committee hasn’t reported any contributions yet. * More on Uniejewski from a campaign press release …
Newman lost her 2022 primary campaign to Sean Casten (63-33). Uniejewski’s annual city salary is $95,952. * Politico…
|
Report: Rep. Thaddeus Jones’ legal bills top $200K during reported ongoing federal investigation
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
Rep. Jones chairs the House Insurance Committee.
|
Wilhour: Commie money for my guy, but no jobs for thee
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Ope… ![]() Full story is here. * 2023 press release…
* I reached out to the Illinois Freedom Caucus, and their response was provided by Rep. Blaine Wilhour himself…
Dude, I’ve been writing about Gotion since the get-go, thank you very much. And, as far as I can tell, the allegation of CCP subservience has not been proved. Also, it’s OK for the president to take a contribution from an alleged “company that pledges allegiance to the Chinese communist party” but it’s not OK for the state to help that company create jobs after it invests $1.9 billion into the plant? Please. To be clear, I don’t care if Gotion gave money to the president’s inauguration committee. It’s fine by me. But I’m not in the club complaining about Gotion for months on end. * By the way, Gotion is represented by the Mercury lobbying outfit. President Trump’s former campaign manager and current chief of staff Susie Wiles was until recently the co-chair of the Mercury lobbying group. Mercury lobbies for Gotion in both DC and Illinois. I sent follow-up questions to Rep. Wilhour about whether President Trump should return the contribution to the alleged commie company and what his reaction was to Mercury’s relationship with Gotion, but for some odd reason I never heard back. Huh. Blaine, if you’re gonna run for governor, you gotta up your game. You can’t hide for the next 18 months.
|
Repeal IFPA Now
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] ![]() IFPA Will Harm our Members and our Communities. “My members are going to come to me to explain something I don’t understand.” Stop the Chaos for Our Hard-Working Union Members! Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
|
Keep putting the pressure on
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Local governments banning hemp shops might be the only thing that will bring the intoxicating hemp lobby to the table to negotiate in good faith. It’s happening in the suburbs and in Chicago. Press release…
Nothing is really going to happen until the Illinois House Democratic leadership finally realizes that its outlier position against intoxicating hemp regulations could ultimately backfire on that industry. Some quality hemp establishments exist, but there are way too many janky places which openly sell who knows what to underage kids. I doubt that any members of House leadership want their children buying questionable products from these places. Why, then, do they continue to protect them? Other than the inherent criminal justice reform that came with cannabis legalization (and using some of the tax proceeds to help communities harmed by the so-called War on Drugs), the greatest benefit was transparency for consumers. They now know what they’re buying because the product’s production, distribution and retail processes are regulated. Intoxicating hemp consumers currently have zero quality guarantees.
|
Roundup: Jury deliberating in trial of Sen. Emil Jones III
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tribune…
* More from Capitol News Illinois…
* Tribune Criminal Justice reporter Caroline Kubzansky… ![]() * Sun-Times…
Click here to follow the trial.
|
Misguided Insurance Regulation Proposals Could Increase Premiums For The Majority Of Illinoisans
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Several bills proposed this legislative session seek to ban certain factors that insurance companies use to set fair and accurate insurance pricing for customers. The bills would ban the use of credit-based insurance scores, zip codes, age, and gender in insurance pricing. An op-ed published recently in the Chicago Tribune explains why such bans could cause insurance rates to rise for the majority of consumers. Case in point: When the use of credit was banned in Washington in 2021, more than 60 percent of Washington drivers saw an increase in their insurance premiums. Should similar legislation pass in Illinois, the majority of Illinoisans with better-than-average credit could see premium increases. With stubbornly high inflation and high property taxes, now is not the time to pass bills that could end up hiking insurance premiums for most Illinoisans. Click here to learn more.
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I’m betting the legislature’s only Vietnam War veteran Sen. Mark Walker will love this one. More importantly, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Bobby Keys and a cast of dozens of Mad Dogs and Englishmen just totally rock it out… I don’t care how much I gotta spend So much joy. Love it. Please keep your discussion Illinois-centric. Thanks.
|
Powering Illinois’ Energy And Economic Future
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] What if Illinois could expand its energy grid, attract AI and emerging tech companies to the state, and provide over 60,000 new jobs with no impact on communities or the environment? SOO Green makes it possible. Built along existing rail corridors, this underground transmission project will deliver 2,100 MW of low-cost reliable power making the electric grid more resilient in the face of extreme weather while unlocking billions in economic investments for Illinois. The SOO Green Advantage:
• 60,000+ new jobs • Lower energy costs for families and businesses • $26 billion in economic benefits statewide • $9.8 billion in health benefits by reducing emissions With SOO Green all ratepayers will enjoy a more reliable grid, protection from rising energy costs, and a stronger economy for Illinois. Learn more at www.soogreen.com.
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Citing growing list of duties, Illinois’ Raoul seeks a $15M increase in AG budget. Capitol News Illinois…
- Raoul’s proposed increase would bring next year’s general revenue fund budget to more than $120 million. - Since Trump was sworn into office for a second term on Jan. 20, Raoul has joined in filing 11 federal lawsuits challenging administration actions and has filed another 14 amicus briefs in support of other legal challenges. * At 2:30 pm, Gov. Pritzker will announce grant awards to support downtown revitalization efforts across the state in Jacksonville. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Crain’s | Counties sue Illinois over delinquent tax sales that Supreme Court calls unconstitutional: Officials in seven counties are suing Illinois, claiming the state’s property tax code requires them to run sales of delinquent property taxes in a way that the U.S. Supreme Court has deemed unconstitutional. It’s a tangly issue, but one that has considerable implications for the protection of Illinoisans’ property rights under the U.S. Constitution. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois scrambles to boost locally produced farm products after Trump’s funding freeze: Illinois was approved for $43 million in federal reimbursement funds for two food programs designed to strengthen statewide food systems, but when the Trump administration took office it informed the stated, without explanation, that the remaining $17.8 million in federal agriculture reimbursements still owed to Illinois would cease after Jan. 19, 2025. Farmers like Ryder have asked the state to consider new models for subsidizing, planning and regulating agriculture to help them keep Illinoisans fed. Illinois lawmakers are trying to help by pushing two bills through the legislature. * WCPT | Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton talks administration’s successes, standing up to Trump: As lawmakers prepare to vote on the fiscal year 2026 budget before the legislative session ends May 31, the lieutenant governor emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility for the state of Illinois, pointing to the six consecutive balanced budgets Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has signed into law. “It becomes more challenging as we’re seeing chaos coming out of Washington,” Stratton said. “So our goal is to provide that steady leadership to make sure that we can keep taking care of the work of the state of Illinois, and keep caring for the people of our state who need it, and I think that’s my top priority right now.” * Center Square | Illinois officials share concerns tariffs will impact state’s agricultural sector: Illinois soybean farmers sell much of their harvest to China. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said the Trump administration’s tariffs could be harmful to the state’s farming industry in general, but especially to soybean farmers. “Illinois farmers have seen how this played out before,” said Frerichs. “During Trump’s first term, his tariffs drove China to start buying soybeans from Brazil.” * Uptown People’s Law Center | Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Systematic Abuse of People with Mental Illness in Illinois Prisons: The lawsuit, Hilliard et al., v. Hughes, builds on legal violations previously raised in the 2007 Rasho v. Walker litigation (later renamed Daniels v. Jeffreys), which ended judicial oversight in 2022. IDOC abandoned all reform efforts made under that case after court supervision ended. Approximately 44% of all individuals in IDOC custody (approximately 12,817 people) are on the mental health caseload, with approximately one-third designated as having serious mental illness. Yet IDOC has stopped staffing mental health providers at shocking levels. As of Dec 2024, only 67 full time mental health positions filled out of 175 budgeted positions for nearly 13,000 people. * NBC Chicago | Illinois anti-distracted driving program features new requirement for students: Under provisions of the “One Road, One Focus” campaign, student drivers in Illinois will be required to watch a video that state officials say “details the consequences of dangerous driving behaviors.” The new video requirement, along with other elements of the “One Road, One Focus” campaign, will be unveiled at a Tuesday press event in Chicago, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office said. * Sun-Times | Federal prosecutor alleges Glenview medical journal is politically biased: The letter, signed by acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia, was sent to Chest Journal on April 14. Martin, a Republican, echoes President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen and defends the work of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. “It has been brought to my attention that more and more journals and publications, like Chest Journal are conceding that they are partisans in various scientific debates,” Martin wrote in the letter. * Sun-Times | PPP fraud, perjury charges filed against Dolton cop: William Frederick Reed of Hazel Crest was charged Monday with providing false statements to the federal Small Business Administration, bankruptcy fraud, concealment or destruction of bankruptcy records, failure to file a tax return and perjury on tax returns. […] Prosecutors said Reed fraudulently applied for three PPP loans by falsifying the monthly payroll of his Off Duty Security private security business. They said he received $5,862 in June 2020, $5,862 in March 2021 and $5,860 in May 2021. * Oak Park Journal | Finally official, Gertz wins 4th seat on OPRF school board: It’s been a rough month of April for Josh Gertz – waiting and wondering. Did he have enough votes to win a seat on the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 board of education? Turns out, he did. […] Schaafsma’s campaign netted 4,603 votes, according to unofficial results finally posted by the Cook County Clerk. While that was by far the most votes of any write- in candidate in suburban Cook County, is left Schaafsma well behind Gertz, who finished with 5,522 votes. The new board is expected to be installed May 1, according to current President Tom Cofsky. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights retains firm to vet Bears’ economic impact study: The contract approved unanimously by the village board is with Hunden Strategic Partners, a Chicago-based firm that’s formed a niche in advising the public and private sectors on destination real estate development projects, including mixed-use districts anchored by major league sports stadiums. The $200,000 lump sum fee — initially charged to the village — will be reimbursed by the Bears through an escrow account. That fund has $150,000 in it from the team’s initial deposit. * WGLT | Hearing set for Lorenz campaign complaint; local GOP omits $28K from new disclosure report: A new disclosure filed by the McLean County Republican Party failed to report the transfer of $28,000 to former Normal mayoral candidate Kathleen Lorenz – the same money that sparked a complaint against her with the State Board of Elections. […] McLean County GOP chair Dennis Grundler called it a “straightforward clerical error” that was “due to a brand-new volunteer treasurer using the online system for the first time.” * WSPY | Conservative Group looks to form Kane DOGE: Deputy State Director Brian Costin of Americans for Prosperity‑Illinois will headline the program, outlining what organizers call a road map for creating a Department of Governmental Oversight and Ethics (DOGE) in Kane County and across the state. Costin, who oversees AFP‑Illinois policy initiatives such as the Prairie State Promise and its Watchdog Club, has earned awards for government‐transparency advocacy. THEA says his presentation will focus on “restoring integrity, transparency and accountability” and “eradicating corruption” in Illinois. * WAND | Pre-existing grocery tax could help bring more money back into Decatur: “This is not a tax increase. It is just simply transferring who collects the tax,” said Councilwoman Lisa Gregory. […] If this ordinance does not take effect, the City of Decatur could lose $2.7 million in tax revenue. After further discussions and a vote, six members of the council were in favor of the ordinance, while one member opposed it. * Advantage News | Former Macoupin S.A. employee accused of stealing from office: She is charged with one count of theft of government property less than $10,000, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison; as well as five counts of wire fraud and six counts of official misconduct, all Class 3 felonies punishable by up to five years in prison. Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office alleges Walker was employed by the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s office when she transferred a total of $7,000 from the office’s drug asset forfeiture account between November 2023 and May 2024. * Farm Progress | How U of I plans to boost large-animal vet numbers: Starting this spring, sophomores at the U of I with a demonstrated interest in food-animal care could apply for early acceptance into the Food Animal Veterinarian Early Acceptance Program. According to Anna Dilger, animal sciences professor, the veterinary medicine program will hold five of 160 class spots annually for these students. * Fox Chicago | Chicago Public Schools failed to protect student with disability from sexual assault: lawsuit: Casper emphasized that the student had an individual education plan because of his disability, which required that an adult be with him at all times. The victim is “virtually” non-verbal, so his ability to defend himself “is sadly non-existent,” Casper said. He has ADHD, Autism and requires full-time teacher assistant supervision, according to the lawsuit. The attorney alleged that the school failed to abide by that requirement of the student’s education plan. * Crain’s | Baker Tilly merging with Moss Adams to create sixth-biggest U.S. accounting firm: Baker Tilly, one of Chicago’s largest accounting and consulting firms, has agreed to merge with Seattle-based Moss Adams in a deal creating the sixth-largest U.S. CPA firm. Private-equity firms Hellman & Friedman and Valeas Capital, which took stakes in Baker Tilly in February 2024, will boost their investments as part of the deal. The merger is expected to close in early June, the companies said in a statement. The combined firm will use the Baker Tilly name. * AP | Four White Sox pitchers - all from Massachusetts - made their Fenway mound debuts within 24 hours: And within a 24-hour span, Sean Burke, Mike Vasil, Jared Shuster and Shane Smith each pitched off Fenway’s mound as major leaguers for the first time. “It’s awesome,’’ said Burke, a 25-year-old right-hander from Sutton who started Sunday in Chicago’s 8-4 victory. “These are three guys I knew even before the White Sox, too,” he said. “To kind of all meet here to be able to do it in the same weekend is really cool.” * Chicago Reader | The Lager Beer Riot of 1855: The name blames the beer, but the uprising that rocked Chicago 170 years ago was born from a nativist, anti-Catholic movement that swept the U.S. in the 1850s. It was the culmination of years of clashes between an increasingly militant working class desperate to assert its autonomy under a new system of industrial capitalism and an increasingly terrified business class that sought new ways to exert its control. * Post-Tribune | ‘Sin tax’ looms over Indiana budget as legislators face shortfall of more than $2 billion: “Everything is on the table right now. All topics have to be discussed at this point, and we’ll kind of see how it shakes out in the next 48 hours,” [budget architect Jeffery Thompson] said. Raising cigarette taxes by $2 a pack would result in an additional $800 million over the 2-year budget, Qaddoura said. Increasing alcohol and gaming taxes would raise $250 million over the biennium, he said. * NBC | New images could change cancer diagnostics, but ICE detained the Harvard scientist who analyzes them: Dr. Leon Peshkin, a principal research scientist at Harvard’s Department of Systems Biology and Petrova’s manager and mentor, received a call from Customs and Border Protection on Feb. 16 after agents detained Petrova at Logan International Airport in Boston for failing to declare samples of frog embryos to be used in scientific research. […] [Petrova’s Lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky,] said that CBP typically imposes two penalties for such customs violations: the forfeiture of the items and a fine, usually around $500, and that “for a first-time violation, the fine is typically reduced to $50.” Instead, officials canceled Petrova’s J-1 scholar visa. * AP | Harvard sues Trump administration to stop the freeze of more than $2 billion in grants: For the Trump administration, Harvard presents the first major hurdle in its attempt to force change at universities that Republicans say have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. A part of that is targeting research funding which has fueled scientific breakthroughs but has become an easy source of leverage for the Trump administration. In its letter earlier this month, the administration told Harvard to impose tougher discipline on protesters and to screen international students for those who are “hostile to the American values.” * Nieman Lab | National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation: Elon Musk’s DOGE — the questionably constitutional initiative that shares a name with a meme coin — celebrated that the NSF had cancelled at least 402 grants as part of the cuts. The cuts were made to awards “that are not aligned with NSF’s priorities,” according to an announcement on the NSF site, “including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation.”
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
|
DCEO deputy director ousted after massive conflicts of interest alleged
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Illinois Executive Inspector General…
Lots more here.
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WBEZ…
* It’s just a bill. The Pantagraph…
* CBS Chicago | Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias awards $1.3 million to school libraries: The grants, which are awarded each spring, support school library services for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and include library books, e-books, audiobooks, periodicals, technology, programs and multilingual materials. Districts receive 88 cents per student through a state-determined formula based on enrollment at each school that has a qualified library. Chicago Public schools received more than $78,000 for libraries through his year’ grant. Other major recipients include Elgin School District U-46 which received more than $26,000; Rockford Public School District 205 which received over $21,000; Plainfield CCSD 202 which received just over $20,000. * Keith Whyte | Illinois could set a new gold standard for responsible gambling: As Illinois legislators debate legalizing iGaming, problem gambling concerns remain at the forefront. Opponents of online gambling, often traditional gambling companies motivated by competitive concerns, raise some understandable fears about potential increases in problem gambling. However, they should also acknowledge that account-based online wagering is driving a revolution in responsible gambling. […] With over 20 years of experience tackling gambling addiction and advising policymakers, I know a legal, regulated market is far safer than offshore platforms. Illinois should embrace the potential for setting a new gold standard in consumer protection and responsible gaming through a regulated, taxed market. * WSIL | Illinois State Police operations recover 243 stolen cars, arrests dozens across the state: The ISP received a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year and an additional $677,000 grant in June 2024 from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council. From January to March 2025, ISP operations led to the recovery of 243 stolen or hijacked vehicles, 16 stolen vehicle arrests, and 18 hijacked vehicle arrests. They used a K9 officer 16 times and there were 39 air operations which targeted stolen or hijacked vehicles. They also seized seven firearms during these operations as well. * Daily Herald | The Tri-State, Route 53, the Kennedy, oh my — What to expect on this year’s road construction menu: As the Illinois Department of Transportation wraps up a seismic, three-year Kennedy redo, the agency is pivoting to an ambitious Route 53 fix. “This year, in addition to our smaller maintenance and improvement projects in the northwest suburbs, we are rehabilitating 9 miles along Illinois 53 from I-90 to Lake Cook Road,” IDOT District 1 Bureau Chief of Construction Jonathan Schumacher said. * Daily Herald | Niece of man killed by Carol Stream police gets pretrial diversion for threat: Dajanae Barnes, 23, of Carol Stream admitted April 17 to one count of threatening a public official, according to DuPage County court records. Under the terms of her plea deal, Barnes will enter a pretrial diversion program. If she completes it successfully by April 16, 2026, she will be allowed to withdraw her plea and prosecutors will dismiss the charge. […] During a detention hearing after her arrest, prosecutors told a judge Barnes said “I’ll blow this building up, watch when I get out. So take me to jail for saying that too.” * Evanston Now | NU to fund research paused by feds: In a statement, administrators wrote that the university has still not received a formal notice of the reported funding pause totaling $790 million, including “a significant portion of our federal research funding.” But on Thursday, administrators wrote that the university, “after consultation with the Board of Trustees, will fund research that is subject to stop-work orders or the federal funding freeze.” * Tribune | Construction of new Chicago Sky training facility in Bedford Park delayed into 2026 to accommodate expansion: The $38 million facility originally was expected to be completed in October 2025. The building is being constructed in partnership with the village of Bedford Park as part of the second phase of development at the Wintrust Sports Complex, which also will add two turf fields, a hotel, a gas station and two restaurants this year. After altering the original construction plans to expand the facility, the Sky and the village now anticipate that completion will be delayed several months. Despite the additions, the Sky told the Tribune they expect the facility to be available for training camp in April 2026. * Tribune | Niles Township High School District 219 cuts seven administrators in restructuring plan: Niles Township High School District 219’s Board of Education voted 4-1 at its April 7 meeting to cut seven administrator positions and create four assistant principal positions. The move followed Superintendent Tom Moore’s earlier announcement that the district has a greater percentage of administrators per student than surrounding districts, and a desire to be more efficient with taxpayer dollars. * Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson cracks the door open to city layoffs, service cuts: With a $1.12 billion budget shortfall and $3 billion more in federal funds on the chopping block, Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday cracked the door open to the prospect of layoffs and service cuts that he has previously ruled out. “We will have to deal with the realities of the billions of dollars that are being threatened by the federal government. That’s a different scenario than we were under before,” Johnson said as he signed an executive order establishing a working group to advise him on ways to confront the city’s fiscal challenges. * Crain’s | Johnson creates budget working group to search for efficiencies and revenue: Hoping to get ahead of what’s anticipated to be an arduous 2026 budget cycle, Mayor Brandon Johnson is creating a working group to put forward plans to cut spending and raise revenue that have thus far not had political support during his nearly two years in office. It’s unlikely the group will identify solutions that are not already known or haven’t been put forward previously, but a set of policy ideas supported by a broad coalition, if they materialize, could lead to better buy-in from a City Council that has made life difficult for the first term mayor. * Crain’s | Congress calls on DePaul president to testify in antisemitism probe: Manuel will be joined by leaders from California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) and Haverford College as part of the the Republican-led committee’s probe of allegations of antisemitism on college campuses. In a letter sent to the Chicago college today, committee chairman Tim Walberg, a Republican congressman from Michigan, wrote: “Tragically, Committee oversight shows that antisemitism persists on college campuses, specifically at DePaul University.” * WTTW | Tonight You Can Look for the Lyrids, the Year’s First Meteor Shower. Here’s How to View in Chicago: The Lyrids will be active through Friday, but tonight is peak viewing, starting around midnight. Under dark skies, the best time to catch the meteors would be 3 a.m. to 4 a.m., but the moon will be rising and obscuring the dimmer Lyrids. So experts recommend either finding an object — such as a tree — to block the moon, keep the moon at your back, or head out while the moon is low on the horizon. * BND | Environmental group and metro-east coal plant agree to dismiss federal lawsuit : A lawsuit that alleged a metro-east coal plant operated without proper state documentation has been dismissed after the company and the environmental group reached an agreement this week. […] The Sierra Club staff said that no coal plant is above the law. “We are looking forward to now participating in that process to make sure the permit reflects the most stringent requirements to protect Illinois and Missouri citizens from pollution from this plant,” said Megan Wachspress, a staff attorney with the Illinois Sierra Club. * WSIU | SIU pioneers mental health response program for emergency calls: Thanks to a new grant-funded program, responders with specialized skills in mental health are available to assist when needed in emergency calls at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, de-escalating situations, improving outcomes and helping students stay in school, officials said. SIU’s Department of Public Safety, Counseling and Psychological Services and others have developed a collaborative response team, funded by an Illinois Board of Higher Education Mental Health Early Action on Campus Competitive Grant of $290,000. * WGLT | Central Illinois mental health providers say there are lots of barriers still for ketamine therapy despite positive results: Mental health providers in Central Illinois offering ketamine say it has changed patients’ lives, like Marie’s, for the better. Still, only a handful of clinics offer the service, and additional barriers — time commitment, cost, insurance — can prevent access for people who need the treatment most. * NPR Illinois | Springfield’s mayor announces a series of community meetings: Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher and her administration have announced a series of what are being called “departmental open houses” where residents can speak with City staff and ask questions. “This initiative is part of a broader push to increase transparency, provide consistent access to resources, and gain a deeper understanding of agency operations while learning about the community’s needs,” an announcement said. “These events will not only create direct, face-to-face communication but will also serve as a foundation for an ongoing community needs assessment to help guide future policies, services, and investments.” * WTTW | Walgreens Agrees to Pay $300M to Settle Opioid Lawsuit Claims: As part of a settlement with the U.S. government, Walgreens, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country, has agreed to pay at least $300 million to settle claims it illegally filled millions of invalid opioid prescriptions. […] According to the feds, the settlement amount will jump another $50 million in the event Walgreens is sold, merged or transferred prior to 2032. * AP | 60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts: But the program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is running out of money — and quickly. Funding is expected to be used up by the end of next year, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and obtained by The Associated Press. That would leave tens of thousands across the country scrambling to pay their rent. * The Atlantic | The scramble to save rural health care from DOGE: The reason wasn’t only because so many patients relied on Medicaid, which was currently being targeted by the Trump administration for $880 billion in cuts. Cahaba’s clinics also depended upon an array of more obscure federal grants of the sort that President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency had been summarily deleting before fully understanding the lives that would be upended in the real world. In the gray language of the federal bureaucracy, the funding that mattered most was from the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program—THCGME—and it was the reason the clinic in Perry County and others in some of the poorest corners of rural America had any doctors at all.
|
Today’ number: 3
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for the letter. WGN…
* HGOP Leader Tony McCombie…
I asked over the weekend what particular federal statute the state law is contradicting. Still waiting. * Fox News…
* Alton Telegraph…
* You’d never know it to look at the breathless coverage, but the numbers are infinitesimally small…
Just three people and yet Wilhour wants all public schools in the state to lose their federal funding.
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Closing arguments underway in Sen. Emil Jones III bribery trial
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers were briefed on the trial this morning. Last week, Sen. Emil Jones III testified in his own defense. The Tribune…
* WGN…
* Sun-Times…
* More on Jones’ testimony from Capitol News Illinois’ Hannah Meisel…
* Closing arguments are underway at the Dirksen US Courthouse. Tribune…
* Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Ardam is up first. Sun-Times Federal Courts reporter Jon Seidel is in the courtroom… * More on Jones’ testimony from last Thursday. Tribune…
* Jones denied he told the feds he made a deal with Maani. The Tribune’s Jason Meisner… * Back to today… * Tribune…
* More from Seidel…
Click here to follow the trial.
|
Disappearing the lede
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* From the actual press release…
Ouch.
|
Today’s quotable
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for the study. Tribune…
More here.
|
Nursing Home Workers Call For Accountability Outside Facility With History Of Chronic Understaffing
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller [The following is a paid advertisement.] Last Thursday, nursing home workers lifted up the findings in a new report first released in the blue room on April 8th, in a press conference outside of Landmark at 95th, a facility with a well-documented track record of understaffing. Formerly Southpoint Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the newly renamed facility is a case in point illustrating the ongoing short staffing crisis in Illinois nursing homes. Landmark’s numerous inspection reports demonstrate the impact of its record of providing only 60% of the care hours that residents need. In the last three years, Landmark accrued an astounding $745,000 in fines for failing to provide adequate care. State Representative Justin Slaughter, co-sponsor of HB2507, spoke outside the facility on the need for public dollars to be properly invested in improving resident care. “It’s important that we protect our nursing home workers. That’s why I’m on the front lines pushing and advocating for a bill that protects our staffing levels as well as the quality of care.” Landmark CNA Sharletta Jeffrey described the challenges of working short staffed. “I work in the dementia unit…some of our residents will get up and just wander off…I can’t always watch them closely. It’s just not possible when you’re taking care of so many people.” It’s past time to end chronic understaffing for nursing home patients. Support HB2507 to ensure public funding goes to care and not to profit because Care Can’t Wait.
|
It’s just a bill
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tribune…
* Subscribers were already in the know. Daily Southtown…
* Tribune…
* WIFR…
Both bills have failed to advance in committee. However, SB1527’s deadline has been extended to May 9. * Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* Rep. Patrick Sheehan…
* WAND…
* WCIA…
* WTVO…
* Daily Herald…
* Rep. Lisa Davis…
|
IMA’s Denzler on how state can improve its business climate
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I asked Mark Denzler with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association to send me his thoughts on what he thinks the state needs to do on the economic development front…
Thoughts?
|
Powering The Future: Ironworkers’ Critical Role In Energy Storage Construction
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Ironworkers are essential to Illinois’ clean energy future, bringing unmatched skill and precision to energy storage construction. With major investments in renewable energy from Governor Pritzker and the Illinois General Assembly, expertly trained union ironworkers are driving progress—one weld and rebar tie at a time. On battery storage sites across the state, ironworkers are responsible for installing the structural backbone of these critical facilities. They lay and tie rebar with the highest level of craftsmanship to reinforce foundations capable of supporting massive battery systems. Their precise welding ensures the strength and stability of steel frameworks that protect and support advanced energy storage infrastructure. These aren’t just construction tasks—they’re high-skill, high-impact jobs performed by union professionals trained to meet the demands of cutting-edge energy projects. As Illinois expands its energy storage capacity to meet the goals of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), ironworkers are not only building physical structures—they’re laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and resilient energy grid. By prioritizing union labor in renewable energy projects, Illinois is investing in both quality and equity. Our clean energy future is stronger, safer, and more secure thanks to the expert work of union ironworkers who are building it from the ground up.
|
ARDC hearing board recommends 60-day law license suspension for Tom DeVore
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Heh… * Tribune…
* ARDC…
More on that bankruptcy issue is here.
|
When RETAIL Succeeds, Illinois Succeeds
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Findings of a recent economic study were clear — the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product. Retailers like the Boyer family in Quincy enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.
|
Open thread
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * We’re back from break! What’s been going on in your part of Illinois?…
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois could see cuts to services for disabled residents. Our Quad Cities…
- While the state says the change is about efficiency and includes a 50-cent hourly pay increase, advocates argue that the reduction in hours would have a more significant negative impact. - The Illinois Department of Human Services says a system exists to fairly distribute the remaining hours. * Related stories…
∙ Journal Courier: Intellectual and developmental disability services brace for potential Medicaid cuts * WTTW | Segregation, Restraints and Mace: Lawsuit Alleges Mental Illness Met With Punishment in Illinois Prisons: After making an attempt on his life while incarcerated, Irving Madden alleges that an officer transporting him to the hospital joked that he “didn’t do it right.” […] Madden’s allegations are part of a class action lawsuit filed Wednesday claiming the Illinois Department of Corrections has systematically failed to provide adequate mental health treatment to those incarcerated. Uptown People’s Law Center and Equip for Equality filed suit against IDOC Director Latoya Hughes on behalf of the nearly 13,000 people with mental illness in the state’s prisons — approximately 44% of the population. * Sun-Times | Nearly 1 in 4 out-of-state abortion patients come to Illinois, new report finds: Illinois provided 23% of all abortions for people traveling across state lines for care in 2024, more than anywhere else in the U.S., according to the report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that supports abortion rights. […] Last year, 35,000 abortions were provided to out-of-state residents in Illinois, representing 39% of all abortions performed in the state. * Capitol News Illinois | Jones testifies that FBI asked him to wear a wire on hospital CEO, other lawmakers: The senator took the witness stand for a third day Thursday in his trial over alleged bribes he agreed to take from a red-light camera entrepreneur-turned-FBI witness in exchange for limiting legislation he had proposed that worried the red-light camera industry — and lying to agents about it. Not too long into questioning from his own attorney, Jones’ testimony was halted for more than an hour after he named Tim Egan, the CEO of Chicago’s Roseland Hospital in Jones’ South Side District, as someone the feds wanted him to help investigate. * Subscribers know more. Crain’s | Transit agencies launch ad blitz asking riders for backup in Springfield: The Regional Transportation Authority rolled out its Save Transit Now campaign yesterday with ads on radio, television and social media platforms, as well as billboards and signs on trains, buses and transit shelters. Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Pace — which provide rail and bus service in the city and suburbs — face a funding shortfall or “transit cliff” of $771 million a year when federal pandemic-relief funding dries up next year. * AG Kwame Raoul | Law firms’ capitulation to Trump harms Illinoisans: The capitulation to these unlawful threats inflicts harm on Illinoisans, our judicial system and the rule of law. A just and well-functioning judicial system depends on the willingness of lawyers to take on difficult cases or unpopular clients without retribution by their government. Without that representation, courts will be denied a full presentation of all arguments necessary to resolve a case in an informed and independent manner. * WBEZ | New medical license pathway for international doctors could alleviate Illinois shortage: Before moving to Chicago from Russia, Dr. Filipp Prikolab had a thriving medical practice. […] He is one of thousands of Illinoisans with an international medical degree. And despite receiving similar training as students at American medical schools and residency programs, the pathway to becoming a licensed doctor for Prikolab and his peers is difficult and can take years. But that’s all changing thanks to a law that went into effect this year in Illinois to make it easier for people like Prikolab to get their state medical license. * Jim Dey | Ammons on the injured but functional list: Two area Illinois House members — Democrats Carol Ammons of Urbana and Sue Scherer of Decatur — are on the disabled list. Ammons, an Urbana Democrat, is using a wheelchair and crutches to get around because she suffered a torn meniscus, according to office spokesman Grant Chassy. Medical experts say that, like many knee injuries, a meniscus tear is a painful, debilitating and common injury often associated with athletics. The meniscus is described as “a piece of cartilage in your knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint, acting as a shock absorber to protect the bones from wear and tear.” * NPR Illinois | Former Illinois Ag Director Chuck Hartke has died: A longtime lawmaker and former Illinois Department of Agriculture Director has died. Charles “Chuck” Hartke died Sunday at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. He was 80. A farmer, Hartke was the Agriculture Director from 2003 to 2008. The Department issued a statement Monday that said “his leadership, vision, and commitment to the ag community left a lasting mark on our state.” While at the helm of the agency, Illinois created a statewide veterinary emergency response team to identify and contain animal disease outbreaks. He was also able to increase corporate sponsorship at the Illinois State Fair. * IDES | Illinois Payroll Jobs Climb to Record High: The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that nonfarm payrolls increased +14,800 (+0.2%) over-the-month to a record high of 6,172,300 in March. The previous record was set in December 2024, with 6,161,000 jobs. Additionally, the February monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report of -6,500 to +900. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.8 percent in March, while the revised unemployment rate was 4.8 percent, unchanged from the preliminary February unemployment rate. The March payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. * PJ Star | Film and TV productions have spent over $650M in Illinois over the past year. Here’s why: Film and TV producers have spent over $650 million in Illinois over the past year, thanks to a tax credit shepherded by a Peoria-based state representative. Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, who serves as the assistant majority leader in the Illinois House, said in a news release Friday that the recently expanded Film Production Tax Credit helped provide $653 million in film production expenditures and $351 million in estimated wages to the state last year. Gordon-Booth praised the work done by House Democrats in preserving the tax credit and providing front-facing jobs and money to Illinois. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Glitch with ACT prevented 11,000 Illinois students from finishing the test: The students who could not finish the test on April 8, the first day of testing, have to retake the exam within the testing window, which ends May 2. The testing window between April 8 and May 2 is to ensure students fulfill the state’s graduation and accountability requirements. The hiccup made for a rocky start to the state’s shift back to the ACT as the test required to graduate from high school. Illinois used the ACT for 15 years before switching to the College Board’s SAT in 2016. The problem delayed the start of the exam for thousands of other students. But state education officials and the company that administers the ACT said there have been no issues with testing since April 8. * Capitol News Illinois | Social Security rescinding its plan to end phone-based filing called a win for Illinois seniors: In Illinois, about 2.3 million people receive some form of Social Security benefits. More than 40% of Illinois residents age 65 or older rely on Social Security for at least half of their income, while around 20% rely on it for at least 90% of their income, according to AARP. The SSA was planning to end phone-based claims as an anti-fraud measure, saying the move would strengthen fraud prevention by forcing individuals to go online or visit local field offices to prove their identities and file for benefits. * Frank Manzo IV | Project Labor Agreements deliver on policymakers’ promises to taxpayers and workers: With tariffs, market volatility, and mass government layoffs dominating headlines lately, much of our national economic discourse has centered around whether public policies and investments are maximizing value for taxpayers and opportunities for American workers. Here in Illinois, tens of billions of dollars have been invested over recent years to repair and modernize the roads, bridges, buildings, parks, and critical infrastructure that we rely on. These investments offer a great opportunity to assess whether specific policies are delivering. * Eye On Illinois | How was voter turnout in your local elections?: Perhaps races in your community weren’t decided by fewer people than attend high school football games. Maybe a margin of 122 makes you think “my one vote still wouldn’t have mattered.” But trust these officials understand very well how few citizens actually participate. They’ve conducted public meetings without a single interested spectator or speaker. They know the likely low turnout percentages. As such, they realize they’re directly accountable to the people who do show up, initiate communication and reliably vote. They know those few active citizens can mobilize others to action. Think not in terms of threat or intimidation, but influence and electoral consequence. * The Triibe | Pritzker, Johnson applaud Peacekeepers violence prevention program as crime drops in Chicago: On Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson applauded a new Northwestern University study that found the Peacekeepers Program led to a 41% reduction in victimizations within violence “hotspots” in 2023 to 2024 compared to the previous two-year period. Peacekeeper community areas saw a 31% decrease in shooting victimizations from 2023 to 2024 compared to the previous two-year period, according to the study. Additionally, the study also found that 68% of the conflict mediations conducted by Peacekeepers were “successfully resolved.” * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson reports bigger fundraising numbers, but so do potential opponents: Mayor Brandon Johnson reported raising nearly $300,000 in the first three months of the year, a sizable chunk of which came from gambling interests that want Chicago to legalize sweepstakes machines, as well as some longtime friends and political allies. The mayor’s political haul means he has about $1.16 million in the bank at the near-halfway point of his first term in office, which is about how much ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot had at the same juncture, state campaign records show. While Johnson’s fundraising appeared relatively healthy, so too were the efforts of other Chicago politicians, including some potentially eyeing a bid to take on Johnson for mayor in 2027. * WBEZ | Chicago’s robbery surge is over: From September 2021 to June 2024, almost every month saw a year-over-year robbery increase, a WBEZ analysis of city data has found. Robberies peaked at 1,213 in August 2023. In July of last year, however, the numbers started to plummet. Every month since then has had a double-digit drop in robberies from the previous year. The first three months of 2025 had the fewest robberies of any quarter in decades. * Block Club Chicago | Bowen HS Science Program Gets $10K From PsiQuantum, A South Works Campus Tenant: The $10,000 donation will purchase virtual reality equipment, robotics, rockets, drones and other technology to “enable hands-on learning” in Bowen’s engineering, math and science classes, PsiQuantum executive Mo Green said. […] PsiQuantum’s donation is about four times the average annual budget for Bowen’s science department, allowing teachers to “go outside the parameters of the budgets they’re normally used to [and] plan something phenomenal for the kids,” principal Priscilla Horton said. * Block Club | City Sues Englewood Junkyard Property Owner, Mechanic Living On Lots: City officials are “seeking maximum penalties and an injunction” against Paul Cawley, Achadboy Properties, Jerry Bell and Melvin Woods for the vacant lots harboring cars at 7150-52 S. Normal Blvd., a spokesperson for the city’s Law Department said in an email Monday. […] The city’s lawsuit comes days after Block Club Chicago published an investigation on the illegal junkyard in Englewood, highlighting the city’s failure to clear the lots of cars, bikes and boats after nearly a decade of neighbors complaining and Cawley blowing off city fines. * WBEZ | Chicago street festivals sound alarm on rising costs, including security: The coalition called “Save Our Street Fests,” which went public with its concerns Friday, also includes nonprofit street festivals such as Wicker Park Fest, Northalsted Market Days, Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest and several others. The group says that the cost of producing a street festival in Chicago has “skyrocketed,” from fees for security, entertainment, staffing and insurance to expenses for portable restrooms. At the same time, donations from the public at festival gates have dropped dramatically. Pamela Maass, executive director of the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce, said there’s often confusion over how the events are funded and why street festivals ask for a donation at the entrance, while downtown city-run events, like Blues Fest, do not. * WTTW | Chicago Park District CEO Carlos Ramirez-Rosa on Riot Fest, Homeless Encampments and Top Priorities: On Riot Fest: “For the first time ever, we’re going to do a pre-event walk-through with community advocates. The Park District always does a walk-through with the festival organizers. We’re going to invite the community along so we can have greater accountability, so we can make sure that the event is keeping the park up to the same level that they found it at. The Park District previously created a 10% give-back policy where 10% of the money generated from an event would go back into the local park.” * Sun-Times | WGN interested in airing Chicago Sports Network broadcasts, confident a deal can work: The sides would have to sort out a lot of details, such as how many games would be included and who would sell advertising for them. Though WGN isn’t positioned to pay a substantial rights fee — the teams would have to treat it as a marketing expense — it could deliver the teams their largest TV audience since they launched CHSN in October. * Tribune | With Cook County Jail’s population again on the rise, officials weigh the reasons: In an internal report obtained by the Tribune via a public records request, the Cook County sheriff’s office found that the average daily jail population has risen by about 12% in recent months, reaching its highest level in eight months at the end of March. The report also found sharp increases in detention for some charge types for which State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has implemented policy changes. […] Sheriff Tom Dart, in an interview with the Tribune, made clear that he supports policies that keep high-risk defendants incarcerated, but said he is concerned about how long inmates remain in jail as court cases move sluggishly through the system. * Tribune | Bankruptcies at suburban senior homes collectively cost residents millions of dollars in entrance fees: A recent bankruptcy filing by a network of senior living facilities in Illinois and Indiana highlights the financial risk posed to residents who pay large entry fees to continuing care retirement communities, but get limited government protections, senior advocates say. In February, a Lutheran not-for-profit that operates several long-term care facilities — including Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, seeking to continue operations while shedding debt. The latest bankruptcy follows a Chapter 11 filing in 2023 by Schaumburg’s Friendship Village, now called Encore Village. The Oaks at Bartlett also filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and 2019, went into receivership in 2024 and was sold. * NBC Chicago | Longtime Skokie mayor who fought antisemitism retires, cites Trump worries: After more than 40 years of public service, Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen is packing up his office and embarking on a new adventure: retirement. In an interview with NBC Chicago, he shared the highs and lows of his career, including his work to combat antisemitism and promote tolerance. […] Another tense time came the following year when the Klu Klux Klan came to Skokie. Nowadays, a big challenge has been combating the surge in antisemitism following the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. “It’s hard to describe the pain that Jewish people feel. I think for many of us, it was very unexpected,” Van Dusen said. * Sun-Times | Senate contenders share face time with Cook County Democrats ahead of Durbin decision: Krishnamoorthi spent about 45 minutes shaking hands during a lunchtime break. After a bit of scurrying from reporters, the congressman chose his words carefully. Both Krishnamoorthi and Stratton are widely seen as potential Senate candidates should Durbin decide to retire. But with that decision still not public, the two tried to pay respect to the veteran senator while making sure to schmooze with high-profile Democrats. * Daily Herald | Lisle trustee candidates separated by single vote, while Queen Bee school board race ends in a tie: The race for the fourth and final available school board seat in Queen Bee Elementary District 16 has ended in a tie, according to results that are technically still unofficial. Merima Biacan and William Staunton each received 895 votes. Marjorie Fierro, the top-vote getter, finished with 1,044. “For most of the people, the race was done on the first or the second of April. For me, it’s still not done,” Biacan said, adding that “it was kind of nerve-wracking to live through this.” * Daily Herald | Should Cook County dissolve its four suburban mosquito abatement districts?: Some Cook County Board members are requesting closer scrutiny of the mosquito districts following an investigation by the county’s inspector general that resulted in calls for members of the appointed oversight board at one district to resign. “It would seem best to me to consolidate them,” said 12th District County Board Commissioner Bridget Degnen. “I think it’s more a patchwork now and having it consolidated under the county would provide a streamlined approach with consistent services throughout all of Cook County.” * Tribune | Will County Board approves solar projects near Monee, Peotone: The Will County Board voted Thursday to approve two new solar projects for the south suburbs. The board voted 13 to 9 to approve TurningPoint Energy’s request to build a 3.4-megawatt commercial solar energy facility on about 35 vacant acres near the northeast corner of La Grange Road and West Monee-Manhattan Road in Monee. TurningPoint has been granted special use permits for eight projects in Will County near Crete, Monee, Peotone and Joliet, county documents said. * Sun-Times | Former Glenwood cemetery worker charged with stealing $100K in funeral fees: Latrecia Marshall-Parris, 48, handled funeral plans and assisted with headstone payments, which often were made in cash, at Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens in south suburban Glenwood, the Cook County sheriff’s office and court documents said. She took cash from families but deposited lesser amounts into the cemetery’s accounts and pocketed the difference, the sheriff’s office alleges. Marshall-Parris is accused of stealing more than $114,200 from 49 payments made between April 2022 and August 2023. * Sun-Times | Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launched in Lake County to inspire young readers: The Imagination Library isn’t a brick-and-mortar project but a collaborative. Each month, a high-quality, age-appropriate book is mailed to children’s homes at no cost to participating families. The books are meant to foster early learning skills, help close literacy gaps and promote educational equity, supporters say. * BND | As he prepares for final meeting, O’Fallon mayor reflects on decades of service: As he looks back on what the city has achieved in eight years, he thanked the city staff and council for working together on growth and concern for tax dollars. “Our staff is second to none. Our council may disagree, but they come together, by and large, to get things done for the residents,” he said. * WGLT | 2 public forums scheduled on shelter village plan in Bloomington: The City of Bloomington has announced two forums have been scheduled to collect public input on a proposed cabin village to serve the unhoused. An official with Bloomington-based Home Sweet Home Ministries said in February the agency wants to build a 50-bed non-congregant village near Main Street and Oakland Avenue south of downtown to help address the overflow of unhoused residents who are unable to stay in either of Bloomington’s homeless shelters. * WGLT | McLean County working to become fully ADA compliant online: The McLean County Board heard an update on the effort during its meeting on Thursday, led by Craig Nelson, the county’s chief information officer, and digital media director Dan Leary. The ADA does not specifically address online accessibility, but the Department of Justice published a rule in 2024 setting technical requirements for accessibility on state and local government websites and social media. Earlier this year, the DOJ published a resource document with more information to explain how to maintain compliance that can help avoid lawsuits. * CBS Chicago | 4 killed when small plane hits powerlines and crashes in central Illinois: The crash occurred at around 10:15 a.m. local time on County Line Road in Trilla, Illinois, about three miles south of Mattoon in Coles County, according to Illinois State Police and the Coles County Sheriff’s Office. Trilla is about 200 miles south of Chicago. The National Transportation Safety Board said a Cessna 180 single-engine plane struck powerlines and crashed into a field. * PJ Star | How a robot does the heavy lifting marking athletic fields across the Peoria area: There is an artist named Tank whose canvas is a growing number of athletic fields in the Peoria area, painting with machine-like precision. That’s fitting, because it’s a robot. Turf Tank is a programmable robot on four wheels that looks like a tiny tank. Loaded with a reservoir of paint, and guided by computer, it works unsupervised, painting the lines on soccer, football, baseball, lacrosse and other athletic fields. * AP | Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88: Bells tolled in church towers across Rome after the announcement, which was read out by Cardinal Kevin Farrell from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff’s death. * CNN | DHL to suspend global shipments of over $800 to US consumers: DHL blamed the halt on new US customs rules which require formal entry processing on all shipments worth over $800. The minimum had been $2,500 until a change on April 5. DHL said business-to-business shipments would not be suspended but could face delays. Shipments under $800 to either businesses or consumers were not affected by the changes. * Bloomberg | How Did This Suburb Figure Out Mass Transit?: Brampton, Ontario, is a large industrial suburb of Toronto, indistinguishable from many across North America. Six-lane-wide arterial roads lined with strip malls course through residential developments full of detached single-family homes with garages. The city is also home to many factories and distribution centers — massive warehouses with blank walls surrounded by parking lots. Yet, with a population of about 700,000, Brampton has 226,500 bus riders on an average weekday. Compare that to Orange County, California, with 3.2 million people and 112,000 daily bus riders. Orange County has a similar suburban built form, and its population density in core areas like Santa Ana is higher than that of Brampton. Comparison with other areas is just as stark: Columbus, Ohio, with about 900,000 residents, has only 34,100 bus riders per day; the Pace bus network, serving 5.7 million residents of suburban Chicago, averages 56,900 riders per day.
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
Live coverage
Monday, Apr 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
|
« NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |