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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Governor JB Pritzker put out a statement late last night on Trump’s tariff plan…
* NBC Chicago…
* Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan…
* FYI: Cafe Moxo is having a grand reopening at its new location this Saturday. Click here for more info. * ProPublica | Amid Increasing Domestic Violence, Illinois Struggles to Review Fatalities: In a near-unanimous vote, they passed legislation designed to blunt the trend. The state would establish a network of panels to review killings related to domestic violence and identify whether existing strategies for preventing them fell short. But since then the state has made only meager progress in implementing the plans laid out in that law, and the number of domestic violence killings continues to increase. * Journal Courier | Illinois invests $15M in Polish bonds for portfolio diversification: The Republic of Poland bonds were purchased to diversify the state’s portfolio and achieve stable returns from a strong investment, he said. The bonds will mature in four years with an interest rate of 4.625% and a current yield of 4.831%. * Public health expert joins UI Board of Trustees: The University of Illinois Board of Trustees seat vacated by former Chair Don Edwards is set to be filled by public health expert Suzet McKinney. Gov. J.B. Pritzker appointed McKinnney, who has served as principal and director of life sciences at Sterling Bay, CEO and executive director of the Illinois Medical District and deputy commissioner of Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response at the Chicago Department of Public Health. * Crain’s | Trump seeks to put 443 federal properties up for sale — including 11 in Chicago: In total, the structures represent almost 80 million rentable square feet (7.4 million square meters) of usable space — 12 times the size of the Pentagon. The GSA estimates that selling them could save more than $430 million in annual operating costs, a key focus for Trump and his efforts to reduce government spending. The president is expected to address a joint session of Congress later Tuesday. * WBEZ | Chicago Teachers Union pushes petition drive as strike threat looms: The Chicago Teachers Union will deliver a stack of petitions to the Board of Education Wednesday that leaders say will show there is widespread member support to keep pushing on five key issues, but the union is holding off on a vote to authorize a strike. Nearly a year into negotiations between CTU and Chicago Public Schools, the legal process that must be undertaken before a strike is called is almost complete. A month ago, the union rejected an independent fact finders report after which they could issue a strike authorization at any time, but still had to wait 30 days to actually call a strike. The 30 days are up on Friday. * WGN | Chicago small business owners concerned over Trump’s tariffs on Mexican imports: Mexico is the third largest importer of goods for Illinois, bringing in an estimated $18 billion dollars in 2023. The talk of tariffs comes at a time when business owners say Mexican brands were beginning to recover from the pandemic. […] Meanwhile, the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is tasked with easing consumers and conglomerates as they attempt to build more Mexican investment in Illinois. WGN Investigates’ Lourdes Duarte spoke with one business owner who laid out what it means for Illinois. * Tribune | Effort to house Gompers Park homeless moving forward, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration says: City officials laid out their plan Tuesday for an “accelerated moving event” at the Northwest Side park where people have lived in tents for months. The delayed effort’s “north star” is to get the encampment’s 29 residents into permanent housing, but the city will not be asking people to leave, Chief Homelessness Officer Sendy Soto said. “We want to ensure that they are receiving the services and that this does not feel like a displacement for them, but rather receiving a benefit and an opportunity,” Soto said. * Block Club Chicago | Chicago’s Most Endangered Buildings 2025: Delaware Building, Darrow Bridge And More: A bridge named for legendary attorney Clarence Darrow, one of Chicago’s oldest post-fire towers and a landmark house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright are among this year’s “most endangered” properties, local preservationists announced Tuesday. Preservation Chicago released its annual “7 Most Endangered” list Tuesday, coinciding with Chicago’s 188th birthday. The nonprofit has updated the list annually since 2003, highlighting significant local buildings most threatened by neglect or impending demolition. * Daily Herald | Two write-in candidates create contested race for District 211 school board election: The declaration of two write-in candidates has made the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board of education election on April 1 contested for the first time since two different candidates were removed from the ballot in December. Violetta Flis of Hanover Park and Natasha Mucci of Palatine met the filing deadline to be considered valid write-in candidates, the Cook County Clerk’s office confirmed Tuesday. Flis’ name appears as Wioletta Myskal-Flis on the write-in candidacy paperwork filed with the clerk. * Daily Southtown | Attendance doubles for Palos Heights Library’s Ramadan story hour: Rashid said library director Jesse Blazek and staff embraced her events when she suggested them. But Rashid said a goal was to make children happy. “I love when I see children happy,” said Rashid, who has three sons, ages 8, 13 and 16 and lives in Palos Park. It was also good to see their community, growing, she said. While 30 people attended the story hour last year, there were 65 this time. * Pioneer Press | Northbrook, Glenview candidate forums set for March 13, 16 for April 1 election: The League of Women Voters of Glenview-Glencoe has announced the dates of candidate forums that will take place prior to the April 1 consolidated election in the Chicago suburbs. Voters will elect mayors, trustees, school district board members, park district commissioners, library board members, township officials and officials of some other local offices. * WTVO | Winnebago County Juvenile Center recognized for sexual abuse prevention: * Rockford Register Star | What next for set of Rockford office, retail buildings purchased in $8M deal?: An Oklahoma City real estate investor said he chose Rockford for his latest acquisition of office space because it is a safe investment untouched by inflationary pricing and remains in demand. Mason Ghaniabadi of Spark Properties Group said that with the properties already at 80 to 90% occupancy, he is not planning major renovations. Ghaniabad acquired the Rockford-based Fridh Corp.’s portfolio of five Rockford office and commercial buildings. * WCIA | Decatur City Council tables massage parlor ordinance discussion: The City of Decatur is looking to explore new requirements and regulations for massage parlors. It’s after similar measures were enforced in Springfield last month, which resulted in 11 parlors shutting down after not following new guidelines. The proposed ordinance would look to establish rules on preventing illicit activities within massage parlors. Although nothing illegal has happened in a Decatur parlor, officials say it’s meant as a preventative measure. * WGN | Shoeless Joe Jackson’s personal scrapbooks hit auction: The first scrapbook has a leather back cover with the front cover missing. There are about 118 pages in the scrapbook that contain various newspaper articles, box scores, summaries of baseball games and photographs of Jackson mounted to the pages, which are filled with various, mostly pre-1920s newspaper articles on Jackson. * WaPo | Senate blocks ban on transgender athletes, as Trump pushes forward: The Senate on Monday blocked legislation that would have banned transgender girls and women from competing in female sports in elementary school through college. But even without a new law, the Trump administration is advancing the cause, opening investigations and notching victories, particularly in college sports. The vote was 51-45. The bill needed 60 yes votes on the Senate floor to overcome a Democratic filibuster and advance. That required at least seven Democrats to vote yes; none did. * WaPo | RFK Jr.’s focus on vitamin A for measles worries health experts: Kennedy, who in his years as an anti-vaccine activist criticized measles shots and boosted vitamin A as a treatment, is now using his government position to tout the vitamin’s accepted benefits. The Department of Health and Human Services has directed the nation’s top public health agency to add similar language to its guidance for caring for measles patients.
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Legislature’s COGFA predicts lower revenues than governor’s budget office
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability released a report today noting differences between its revenue forecasts and the forecasts used by the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget…
* The current fiscal year’s revenue is also disputed…
* Senate Republicans…
* From Alex Gough in the governor’s office…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some session stuff
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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A look at law enforcement concerns about Karina’s Law
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * From a Capitol News Illinois story after the governor signed Karina’s Law…
* Shaw Local’s Tom Collins interviewed several area law enforcement officials about enforcing the law. While they agreed that “temporarily disarming firearm owners charged with domestic violence is a worthwhile and a noble goal,” and that “Anything we as law enforcement can do to help protect victims will be welcome by our agency without question,” they had concerns about implementation…
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A month later, ICE still won’t reveal who it arrested in Chicago
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* But when it comes to providing records of all ICE arrests in Illinois and Chicago, journalists get the cold shoulder. Block Club Chicago…
* The Sun-Times in January…
* Last month, the Tribune was able to piece together where some immigration detainees were being held…
* More…
* Axios | DHS registration order affects 400,000 Illinoisans: Last week, the Trump administration ordered all undocumented people in the U.S. to register with the Department of Homeland Security or face criminal penalties. Why it matters: Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 unauthorized immigrants whose presence here constitutes a civil, not criminal, violation. This order may force them to choose between criminal charges for not registering or registration followed by deportation. […] ICE officials have, so far, failed to show how many individuals they apprehended in Illinois during January raids had criminal records. * NPR | ICE is making more arrests, but critics say some claims don’t add up: ICE made a total of more than 113,000 arrests last year. The vast majority were “custodial” arrests, meaning the target was already in the custody of state or local officials. A far smaller number of the arrests that ICE makes are considered “at large.” But Noem’s statement doesn’t make any of that clear. It also doesn’t specify how many of the 20,000 arrests ICE made in February were considered “at large” arrests and how many were not, leaving immigration experts frustrated.
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What Is A Credit Union?
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.]  />
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Caption contest!
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WICS meteorologist Matt Bednar in real time as lightning hit the Illinois state capitol during this morning’s broadcast…
* A screenshot of the strike…  Caption?
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Stateline…
* The Illinois Primary Health Care Association…
* IPM Newsroom…
* WGLT…
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Open thread
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] A last-minute provision called the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act (IFPA) was snuck into the budget process last May and will create chaos for small businesses and consumers across Illinois if it takes effect on July 1, 2025. The IFPA gives corporate mega-stores like Walmart and Home Depot — who pushed for this backroom deal — millions more in profits, while small business owners get new expenses and accounting headaches. What’s more, consumers could be forced to pay for parts of their transactions in cash if this law moves forward. A recent court ruling in the litigation challenging the law suggests IFPA is likely pre-empted by federal law for national banks and will only apply to credit unions and local Illinois banks, putting local banks at a disadvantage against their national competitors. Illinois lawmakers should repeal the IFPA and focus on protecting small businesses and consumers across the state — not lining the pockets of corporate mega-stores. Stop the countdown to chaos by supporting a repeal of this misguided and flawed policy. Learn more at https://guardyourcard.com/illinois/ 
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Judge tosses 4 of 9 counts in ComEd bribery case in wake of Supreme Court ruling. Sun-Times…
* Related stories…
∙ Tribune: Judge grants retrial on four bribery counts in ‘ComEd Four’ case involving Madigan ∙ Capitol News Illinois: Judge grants retrial on most bribery counts in ‘ComEd 4’ case nearly 2 years post-verdict * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Lake County News-Sun | Robert Crimo III pleads guilty to Highland Park parade shooting; Mayor calls it ‘1,000%’ better than a trial: It had been a strange day for Turnipseed, 43, one of the dozens wounded in the shooting. Upon hearing discussion of Crimo, she got down on one knee and wrapped an arm around her daughter. She and her husband previously had told the little girl that Turnipseed was going to talk about “the bad man who hurt Mommy” in court. But now, she explained in front of the checkout counter, Crimo had said he’d done it. * WBEZ | Chicagoans urged to stay current on measles vaccinations amid national outbreaks: And although no cases have been reported in Illinois so far this year, those in Texas and other states are a reminder for people to stay vigilant, Tan said. “What people need to recognize is measles can be a serious disease,” she said. “And the vaccine for measles is the most important and effective preventative measure for protecting their child against measles.” * Gov. JB Pritzker | Up to a million Illinoisans will lose health care coverage with slashing of Medicaid: One in four Illinois residents — more than 3.4 million people — are covered by Medicaid. Who are they? Medicaid provides health care for nearly half of our state’s children. It’s the largest insurer for people who live in nursing homes and for people with developmental disabilities. Farmers and rural farm workers will lose the ability to see a doctor when they’re ill. This is also a broader economic issue. Illinois hospitals and health systems support 445,000 full-time jobs and anchor many rural communities. Hospitals will close. People will lose their jobs. * WSIL | Comptroller Mendoza announces new website for finances and credit ratings for Illinois: The new webpage now features information on budget-related bonds which are issued by the state and the progression on paying them off. Mendoza says the total outstanding bond debt stands at $40,424,563,000, as of December 31. * CBS | How Illinois’ first lady and Willette Benford are giving second chances to women leaving prison: “I am what it looks like to give someone a fair chance, not a handout but a hand up,” Benford said. In 2022, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wanted to brand the city a place for second chances. She tapped Benford as the city’s first director of reentry for people leaving prison and reentering society. In the role, Benford helped to reform background checks for 2,500 city jobs so that some convictions would not disqualify candidates from getting employment. * Tribune | Judge dismisses lawsuit alleging violations in lucrative Illinois vendor program: A Cook County judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging a company violated the terms of a lucrative state contract in ways that included failing to inform the state that a pair of political insiders profited from the deal. In a one-page order issued without commentary on Feb. 21, Judge Jerry Esrig dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it can’t be amended or refiled. * SJ-R | Sexual and racial harassment investigations among those halted in Illinois schools: What investigations remain on hold? 201 investigations remain halted. Some of those listed are labeled as “racial harassment”, “sexual violence” and “sexual harassment”, and “Title IX athletics,” to name a few. * Crain’s | GSA moves to close some SEC regional offices, including Chicago’s: The GSA plans to terminate the L.A. and Philadelphia leases, the SEC’s Chief Operating Officer Ken Johnson told staff in an email Monday that was reviewed by Bloomberg. The administration is also looking to terminate the lease of the Chicago regional office, though SEC said it had informed the GSA that terminating the lease at 175 W. Jackson Blvd. could result in significant financial penalties, the email said. * Heh…
* Crain’s | As Trump tariffs move from threat to reality, these Chicago industries brace for the impact: “It’s going to affect everybody, but it will be different magnitudes,” says Don McNeeley, president of Chicago Tube and Iron, a steel supplier in Romeoville, who also teaches at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering. “If you’re seller, you love it. if you’re a consumer, you hate it.” * Sun-Times | Swiss cement giant Holcim spinning off North American business in Chicago, calling it Amrize: Switzerland-based Holcim is the largest provider of cement in the U.S. and Canada. It currently employs roughly 400 people in the greater Chicago area, as well as about 60 in the city. It plans to add 50 jobs in Chicago, through the spinoff. The company has roughly 65,000 employees worldwide. Amrize will operate more than 1,000 sites with more than 19,000 employees. * WBEZ | Art Institute of Chicago returns ancient Nepali sculpture, after researchers learned it had been stolen: As part of “ongoing research into the provenance of its collection,” researchers discovered that the sculpture had been stolen from Guita Bahi in the Kathmandu Valley, an Art Institute statement said. The institute then shared its findings with Embassy of Nepal in Washington. The sculpture is now in the hands of the Nepali government, said Jacques Schuhmacher, executive director of the museum’s Provenance Research, adding it will eventually return to its place of origin, but that timing has not been confirmed. * Block Club Chicago | Zac Brown Band To Headline 2025 NASCAR Chicago Street Race: NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race Weekend returns July 5-6 for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series along the same 12-turn, 2.2-mile street course as in previous years. Tickets for the race weekend went on sale in January. They’re cheaper this year, and kids under 12 get in free on both days with the purchase of a general admission ticket. * ABC Chicago | Dolton board takes action as Mayor Henyard skips 1st meeting since her landslide primary loss: Trustees at the meeting approved an amended collective bargaining agreement for Dolton firefighters as well as a contract for police records technicians. The board also cleared the way for the approval of a liquor license for one Dolton bar almost a year after the owner sued the village, alleging in a federal lawsuit that Henyard refused to renew the license after he declined to give her a campaign contribution. * Daily Herald | Des Plaines council cutting city clerk’s oversight of staff: Clerk Jessica Mastalski and her eventual successors no longer will have the ability to “exercise general administrative direction and control over employees,” according to language that could be added to city code. Instead, workers in the office would be supervised by the city manager. Additionally, the clerk no longer would be allowed to coordinate the work of office personnel or have the power to delegate responsibilities to staffers. Rather, the clerk would have to work with the city manager or to determine what duties can be handed off to city staffers. * Tribune | La Grange board challenger makes her case as only nonincumbent in race: Thursday night Carter talked about what she felt was needed to continue to attract business to the village. “I think the first thing we have to focus on is changing some of these antiquated regulations to allow more business diversity,” she said. “Because more business diversity equals more revenue. And we’re going to have some revenue issues with some big infrastructure projects that are coming.” * Daily Northwestern | Northwestern’s lobbying spending balloons to more than $1 million in 2024: NU’s lobbying expenditures in the second half of 2024 totaled more than $800,000, significantly more than any of its total annual spendings in the last decade. Out of the eight recorded lobbyists, double the previous year’s amount, NU appeared to have enlisted a new throng of lobbyists from Harbinger Strategies, composed mostly of former staffers to Republican congressional leadership. * STLPR | $500 million expansion of Metro East copper plant to be complete in 3 years: Executives at Wieland Manufacturing, an international producer of copper and copper alloys, said the investment to a facility that employs 800 will make it sustainable for the long term. […] Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, leaders from Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Wieland announced the expansion plans last year, which include $231 million in state incentives under a program for clean manufacturing. * Illinois Education Association | Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville faculty and staff demand to bargain over proposed cuts: “We strongly believe that the work and intellect of faculty and staff are cornerstones of the strong public university education our students deserve. The proposed campus reorganization and academic prioritization are mandatory subjects of bargaining and could result in the loss of student services and jobs. We look forward to discussing these issues at the bargaining table, including hearing from the administration regarding their concerns about the overall financial health and welfare of the institution. In this time of political and economic turmoil, it is important to remember that public universities and colleges across the state are significant engines for economic and cultural growth and offer opportunities to students that would otherwise be unavailable,” IEA spokesperson Bridget Shanahan said. * BND | SIUE will start layoffs, cuts this spring to address $10.3 million deficit: To combat a $10.3 million deficit, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will turn to layoffs and drop academic programs later this spring to cut costs, a university spokeswoman said Friday. “We have made important budgetary adjustments in recent years and are committed to making additional changes to ensure that the institution’s excellence continues,” SIUE spokeswoman Nicole Franklin said in a statement. “Unlike so many higher education institutions across the nation facing enrollment and financial challenges, SIUE remains in a strong position, and is acting to ensure that we are better positioned to compete in this challenging environment, innovate, and thrive.” * WMBD | Washington latest Central Illinois community to discuss implementing local grocery tax: A similar tax has been implemented in Pekin, and East Peoria Mayor John Kahl stated that his city is looking to do the same. No action was taken at the meeting, as the city looked to gauge the opinions of aldermen. The city says it stands to lose around $500,000 each year, without the grocery tax being replaced on the local level.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Mar 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Mar 4, 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.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Congrats, Jaclyn! Stomping Ground Strategies…  * Shaw Local | Focused on Trump, Pritzker blasts administration’s actions in Kane County speech: While giving a speech Sunday evening in St. Charles echoing the pomp and sentiments of a presidential campaign, Gov. JB Pritzker denounced the actions of President Donald Trump and rallied voters to take action against their liberties being taken away. “We’ve got to tell people not just what we’re against, but also what we’re for, and then we’ve got to deliver on it,” Pritzker said during his speech. “Democrats are for making it easier to get childcare and to send your kid to preschool. We’re for making it more affordable to get quality healthcare and for seniors to grow old with dignity. We’re for raising the minimum wage so no family goes hungry without a roof over their heads. We spent the last six years doing that here in Illinois.” * WTVO | Rep. McCombie reintroduces bill to repeal Illinois pro-abortion laws, faces activists in Pecatonica: McCombie stopped by the Pecatonica Library to discuss issues with her constituents and said she was surprised by the protests. […] She also acknowledged the bill had little hope of passing. “We’re in the super minority. This bill will sit like it does every year. It’ll sit where it is, and it’ll just die in rules,” she said. * The Atlantic | Migrants Prepare to Lose Their American Lives: One recent morning on Chicago’s southwest side, the manager of a Mexican grocery store began the day posted at the front door, rehearsing the phrase “I wish to exercise my right to remain silent” in English in case immigration agents showed up asking about employees. At a Mexican restaurant, the owner stashed newly laminated private signs under the host stand, ready to slap on the walls of the kitchen and a back dining room where workers could hide if agents arrived without a proper warrant. * WTTW | 250 Jobs Charged With Implementing Court-Ordered Police Reforms Are Empty, Chicago Officials Say: Approximately 250 positions charged with implementing a court order that requires the Chicago Police Department to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional rights are vacant, even as Chicago officials are facing increasing pressure from a federal judge to “accelerate” the reform effort, records show. A department spokesperson told WTTW News police officials are “actively” working to fill the vacant positions charged with implementing the court order known as the consent decree and reforming CPD, which has faced decades of scandals, misconduct and brutality. * Sun-Times | CTA launching ‘Frequent Network’ bus service on some routes that will arrive every 10 minutes or sooner: The CTA said buses on eight routes will arrive every 10 minutes or sooner between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends beginning March 23. Twelve more routes will be added later this year. * Sun-Times | What is Pulaski Day? Here’s what’s closed and the history of this Chicago holiday: Pulaski Day, observed on the first Monday of March, honors Pulaski’s role in the American Revolution and celebrates the contributions of Chicago’s Polish American community. The holiday is held around Pulaski’s birthday, March 6. Illinois established the holiday in 1977 under Gov. James Thompson. In 1986, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution introduced by Mayor Harold Washington to officially recognize it, following strong advocacy from local Polish organizations and community leaders. * Sun-Times | She had a deal to run a coffee bar inside the Englewood Save A Lot, but Yellow Banana ghosted her: The Ohio-based company offered the Auburn-Gresham native a low-risk, low-cost opportunity: She’d pay them 5% of her shop’s monthly sales in exchange for using the space, as well as equipment Whole Foods left behind in 2022. But Simmons has since walked away from the deal, disgusted, after spending thousands on inventory. Her coffee bar never opened for business. The 38-year-old blames Yellow Banana, saying the company didn’t keep its end of the deal to provide working internet and equipment and then stopped responding when she spoke up. She describes a chaotic situation during the 16 months she showed up to prep for opening and run her online business. * Aurora Beacon-News | Fear of ICE arrests keeping customers at home, immigrant-owned businesses in Aurora say: ‘The streets were so lonely’: Just off the Metra tracks on the East Side of Aurora, Elotes Gus, a food truck, sits in a parking lot. It’s open every day, according to its owner, Gustavo Salmeron, 47. When he’s not working as a Spanish teacher, he’s probably there, serving tacos to the passersby and witnessing the hustle and bustle of the streets around him from his truck. On a recent Friday evening at just before 6 p.m., Salmeron’s truck has no line. He said on a typical day, even in the winter, there would regularly be three or four customers waiting for their dinner by now. But business has been slow lately, Salmeron said. * Crain’s | Schaumburg reaches deal with Zurich in tax break dispute: The village and the insurance company were at odds over whether employees had to merely be “assigned” to a location or physically be onsite to meet the contractual requirement for the number of workers necessary to qualify for the tax break. At stake were millions of dollars a year. Under terms of original agreement, created two decades ago, the village offered to reimburse Zurich up to $100 million in property taxes over 23 years for building a gleaming $325 million headquarters on a 39-acre campus at Interstate 90 and Meacham Road, which would employ a minimum of 1,700 workers. * Daily Herald | As U.S. sees rough flu season, what’s happening in the suburbs?: At Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in Naperville, it’s been a “very busy flu season,” says Dr. Jonathan Pinsky, medical director of infection control and prevention. There were 1,345 lab-confirmed influenza cases in the emergency room and in the hospital throughout the entire flu season in 2023-24. * Aurora Beacon-News | Opening of Kane County Flea Market an early sign of spring for Aurora-area shoppers: With spring in the air, it wasn’t surprising to find Geneva resident Matt Jania looking for some baseball memorabilia on Saturday on opening weekend of the Kane County Flea Market in St. Charles. “I’ve been to a flea market a few times and this one is nice,” he said as he looked over some framed pictures of professional athletes. “I haven’t bought much, but when I find something that I like I’m a pretty good negotiator. I knew this weekend was coming, and I’m going to check out some other stuff like maybe a few jerseys and stuff to hang up in my room in the house.” * Evanston Round Table | Picturing Evanston: 45 Paczki in 5 minutes: In honor of Guy Downer — the patriarch of Bennison’s who passed away this year five hours shy of this 101st birthday — portions of prune paczki sales are going toward “Folds of Honor,” an organization that provides academic scholarships to the children and spouses of fallen or disabled military members and first responders. Each competing team received 30 paczki, and the group that ate the most in five minutes won. Cups with warm water were a crucial component for the speedy and successful intake of the pastries. * SJ-R | Major construction underway on I-55 near Springfield. Here’s what to know.: Builders began widening the bridges last week as a step towards adding a northbound and a southbound lane to the bridges, as well expanding a stretch of the interstate. The bridges are just north of the northbound RailSplitter rest area. The project will also add safety and capacity improvements to the interstate, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. * WICS | Illinois Fire Service Institute to host Discover IFSI events in Champaign: Participants in the Discover IFSI events will gain insights into the requirements and process for becoming a firefighter in Illinois. The program includes guided tours of a fire service training facility and up-close observations of live fire and technical rescue fire training. * BND | This $1 million road project is starting soon in St. Clair County: A $1 million road work project is expected to start this spring on a portion of Sullivan Drive, which runs through Belleville and Swansea. Crews will be repairing Sullivan Drive between Huntwood Road in Swansea and Illinois 161 in Belleville. This section of the road has an average daily traffic of 8,250 cars, according to data from the state transportation agency. * STAT | HHS review of a vaccine contract sparks worries about preparedness for a potential bird flu pandemic: Most flu vaccines are currently made using a decades-old approach where viruses are grown in hen’s eggs, then inactivated — a process that can sometimes result in mutations that undermine the vaccines’ effectiveness. Production is slow and reliant on huge quantities of eggs — the supply of which could be threatened by outbreaks of H5N1 or other bird flu viruses, as is happening now. Wide-scale outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry are occurring in multiple parts of the country, forcing the culling of flocks and driving egg costs to historic highs. * Politico | Top HHS spokesperson quits after clashing with RFK Jr.: The top spokesperson at the Health and Human Services Department has abruptly quit after clashing with Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his close aides over their management of the agency amid a growing measles outbreak, two people familiar with the matter told POLITICO. Thomas Corry announced on Monday that he had resigned “effective immediately,” just two weeks after joining the department as its assistant secretary for public affairs.
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Robert Crimo III pleads guilty to Highland Park parade shooting
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* WGN…
* Rep. Bob Morgan responded to Crimo’s guilty plea today…
* Another bill passed after the parade shooting which expanded police use of drones. WTTW…
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Question of the day
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Quad Cities TV…
* Forbes…
* More restrictions from the bill…
* BND…
It was discussed at the press conference today that half of community colleges are 30 miles or more from universities. * The Question: Do you support or oppose allowing community colleges, with some restrictions, to offer four-year degrees? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Tribune editorial board: ‘Nevermind’
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the Chicago Tribune print edition…  * To the editorial…
Um, one problem: That’s not Pritzker’s proposal, it’s the Citizen Action proposal. The governor intends to introduce his own proposal without a state board. * So, the Tribune rewrote the headline and the editorial, took out the remarks about Pritzker and appended this “Editor’s note” to the bottom of the piece…
[Headline explained here.]
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Judge tosses bribery convictions in ComEd Four case, prosecutors indicate a new trial may not be necessary
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Lawyers in the ComEd Four case were back in court this morning to see whether Judge Manish Shah would pause proceedings after President Donald Trump ordered a review of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Jason Meisner from the Tribune…
* But…
* The four were found guilty on all of these counts…
Counts 3, 4, 7 and 9 are under the currently paused Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 78dd-1).
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Fair hit?
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Hmm…
* On Friday, we posted two items here, one directly after the other. The first one was what the Pritzker administration had done to slash the costs of providing health insurance to undocumented immigrants (mostly by limiting and cutting or even eliminating enrollment). The second was entitled: “Pritzker: Cuts to Medicaid will be devastating to Illinois.” Both arguments are based on the fact that Illinois cannot afford to provide this healthcare assistance on its own. But… Your thoughts on this criticism?
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When RETAIL Succeeds, Illinois Succeeds
Monday, Mar 3, 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 Stacy and Amanda enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ProPublica…
* Illinois Environmental Council…
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State finally making major progress on funding ‘four core services’
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Intoxicating Hemp: No safety? No thanks!
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] A federal loophole has led to a booming gray market across Illinois for intoxicating hemp products, which use synthetics to alter the composition of hemp to get consumers high. This is happening outside the structure of the state’s legal cannabis industry. This means intoxicating hemp faces NO quality testing, NO age restrictions, NO packaging requirements, NO potency rules, and NO taxes to fund programs in communities impacted by the War on Drugs. Most intoxicating hemp products aren’t even produced in Illinois. By contrast, Illinois cannabis businesses face extensive rules and regulations to operate, with products tracked from seed to sale. When consumers purchase legal cannabis grown and processed in Illinois, they know their products are safe. Hemp and cannabis come from the same plant. Both products can get users high. Why the different rules? Illinois already has a system in place to regulate hemp – it’s called the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. It’s time for Illinois to close the intoxicating hemp loophole.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Mayor Brandon Johnson arrives in DC to prep for testimony before GOP-led sanctuary city hearing. Sun-Times…
- The Sun-Times learned that Johnson spent Sunday in a DC hotel prepping. City Hall has hired a Washington law firm with experience in helping witnesses get ready for congressional hearings and navigate unfamiliar terrain. - The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, to kick off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. * Related stories…
∙ Axios: What’s at stake if we lose sanctuary city laws * At 10:30 am Governor Pritzker will be in East Alton to celebrate the Wieland factory expansion. At noon, the governor will be in Godfrey to amplify a plan to offer bachelor degrees at some community colleges. Click here to watch. * Tribune | People with developmental disabilities can wait years for community placements, state records show: Across Illinois’ seven state-operated developmental centers for people with developmental disabilities and medical or behavioral needs — known as SODCs — more than 200 residents were seeking placement elsewhere as of last month, close to 15% of the total population in those centers, according to records from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Of those, more than 125 had been on a waiting list for at least a year, records showed. * Tribune | Midwest communities worry that firing of parks and forest employees will harm ecosystems, economies and education: “Since 2010, park staffing has gone down 20%, but park visitation has gone up 16% — so these park staff are resilient folks who have been doing more with less,” said Crystal Davis, Midwest senior regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonpartisan organization that advocates on behalf of the parks system. But the current changes are wide-reaching, she said, with a “devastating impact.” * Bond Buyer | Illinois’ 2023 ACFR may become latest ever filed by state: Illinois’ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal year 2023 is threatening to break California’s record for latest audit, having recently passed 600 days since that fiscal year ended, according to data on audit times. * Shaw Local | Focused on Trump, Pritzker blasts administration’s actions in Kane County speech: “Trump is going to try to tear down all of it from Washington D.C. if people don’t stand up, show up, speak at town halls and at Congress,” Pritzker said. “Everyone, even kids, need to get into the fight. Never give up. Never surrender. We are the bulwark of the resistance. The rest of the country is depending on Illinois.” * Tribune | Federal funding freeze lifted for some Illinois clean energy projects: With the fight over a federal clean energy funding freeze entering its second month, two of the biggest prizes in Illinois are emissions-reduction grants totaling more than $570 million. Now, the state appears closer to claiming both of them. Money from an expected $430 million in federal Climate Pollution Reduction grants was blocked until Feb. 19, but the state can now access it, according to a statement from Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. Part of a $148 million National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant for public EV chargers also appears to be within reach. * WJBD | State Representative Meier provides update on prostate cancer treatment: Meier says he is feeling great after completing the final treatment of his first round of radiation for prostate cancer. He notes after announcing his prostate cancer diagnosis earlier this year, he was totally overwhelmed with the outpouring of support, prayers, well wishes, and love from people across the country. Meier says every text, call, and message were a bit of encouragement he needed to get over this bump in the road. * NBC Chicago | 12 Illinois DMVs will offer only Real ID services on Saturdays. List of locations: On Monday alone, Giannoulias said his office saw a record 58,000 people on its website looking to make Real ID appointments. For the first 24 days of February, 860,000 people attempted to make appointments. “And this surge is not confined to Illinois. DMVs across the country have experienced unprecedented lines and wait times. In Miami, people are sleeping overnight outside of DMV facilities and in their cars just to improve their chances of getting a Real ID,” he said. * Daily Herald | ‘Instability in the market’ or rightsizing? What does federal EV cold shoulder mean for Illinois?: Affected businesses could include: electric truck manufacturer Rivian in Normal; Stellantis, which is reopening its closed Belvidere plant to produce an electric Dodge Durango; and Gotion, which plans to open a EV battery factory in Manteno, he said. Meanwhile, Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation Chairman John Walton noted rebates were first offered to offset the high prices of EVs for consumers new to the technology. “I think the rebates have served their purpose,” the Wheaton resident said. Now, “you can buy an electric car for just north of $30,000. I think the goal of what they wanted to do — bring the price down to where the average guy could afford one” has been met. * Tribune | Ascension completes sale of 8 Illinois hospitals to Prime Healthcare for more than $370 million: The hospitals are all generally keeping their names but without the Ascension branding. The hospitals are: Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines, Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee and Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago. * Tribune | After 4 years leading COPA, departing chief reflects on time at police oversight agency: Four years ago, 20 members of the Chicago City Council signed a letter to then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, “vehemently” opposing her nominee to lead the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Andrea Kersten, who was the agency’s deputy chief administrator at the time. COPA, bound by the city’s municipal code, had recently released its report on the Chicago Police Department’s botched raid at the home of Anjanette Young in 2019. In that report, authored by Kersten, the agency recommended a three-day suspension for police Officer Ella French because she didn’t have a body-worn camera. * Click here for some background…
* Sun-Times | Chicago scientists reel from Trump funding cuts: ‘We are just going to abandon all those discoveries’: These three scientists aren’t professional agitators. None have ever organized a public protest before. But the trio is part of the effort behind Chicago’ s “Stand Up for Science” rally Friday at 12 p.m. at Federal Plaza, one of 32 rallies taking place nationwide to draw attention to the enormous damage caused by the Trump administration’s wholesale slashing of National Institutes of Health research. * Crain’s | Bally’s Chicago IPO for women and minority investors hits a stumbling block: Bally’s plan to raise $250 million for its Chicago casino from women and minority investors is in regulatory limbo. Bally’s Chicago said in a securities filing today that “we have not yet received clearance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to price and close our initial public offering.” * Daily Herald | ‘The right stuff and more’: What happened in near miss at Midway Airport: As Dennis Tajer watched the video of a Southwest Airlines jet preparing to land at Midway International Airport as a smaller jet taxis into its path, he thought, “Oh no.” Then, “I thought, ‘Heroes,’” said Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines aviators. * Block Club | Indoor Sports Facility For Kids Opens In Little Village Thanks To Local Nonprofit: “I am so excited,” Raigoza said. “Spaces like this, we have to drive typically 45 minutes to see something like it. And now we have it here, in the heart of our community.” Upon entry to the building, patrons are greeted with the green turf of a miniature soccer field. The 3,000 square-foot, two-story building also contains two batting cages, a weight room and a yoga studio. * Lake County News-Sun | ‘Not every case is defendable’: Criminal defense attorneys evaluate Highland Park shooting trial as opening statements are set to begin: With opening statements in the trial set to begin Monday at the Lake County courthouse, Chicago-area criminal defense lawyers with experience in high-profile cases offered insight into how Crimo’s attorneys may go about the “next-to-impossible” task of defending a man some believe indefensible. “The reality of it is, not every case is defendable, and the evidence in that case is overwhelming,” said Mark Richards, a prominent defense attorney and a former prosecutor in nearby Racine County, Wisconsin. “Thinking you’re going to get a fair and impartial, unknowledgeable jury is just not realistic.” * Daily Herald | Why some suburbs compensate members of appointed boards: A little more than half of 93 suburbs surveyed by the Daily Herald reported offering some type of remuneration to members of appointed boards such as plan commissions, and public safety and zoning appeal boards. In all, 47 suburbs in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties reported offering some type of pay that ranges from as little as $10 per meeting in towns like Batavia, Glendale Heights and Round Lake Heights to as much as $5,000 a year in Rosemont. * Sun-Times | Workers at big employers like Northwestern get protections from Evanston City Council: A new law, the first of its kind in Illinois, means dining hall workers and housekeepers can keep their jobs if the university changes contractors. The university is worried about the costs. * WICS | ISBA working to combat growing attorney shortage in rural Illinois: Austin Willis, an associate attorney in Will County said, “A lot of older attorneys plan to retire. You’re just not seeing new people come in. There’s just not a ton of incentive.”Angel Wawrzynek from the ISBA explained that younger attorneys are hesitant to move to rural areas due to concerns about employment opportunities for their significant others or a preference for city living. The ISBA has mapped the availability of private practice attorneys across counties, revealing that some areas have fewer than five attorneys. * PJ Star | ‘Adverse effect’: East Peoria mayor criticizes Pritzker for ending Illinois grocery tax: Kahl took aim at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who decided to end the statewide 1% tax on groceries. It was a move that upset many municipalities, including Peoria and East Peoria. “I don’t want to be disparaging here, but that was not the governor’s tax to put a feather in his cap and give it back to the people,” Kahl said Friday. “He likes to talk about how he’s helping working class people, and I’m not going to dump on him, I’ll let him figure out his political aspirations for himself, I’m the mayor of East Peoria and my focus is here.” * WGLT | State Farm’s financial results improve, as underwriting losses decline: State Farm released its annual financial results on Friday. State Farm says its core property-casualty business posted a $6.1 billion underwriting loss in 2024, much better than the $14.1 billion underwriting loss in 2023. That cut down operating losses from $8.5 billion last year to $111 million in 2024. State Farm said the improvement was due in part to “significant improvement in auto lines underwriting results which was partially offset by an increase in homeowners incurred catastrophe claims.” * WCBU | Fate of East Peoria riverboat casino casts shadow over Kahl’s State of the City address: East Peoria Mayor John Kahl shared an optimistic vision for the city’s next few years Friday, albeit while speaking at a venue with an uncertain future. Kahl delivered his annual State of the City address from the banquet room at the Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino, steps away from the riverboat gambling attraction that parent Boyd Gaming is looking to replace. * WMBD | Bloomington Mayoral candidates answer questions at student led panel: Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe, Cody Hendricks, and Dan Brady all said their top three goals are to focus on public safety, the affordable housing crisis and infrastructure needs like water and sewage. […] “I think it’s extremely important. We talk about our infrastructure needs when we talk about public safety and when we talk about economic development. For the city of Bloomington,” said Brady. * WGLT | Bloomington does more testing as it tries to improve taste and remove odor in water: City manager Jeff Jurgens said he’s heard from restaurant owners, too. “[We’ve] talked to many business owners … about the taste of the water. That is an issue. It affects coffee, it affects tea and it’s not acceptable,” Jurgens said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. said the city has upgraded its water filtration system in recent days and that seems to have made some difference. City officials said in a statement they’ve also “slowed filter flows to increase contact time and made strategic staffing adjustments to improve response efforts.” * WCIA | Mahomet mothers concerned with federal cuts impacting rare diseases: Events for Rare Disease Day were supposed to happen this weekend in the nation’s capital. However, after federal layoffs and funding freezes within the FDA and National Institute of Health, it was postponed indefinitely. “The concerns are that when we’re making cuts at those agencies, the funding going toward rare diseases, and all diseases, will be impacted for research and supporting people that have these conditions,” Houser said. * WIFR | Racial slur spray-painted on Ogle Co. business, investigation underway: On March 2, Clearly Customs Motorcycle Service at 206 Linn St., took to its Facebook page about the reported vandalism. “How do I move on from this. My business? I literally have no feeling left. I’ve lived in ogle county for almost 20 years,” a post from the business owner reads. […] About eight hours after the initial post, the business took to Facebook again, saying this isn’t the first threat the business has received and that it plans to close the Kings location. Owners say they will instead “rebuild in an environment more suited to who we are.” * The Guardian | Formerly anti-vax parents on how they changed their minds: ‘I really made a mistake’: Anti-vax rhetoric may be so persistent because it is profitable. Research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed that 70% of Covid-19 anti-vax disinformation between February and March 2021 had been generated by 12 individuals with collective annual revenues of around $36m. They include Joseph Mercola, a content producer who made $7.2m during the height of the pandemic, and RFK Jr, who received a salary of more than $500,000 for chairing the anti-vax Children’s Health Defense in 2021, among other enrichment for his anti-vax views (Kennedy’s own children have been vaccinated). * People | ‘Explicit’ Sex Claims ‘Exaggerated,’ Black and LGBTQ+ Characters Overwhelmingly Targeted, New Book Ban Analysis Finds: On Feb. 27, the nonprofit organization, which raises awareness about book censorship in the United States, analyzed the 4,218 unique titles banned in the country’s public schools during the 2023-2024 school year. PEN America documented 10,046 instances of book bans in total, marking a 200% increase from the previous school year. Per the analysis, 1,534 (36%) of banned unique titles featured real people or fictional characters of color. Of the nonfiction books banned, including historical titles and biographies, 44% featured people of color, with 26% of these titles specifically centering Black people. * AP | Trump administration to slash funding for enforcement of fair housing laws: The grants are disbursed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to private nonprofits, which act as the frontline enforcement of the federal anti-discrimination law. They educate communities on their rights, test whether a landlord is racially discriminating, investigate complaints, resolve disputes and can fund legal counsel. Of some 34,000 fair housing complaints lodged in the U.S. in 2023, these private nonprofits processed 75%, according to a report from the National Fair Housing Alliance. The rest were fielded by state and local governments, with HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice working on less than 6% combined. * WIRED | The Incompetence of DOGE Is a Feature, Not a Bug: Just look at all of those firings. DOGE has targeted so-called probationary employees first, often without regard for their skill or the necessity of their roles. Do you know what a probationary employee is? It’s people who have been in their position for less than a year, or in some cases less than two years. That means new hires, sure, but also experienced workers who recently transferred departments or got promoted. * FOX | Latest DOGE layoffs threaten lives, experts say: The first wave of firings, carried out Thursday, marked a significant reduction in NOAA’s workforce, an agency responsible for issuing weather warnings, tracking hurricanes, supporting wildfire response, and providing oceanic and atmospheric data used across industries. * Forbes | 5 Essential Things To Know About Your Weather Forecasts: It is stunning to see posts and comments suggesting that we do not need the National Weather Service because we have Apps, TV stations, your favorite social media influencer and so on. To me, that is like saying, “Why do we need potato farmers when I can just get fries at my fast food place?” NOAA and the National Weather Service are significant providers of weather information, weather prediction models, upper atmospheric conditions via weather balloons, satellite images, Doppler-Polarimetric radars, ocean observations and more.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Mar 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Mar 3, 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.
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