Reader comments closed for the holidays
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Every year at this time, I play these videos for my mom, who watched them when she was a kid. Here’s Suzy Snowflake, Frosty the Snowman and Hardrock, Coco and Joe… Have a wonderful break!
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And the winners are…
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Use of Social Media goes to Tina Sfondeles…
@ChicagoBars gets honorable mention, and his nomination of Tina is also worth noting…
Yes, please. * The Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter goes to walker…
From Oswego Willy’s walker nomination…
True. * Congratulations to everyone who won this year… Best Session Restaurant: Fritz’s Best Session Tavern/Hangout: JP Kelly’s Best Senate Democrat Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Ivan Gonzalez Best Senate Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manage: Cathy Scaife Best House Democrat Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Ricardo Montoya-Picazo Best House Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Megan McGuire Best House Democrat Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Ricardo Montoya-Picazo Best House Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager: Megan McGuire Best Non Political State Senate Staffer: Meredith O’Brien Best Non Political State House Staffer: Kendra Piercy Best Senate Democrat Campaign Staffer: Kevin Romo & Dana Stoerger Best House Democrat Campaign Staffer: Craig Willert Best Senate Republican Campaign Staffer: Brent Ellis & Matt Butcher Best House Republican Campaign Staffer: Mark Revis Best Government Spokesperson: Eleni Demertzis & Abdon Pallasch Best Campaign Spokesperson: Natalie Edelstein Best Democrat Illinois State Representative: Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside) Best Republican Illinois State Representative: Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) Best Democrat Illinois State Senator: Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) Best Republican Illinois State Senator: Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) Best Contract Lobbyist: Heather Wier Vaught & Liz Brown Best In-House Lobbyist: Khadine Bennett Best Legislative Liaison: Andi VanderKolk Best State Agency Director: Alexis Sturm Best Statewide Staffer: Anne Caprara Best Do-Gooder Lobbyist: John Amdor Best US Representative: Adam Kinzinger Best Statewide Officeholder: JB Pritzker Lifetime Achievement: Secretary of State Jesse White Best Association/Union Leader: Terry Cosgrove Best Use of Social Media: Tina Sfondeles Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter: walker
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Pritzker inauguration events announced
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
Any guesses who the musical headliner will be this time?
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Distorting good news to make it appear like it’s bad news
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * From a Center Square story entitled “State commission offers uncertain forecast for Illinois’ economy”…
“Only.” What a crock. * Here’s what CGFA actually reported…
CGFA is usually reticent to use glowing phrases like “amazing” and “impressive,” but there you go. * Here’s what happened. CGFA revised this fiscal year’s revenue outlook upward by $4.9 billion in November. The “strong overall performance” of financial numbers released since that decision, CGFA reported, “further solidify the Commission’s confidence in raising the FY 2023 general funds revenue estimate.” The commission’s revised forecast was about $1.2 billion higher than the governor’s budget office revision. The governor used that GOMB forecast to justify paying off the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund debt, among other things. * And here’s where the Center Square misinformation is important. The current FY23 state budget as originally drafted relied on total revenue projections of $46.43 billion, which was back then about $4.6 billion below FY22’s record-breaking $51.07 billion in revenues. So, if CGFA is right, then the recently revised forecast would result in total revenues almost $300 million higher than last year’s, or almost $4.9 billion higher than originally expected. Not to mention the CGFA report advised that another upward revenue revision is possible next March, “if any semblance of the current pace of revenue growth continues.” Personal income tax receipts are currently running “well ahead” of last fiscal year’s pace, CGFA notes, but CGFA’s newly revised estimates still predict the revenue stream will decline by nearly $700 million this fiscal year.
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SDems issue list of “ten most interesting new laws”
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
Thoughts?
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Some Pritzker folks receive promotions
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Some past Golden Horseshoe winners in here…
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Afternoon news roundup
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Far-right Republicans regularly demand a single flavor of Republicanism. But while a large chunk of the party’s members side with those folks, majorities and pluralities appear to support a big tent philosophy on most individual hot-button issues, according to a Monmouth University poll of party members… ![]()
*Heavy sigh* I don’t know how anyone can be taken seriously if they believe that nonsense. * From the Illinois Supreme Court…
* “Voters overwhelmingly rejected my candidate, so they are all doomed to ignominious death”…
Merry Christmas to you, too, Dan. …Adding… Amnesty International…
* Oops…
* Press release…
* From Navy Pier…
* Thanks, but the real thanks go to the people who stepped up and more than doubled our previous online fundraising record set in 2021…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County’s first Latino and openly gay countywide official begins term; ‘Government works better when it reflects the community’: The 30-year-old is believed to be the both the first Latino and first openly gay person to hold an elected, countywide office in Lake County. “A few cycles ago, Avon Township in Lake County made history by electing Krystal Larson the first openly transgender township clerk,” Vega said. “It’s 2022, the county is a quarter Latino, we have thousands of folks that are proudly LGBTQ and I’ve always said government works better when it reflects the community they represent. * FOX 32 | Staffing woes hamper CPD reform efforts, new report warns: The Chicago Police Department’s deep staffing and personnel issues continue to hinder its court-ordered reform efforts, according to a progress report released Thursday. By the end of the most recent reporting period, covering the first half of the year, the police department had earned some form of compliance with 78% of the reviewable sections in the sweeping federal consent decree, which the city entered into after the police killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in 2014. * Crain’s | Inflation is eroding the power of basic income checks in America: A group of low-income residents of Cook County, Illinois is getting their first $500 checks this week from the $42 million two-year program, which organizers say is the largest-ever such initiative in the US. The idea is to give families a government-funded guaranteed payment every month to help pay for the basics like food, shelter and other living expenses. Lightfoot’s budget doesn’t include funding to extend Chicago’s basic income program beyond one year. But with soaring prices for everything from food to fuel, more than 3,000 recipients will find that money won’t stretch nearly as far as when the grants were announced in May. * Crain’s | Unionized Starbucks workers kick off three-day strike: Employees of unionized Starbucks locations are participating in a nationwide demonstration starting today. Workers are demanding an end to store closures in a three-day unfair labor practice strike through the weekend. Six locations across Illinois, four of them in Chicago, are taking part in the action, which begins at 7 a.m. today. The demonstration includes 100 locations across the country. * WTTW | 14-Year-Old Charged With Bringing Firearm Into Chicago Elementary School: Chicago police announced the student has been charged with felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon and threat to a school building. He was also cited for possessing a high-capacity magazine and metal piercing bullets. According to police, the student — whose name was not released because he is a minor — was arrested Wednesday at Mary E. Courtenay Language Arts Center, 4420 N. Beacon St., after he was reported to staff in the building. * Semafor | Democratic lawmakers are looking for the exits in case Twitter implodes: A number of Democrats have publicly criticized Musk’s recent decisions to suspend journalists, his conspiratorial tweets, and his abandonment of the prior management’s approach to hate speech and harassment. While no members are quitting just yet, several offices say they’re checking out new options and may change up their social media diet. * Daily Herald | Botched police raids lead to change in state’s attorney’s warrants policy: “The intrusion that search warrants legally authorize justifies greater disclosure and transparency to ensure that a search warrant is carried out on the correct individual and location,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said in announcing changes. “Going forward to receive our signoff, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office will require law enforcement to submit to increased checks of the information provided to request search warrants and then disclose the outcome of the warrant. * Tribune | Chicago police officer tied to disgraced unit fired 18 years after scandal: The Police Board decided to dismiss Officer Thomas Sherry in a 5 to 1 decision for his alleged actions in the disgraced Special Operations Section, a specialized unit that was disbanded when some of its officers committed home invasions and robberies in the 2000s. * Crain’s | Kinzinger delivers a scathing farewell speech that singes the GOP—and Dems, too: The Channahon Republican, who along with now-ousted Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney was one of only two GOP members to serve on the House’s Jan. 6 investigative committee, criticized his party for embracing “lies and deceit” while buying in to conspiracy theories and slavishly supporting former President Donald Trump. * The Hill | Trump’s digital cards sell out within a day: As of Friday morning, the site selling the non-fungible tokens (NFTs) says they are sold out, and links to purchase the digital cards are no longer available. OpenSea Data, which tracks the sales and markets for NFTs, indicated there were 45,000 of the Trump cards initially made available for purchase for $99 each. The Trump digital cards were the top trending item on the site as of Friday morning. * Crain’s | NASCAR’s image overhaul starts in Chicago: NASCAR has to change something to rebuild its audience. Its average national TV viewership has shrunk to just over 3 million people per race, barely half of its size 10 years ago, though that drop may be partly a product of fewer people subscribing to pay-TV or streaming services. Stock car racing has been gradually reverting to its roots as a regional Southern sport, a far cry from its glory days two decades ago, when its popularity exploded nationally. Ratings for the Daytona 500 topped the World Series for four years in the mid-2000s. * WTTW | Chuck Swirsky, Radio Voice of Chicago Bulls, Reflects on 50 Years in Broadcasting: His broadcasting career spans 50 years and many sports, but basketball was always his first love and this is now his 25th season in his dream role as an NBA broadcaster. A pioneer of Chicago sports talk radio, Swirsky has also covered many iconic moments in sports history – including L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. * The Southern | A Murphysboro woman has been battling against a sinkhole in her driveway for over 2 years : For about two and a half years, Wilson has been dealing with the sinkhole. Her son, Johnnie Sims, said nearly 40 tons of gravel has been put into the hole. Each time it is repaired with gravel, the sinkhole opens back up again. In mid-November, nine tons of gravel was placed in the hole in an attempt to stop it from reopening. By the first of December, it was open again.
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Do better
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * More info is here if you need it. From Crain’s…
* And this map posted by the White House Director of the National Economic Council clearly shows why the governor feels the need to kick it into gear…
Not quite “all over America.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Gun issue update
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Lawmakers heard more testimony for and against assault weapons ban
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Background is here if you need it. Peter Hancock…
* AP…
* WMBD…
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly is expected to testify during next Tuesday’s hearing. * More… * Patch | Duckworth Holds Video Call With Highland Park High School Students: The Illinois Democrat and combat veteran has long been a supporter of a ban on assault-style weapons like the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic rifles. “From their portability, accuracy, rate of fire ability to penetrate certain body armor and ease of reloading, both the military-issued M4 Carbine and the civilian AR-15, and its variants, are functionally similar and they are designed for combat. The lack of a three-round burst or full-auto mechanism does not meaningfully reduce the AR-15’s lethality compared to the M4,” Duckworth testified at a Senate hearing following the Highland Park massacre. * St Louis Dispatch | To combat gun violence, East St. Louis artist turns ammunition into art: Each year since he was 17, Ash has lost at least one friend or relative to gun violence. That includes his cousin Dashaun “Bookie” Gage, 28, who died in 2018 in a shooting in front of a gas station across the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Ash and Gage were close. Losing Gage left Ash so traumatized that he stopped going to that gas station. He turned to his art after the shooting, creating a portrait of Gage the same year. “My art saved my life,” Ash said. “There’s so much other stuff that I could have gotten off into.” * KFVS | Marion Jr. High students learn importance of mental health with help from ‘Pawfficer Gary’: A southern Illinois police department is using man’s best friend to help teach 7th graders the importance of understanding mental health and knowing that many of us sometimes have the blues. Marion Police Officer Jason Plichta and his four legged partner, Gary, are regular visitors at Marion Jr. High.
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Question of the day: 2022 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Association/Union Leader goes to Personal PAC’s Terry Cosgrove…
Runner-up is Local 150’s Jim Sweeney with a special shoutout to the IMA’s Mark Denzler, who was elected Speaker of the Third House this week and received a strong nomination yesterday. * The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Lifetime Achievement was a no-brainer. Secretary of State Jesse White…
I think only one other person received a nomination in this category (Cosgrove). Congratulations! * On to our final categories…
The Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter. As always, do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your answers. Also, keep in mind that these awards are for actions this year, not previous years. Thanks! * One more thing: I want to thank you again for your generosity this year. LSSI sent me a box of tasty cookies today, and I wish I could share them with everyone who helped buy presents for foster kids. As Oprah might say, “You get a cookie! You get a cookie! You get a cookie!” Seriously, thanks. We’ve so far raised $45,760. I truly do have the best job in Illinois.
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Canceler complains after cancellation
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune in September…
* Proft paper this week…
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Morning briefing
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller * STAT | These 8 states are doing the worst job of treating hepatitis C in prisons: Illinois agreed in 2019 to revamp its entire prison medical program, as part of a civil rights settlement. But it’s still falling woefully short — and the Department of Corrections’ own documents indicate that people are still unnecessarily dying of hepatitis C. An independent review of one such death found that a 56-year-old man had been referred for hepatitis C treatment in 2017 but was never formally considered for the treatment until a few months before his death in November 2021. * NYT | How a Sprawling Hospital Chain Ignited Its Own Staffing Crisis: At a hospital in a Chicago suburb last winter, there were so few nurses that psychiatric patients with Covid were left waiting a full day for beds, and a single aide was on hand to assist with 32 infected patients. Nurses were so distraught about the inadequate staffing that they banded together to file formal complaints every day for more than a month. * Crain’s | Working parents are overwhelmed as kids get sick again and again: Parents are facing a triple avalanche of influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), valiantly meeting work deadlines while struggling to fulfill return-to-office requirements. All three viruses are expected to keep doctor’s offices hopping for the coming months, alongside the spread of old standbys like strep throat and common colds. * Sun-Times | Pritzker, unions herald adoption of Workers’ Rights Amendment: The celebration with union leaders included several references, veiled or explicit, to former Gov. Bruce Rauner, who tried to roll back union power by encouraging right-to-work laws. Right-to-work refers to allowing people to skip paying union dues as a condition of employment. * Tribune | Secretary of State re-appoints Umair Qadeer to Niles Library Board: Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has reappointed Umair Qadeer as the seventh, tie-breaking trustee on the Niles-Maine District Library Board after a protracted legislative and legal process. * WGLT | Bloomington’s new state Rep. Dan Caulkins talks about gun control, SAFE-T Act, and post-election resignations: Caulkins is part of the conservative Illinois Freedom Caucus, which touts itself as advocates for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government. And after the election, Caulkins is now part of an even smaller Republican super-minority in Democrat-controlled Springfield. In this interview with WGLT, Caulkins talks about a range of policy issues, including recent tweaks to the SAFE-T Act, a proposed assault-style weapons ban, and ethics reform. * WTTW | García Backs Proposal to Use $10M in Federal COVID-19 Relief to Help Homeowners Struggling With Property Tax Hikes: Officials should use $10 million in federal relief funds designed to help Chicagoans struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic to aid residents dealing with significant increases in their property tax bills, according to a proposal backed by mayoral candidate U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García. * STL Today | Former Metro East power broker Tom Lakin dies at 82: Tom Lakin, a once-prominent Metro East trial lawyer and Democratic Party power broker later sentenced to prison on federal drug charges, died Monday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was 82. Lakin, who headed the influential Lakin Law Firm in Wood River, established himself by the 1990s as one of the top attorneys in the metro area, winning millions of dollars in class action and personal injury claims. … In 2011, he pleaded no contest to a state charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse related to the earlier case but was given no additional prison time beyond his six-year federal sentence. * WBEZ | Chicago’s NASCAR deal: Fast, furious and full of unanswered questions: Critics want to know who will pay for security and physical damage to downtown. But the bigger question is: Is anyone clamoring for this? * Vox | The most successful strategy for ending homelessness is under attack: Advocates and researchers have never had stronger evidence about the best way to most effectively house people who need it: a model known as “housing first.” As the name suggests, its focus is getting people into permanent housing and offering them support services, rather than requiring them to address mental health conditions, substance abuse, or job training first. * Fortune | Sen. Tammy Duckworth introduces a bill to protect IVF in the aftermath of Roe v. Wade’s reversal: Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s journey to parenthood took a decade. After she returned wounded from her service in Iraq, she spoke to her OB/GYN at her Veterans Affairs hospital about trying to have a child. She was referred to a fertility specialist, who came to the waiting room rather than meet with then-39-year-old Duckworth for an appointment. “She told me, ‘You’re too old. There’s no way you could ever get pregnant through reproductive medicine. You just need to go home and enjoy your husband,’” Duckworth remembers. * WTTW | Callery Pear on List of Species Illinois Assessing as Invasive. Here’s What That Means: Illinois is now conducting assessments of 10 plants to determine whether to recommend the addition of any or all of them to the state’s lists of “noxious” and/or “exotic” weeds, decisions that would make the purchase or sale of the plant illegal. * Sun-Times | Chicago police officer faces dismissal in alleged beating, wrongful arrest of woman at George Floyd protest: The recommendation from Police Supt. David Brown comes four years after the officer, James Hunt, was suspended for yelling, “I kill motherf——,” an apparent reference to a 17-year-old boy Hunt fatally shot while on duty. * Crain’s | Farmers say Deere’s repair restrictions violate Clean Air Act: Nonprofit organizations in the “right to repair” movement, including Illinois PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), Repair.org and iFixit, want the EPA to sanction Moline-based Deere for limiting repairs of its machines to authorized Deere dealerships. Farmers want access to software so they can diagnose and handle their own repairs or use an independent mechanic, thereby avoiding high costs and service delays at dealers.
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Open thread
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller * An eventful day on the bird app yesterday…
Anyway, what’s going on in your part of Illinois today?
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Live coverage
Friday, Dec 16, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Follow along with ScribbleLive…
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Discovery Partners Institute teams up with U of I for cannabis research
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * I’ve said for decades that the U of I needs to turn loose its science and agriculture experts on cannabis research. Cannabis is a highly complex plant, and research might find all sorts of uses. Here’s Crain’s…
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the proposal today…
Your thoughts?
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Afternoon news roundup
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. The governor was asked today about Stellantis’ decision to idle its Belvidere plant and the future of electric vehicle manufacturing in Illinois…
Please pardon all transcription errors. * Interesting stuff…
* Rep. Delia Ramirez has resigned her House seat now that she’s about to be sworn in as a US Rep. Lilian Jimenez won that district in November, so you gotta figure that she’ll be appointed early. As expected, Rep. Tim Butler submitted his resignation yesterday. Click here to read it. * AFSCME Council 31 heads back to the negotiating table for a new contract for its 35,000 state employees. Some stated priorities…
* Constituent email…
* Politico…
* Press release…
* In other words, they are prone to taking reckless risks…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Sun-Times | Truck makers Rivian, Lion call on Pritzker to move faster on phaseout of gas and diesel-fuel engines: Rivian, with almost 6,000 employees in Normal, and Lion Electric, which is beginning to build electric school buses in Joliet, along with 14 other businesses connected to electric vehicles and clean energy sent a letter urging Pritzker to set specific targets for eliminating polluting trucks, buses and other large vehicles. Pritzker has touted electric vehicles as a major economic opportunity for Illinois, and last year signed into law new tax credits and other incentives to bring more manufacturing to the state promising “thousands of jobs.” * Courier and Press | Here’s how much Illinois made selling weed to Indiana, out-of-state residents: In October alone, Illinois made more than $40 million – $40,662,494 – off out-of-state sales to Hoosiers and other nearby residents. * Chalkbeat | Illinois education budget might boost career, early childhood programs – but recession worries loom: School districts must decide how to spend emergency COVID funds by a federally-imposed fall 2024 deadline. After federal funds run out, some districts may be scrambling to pay for programs created during the pandemic and increased staffing. However, according to a newly published spending dashboard, districts still have more than half of the pandemic relief money to spend. * Press Release | ISBE launches ESSER Spending Dashboard for funding transparency : he Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has launched a new spending dashboard to provide the public with an easy-to-use tool showing how Illinois is using federal pandemic relief funds. The state received nearly $8 billion through three rounds of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding to support students’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. * Sun-Times | ComEd to spend $40 million on plan to rid homes of natural gas: ComEd is moving from a pilot project to a larger plan to “decarbonize” thousands of homes, making them energy efficient and more environmentally friendly. * Sun-Times | CTA, Pace to issue shared passes next year: “We’re thrilled to partner with the CTA on these changes which will open more doors to employment, education, and essential services throughout our region,” said Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger. * Sun-Times | Metra to rebuild 3 Electric Line stations on South Side: The stations at 79th, 87th and 103rd streets will be rebuilt from the ground up starting next summer and will be made handicap accessible, the transit agency announced Wednesday. * Wall Street Journal | Why You Might Be Having Trouble Buying Children’s Flu and Cold Medicine: U.S. households are stepping up spending on cough and cold medicines and children’s pain relievers amid a rise in reports of respiratory infections, leading to sporadic shortages of some drugs online and at stores. * Washington Post | Why a ‘tripledemic’ is keeping many of us sick for weeks at a time: As we approach year four of the coronavirus pandemic, Lane and other doctors agree the overlapping viral surges and how they are playing out are unusual and concerning: Patients with back-to-back respiratory illnesses. Simultaneous infection with three or more viruses. Otherwise healthy people suffering for weeks, rather than days, with simple colds. * WSIU | Formerly incarcerated students in Illinois continue remote learning to finish their degrees: The pandemic forced prison programs around the country to adapt to remote learning. In Illinois, it also paved a path for college students leaving prison. * WGEM | Dr. Ezike testifies before special COVID-19 congressional subcommittee: The Congressional Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis submitted its final report Wednesday to help prepare for and prevent the next public health emergency. A familiar public figure from Illinois also testified during the subcommittee’s final hearing Wednesday afternoon. Former IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike was asked to provide her perspective on how to best address the ongoing pandemic. Ezike said COVID-19 has highlighted the need for public health departments to focus more attention on health equity. She noted that thousands of people hospitalized for COVID-19 complications in Illinois suffered from underlying chronic conditions. * Time | Here’s what we know about Sam Bankman-Fried’s political donations : A number of lawmakers from both parties are facing growing pressure to give up their campaign contributions from Bankman-Fried and other FTX executives in light of allegations that he stole customer funds. The campaign of Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic candidate for Texas governor this year, said it returned a $1 million SBF donation four days before Election Day, according to The Texas Tribune. Other lawmakers donated the money to charity, including Reps. Chuy Garcia, Democrat of Illinois, and Kevin Hern, Republican of Oklahoma. * Washington Post | Lawmakers grapple with sheer size of FTX’s missing billions: Lawmakers on Wednesday attempted to grapple with the stunning collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX a day after federal prosecutors laid out a case of brazen financial crimes allegedly perpetrated by its former CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, who is being held by authorities in the Bahamas. * The Hill | Democrats press Amazon on ‘failure to improve safety’ of tornado-struck warehouse : Three Democrats on Thursday asked Amazon to detail how it plans to keep workers safe as it rebuilds a warehouse in Illinois that was struck by a tornado and collapsed last year. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), in a letter shared exclusively with The Hill, pressed Amazon CEO Andy Jassy to explain the “rationale” for Amazon’s “reported failure to improve structural safety” at the facility despite six workers dying at the site during last year’s tornado and subsequent collapse. * Washington Post | Want to save the planet? Saving whales could help, scientists say.: Many nature-based solutions to fighting climate change have focused on the ability of trees and wetlands to capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide. But in a paper published Thursday in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, a group of biologists explores the idea that whales can influence the amount of carbon in the air and in the ocean, potentially contributing to the overall reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide. * Washington Post | Elon Musk’s role at Tesla questioned as Twitter occupies his attention: Some Tesla investors are concerned that Musk is focusing too much on the social media company and becoming more polarizing.
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Jobs up, but state says unemployment rate rose a click as more people try to return to workforce
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * IDES…
More… ![]()
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Social justice advocates wary of criminal penalties in new gun bill
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * This is how gun control debates are usually covered in the news media…
The hard reality is that the Democrats’ huge super-majorities mean the pro-gun folks have precious few allies. They likely can’t stop a bill on their own. * To the bill…
And who would most likely be arrested? Black and Brown youth, say social justice advocates. * So, this is the coming legislative reality in Illinois…
Kollman is the policy director for the Children and Family Justice Center, but I have talked to others like her who have expressed the same sentiments. * A similar argument was used against this Chicago proposal, which ultimately passed…
These are the same groups who are fresh off their SAFE-T Act victory. They would view the legislation as a setback. Anyway, it’s something to be aware of as we move forward. And it’s likely the bill’s proponents included an oversampling of Black and Brown voters in their recent poll to help buttress their case against just this sort of argument.
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Question of the day: 2022 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best US Representative goes to Adam Kinzinger…
Runner-up is Lauren Underwood. * The 2022 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Statewide Officeholder goes to JB Pritzker…
Runner-up is Susana Mendoza. Congrats to all! * On to today’s categories…
Lifetime Achievement Award Please do your best to nominate in both categories and make sure to explain your nominations or they won’t count. The “Association/Union Leader” category is new this year, so we’ll see how this works out. House Majority Leader Greg Harris won the Lifetime Achievement Award last year, so he’s ineligible this year. * And now I have some very good news to share…
Y’all are amazing! Give yourself a big round of applause! My (White Sox) hat is off to you. Thanks!!!
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Local legislators not thrilled by new Bears tax plan
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Daily Herald…
Nobody has talked to Rep. Morrison? Mrs. McCaskey has made five contributions to Morrison over the years. She’s given more actual money to others (including $10K to Jeanne Ives), but no other candidates have received more checks than him, although she has written 19 checks to Paul Caprio’s Family PAC.
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More victimhood
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * From St. Louis Public Radio’s story about a person who runs a Facebook group with 1,400 followers who wants to secede from Illinois…
Apparently, her feelings are hurt. But if you look at that little page, you see stuff like this…
Everything is projection with these people. I mean, avowed former secessionist Darren Bailey loudly called Chicago a “hell hole” for months on the campaign trail, but you didn’t hear any candidates blasting Downstaters for being inferior. * Chicago Tribune op-ed by some Eastern Bloc members…
Sixty people were given four hours to vent their rage at that meeting, including people like this…
They probably should’ve been ignored, but they weren’t. * Back to the op-ed…
1) Rauner won in 2014 then proceeded to wreck the state government and was clobbered for it in 2018; 2) Bailey didn’t defend their values? Kinda revisionist, don’t you think?
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Morning briefing
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here’s your morning roundup…
* Tribune | With approval of Chicago casino and Red Line extension TIF, Lightfoot scores two wins amid reelection bid: While both projects have plenty of remaining hurdles, for Lightfoot, the votes on the casino and Red Line extension mark political victories she will likely tout on the campaign trail as she seeks reelection. The state legislature’s approval of a casino license for Chicago was Lightfoot’s biggest victory in Springfield and, if it goes as planned, will bring significant revenue to the city’s coffers. The Red Line extension, while years away, is also another milestone Lightfoot will claim as a boon to the city’s South Side. * CBS Chicago | Retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White honored with gala: Illinois leaders sent off longtime Secretary of State Jesse White in style Wednesday night. State leaders staged a gala to honor White’s decades of tremendous public service. The dinner was attended by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Gov. JB Pritzker, and other people who have served in the upper echelons of Illinois government. * WCIA | State lawmakers discuss amendment to protect abortion rights into Illinois Constitution: State lawmakers want to go one step further to protect abortion access in Illinois with a constitutional amendment. They want it to stay safe no matter who’s in office. “We are supportive of state lawmakers taking any action that works to protect Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients, and makes sure that there’s reproductive rights and access to abortion care throughout the state of Illinois” Rianne Hawkins, the director of advocacy and campaigns for Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, said. * Tribune | Aldermen want to use COVID-19 relief money to give property tax loans to struggling Chicagoans: As Chicagoans face down a holiday deadline to pay their property tax bills, Ald. Michael Rodriguez has unveiled a proposal to spend $10 million in unallocated federal COVID-19 recovery funding to help low-income Chicagoans meet the deadline. At a virtual news conference, Rodriguez and fellow Ald. Maria Hadden said the hard-hit Southwest Side and North lakefront neighborhoods they represent were particularly in need. * Chalkbeat | New high school gets more money from Chicago City Council as cost estimate climbs: A controversial new high school is another step closer to reality after Chicago’s City Council approved $8 million in city funds for the $150 million project. Five progressive aldermen voted against the measure on Wednesday. * WTTW | In Cook County, Black Youth Make Up 70% of the Foster Care System. Advocates Say More Support is Needed After They Age Out.: In Cook County, Black youth account for more than 70% of the child welfare system. Meanwhile, Black residents make up only 23% of the county’s total population. As of February 2022, there are more than 4,000 Black children in foster care in Cook County. * Tribune | Man who straw-purchased gun used to kill Chicago police Officer Ella French sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison: The sentence was half the five-year maximum Jamel Danzy could have received. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman noted Danzy is college educated and said he had no evidence Danzy knew where the gun he bought would wind up. * Block Club | Ald. Anabel Abarca Sworn In To Lead Southwest Side’s 12th Ward: Anabel Abarca became the newest member of City Council after being sworn in as 12th Ward alderperson Wednesday morning. Abarca was appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot earlier this week to fill the 12th Ward seat left vacant by former Ald. George Cardenas. Her appointment passed the Rules Committee Tuesday and the City Council Wednesday with a vote of 44-0. * Vandalia Radio | Illinois again leads nation in gun background checks: Illinois is on pace to lead the nation again this year for the number of firearm background checks and one legal expert expects the numbers will only increase. FBI stats show Illinois leading the nation with nearly 4 million firearm background checks. U.S. LawShield President Kirk Evans said while that doesn’t necessarily equate to the number of guns being purchased, people buy more guns when there’s uncertainty. * Sun-Times | After nearly 10 years, Jane Byrne Interchange ‘substantially complete,’ expected to cut congestion in half: “It’s been an awful long time in coming,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday morning to mark the accomplishment. * Sun-Times | Bally’s $1.7 billion River West casino gets final zoning approval from City Council: Chicago’s 30-year quest for a casino and entertainment complex that city officials are counting on to bail out police and fire pension funds is now exclusively in the hands of the Illinois Gaming Board. * Bloomberg | Chicago Taps Brakes on Gentrification With a Tax on Teardowns: “Living in a gentrifying neighborhood is like living with a live and open wound,” said Christian Diaz, who was born in Mexico but has called Logan Square home for most of his life. “It turns our streets into an emotional minefield because it just seems like our neighborhood is valuable now because White people want to live here. And it wasn’t before, because it was predominantly Latinx.” * The Athletic | The biggest takeaways from the NWSL—NWSL PA joint investigation report: On Wednesday, the NWSL and NWSL Players Association released the full report following their joint investigation into misconduct across the league. The document, prepared by law firms Covington & Burling (hired by NWSL as an independent investigator) and Weil (counsel for the NWSLPA), details “widespread misconduct directed at NWSL players” at “the vast majority of NWSL clubs at various times from the earliest years of the league to the present.” * NBC Chicago | Illinois Is Getting an Official State Snake. Here’s What to Know About the Serpent: The eastern milksnake is set to become the state’s official snake, notching the distinct title under an amendment to Illinois’ Designation Act. According to officials, the snake can be found all across the Land of Lincoln, living in river bottoms, rocky hills and woodlands. It can reach 2-to-3 feet in length, and it has large blotches and a y- or v-shaped marking on its head.
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Open thread
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller * All yours, but keep it Illinois-centric.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Dec 15, 2022 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Follow along with ScribbleLive…
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