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Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* IPM News

On a hot summer day in August, Chelsey Lowe sat in a maroon dress on a bench in the Logan County Courthouse.

Her lawyer had instructed her to arrive early, but she waited nearly three hours before she was called into the courtroom. Inside, a county judge dismissed the nearly two-year-old case against Lowe, which stemmed from her 2022 arrest by then-Logan County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. […]

Following her 2022 arrest, Lowe filed a complaint alleging that Grayson acted inappropriately while she was in custody—first, by ordering her to remove drugs from inside her body in front of him and another male officer before a female officer stepped in; and later, by pulling back the curtains around her hospital bed, exposing her. […]

Some legal experts wonder if that’s what prompted the Logan County judge to drop Lowe’s case, although we don’t know for sure; Neither her defense lawyer nor the Logan County State’s Attorney’s Office responded to questions about the case.

Regardless, Lowe feels her experience illustrates a problem of inaction — a missed opportunity for Grayson to be stopped before going on to do much worse.

* A small Madigan trial update

* Governor JB Pritzker

Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined representatives from Veterans Energy Team and Joliet officials to celebrate the opening of the first electric vehicle (EV) charging station funded under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). ​ The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) recently awarded the $480,000 grant to Veterans Energy Team, a local veteran-owned business that partnered with the Joliet Park District to build EV fast chargers at Inwood Athletic Club and Nowell Park. […]

Additional grants from the 2nd round of funding for electric vehicle charging will be announced in the near future. Approximately 2,000 fast charging ports will be installed over the next 18 months as a result of funding provided by the Illinois EPA through CEJA and the Volkswagen Settlement. This investment will triple the number of public fast charging ports across Illinois.

*** Madigan Trial ***

* Tribune | ‘Magic list’ of Madigan-connected lobbyists shown to jury in ex-speaker’s corruption trial: “So since I don’t roam the halls like I use to do I do not have the same ‘on site’ engagement that I use to have,” read the email, which was shown to jurors Monday in the corruption trial of Madigan and McClain. “A Friend of ours and myself have gone through the ‘magic list’ and frankly culled quite a few names…There are now a little less than two dozen on the list.” McClain went on to ask the recipient of the email for help fish for potential clients.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Pat Devaney | Fixing Tier 2 pensions would create a fair retirement for Illinois workers : The solution is the Fair Retirement and Recruitment Act, introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. This legislation would bring the final average salary pension calculation back in line with Tier 1, align Tier 2’s retirement age requirements with Tier 1, implement an across-the-board 3% simple interest cost-of-living adjustment for all Tier 2 members and adjust the pension salary cap to comply with federal Social Security requirements. We understand that fully returning back to Tier 1 for all employees is not currently economically feasible, but the changes proposed by the We Are One Illinois coalition are commonsense reforms that would address the major issues driving workers to leave the public sector. Some have suggested the solution lies with simply fixing the Social Security “safe harbor” requirements within Tier 2, which are widely agreed to be out of compliance with federal law. But only fixing the safe harbor issue would affect a sliver of the highest-earning workers and does nothing to address the core problems with Tier 2. That is unacceptable.

* Sun-Times Editorial Board | Illinois must step up as Trump prepares to back away from protecting our environment: In response, environmentalists in Illinois are working to make the Legislature’s January lame-duck session — held before newly elected legislators are sworn in — a busy time. Among their initiatives are copying federal environmental standards into state law so that they remain in place even if Washington weakens or eliminates some of those rules. Many regulations in Illinois are pegged to federal standards, so if the federal government cuts back its requirements on such things as air pollution and water discharge standards, it would automatically affect Illinois. The Legislature should codify existing rules into state law so that won’t happen.

* Tribune | Lobbying is so ingrained in Springfield it’s practically a branch of government, but lawmakers are reluctant to regulate it: Unlike nearly every other state, Illinois until recently had no restriction on how soon former lawmakers could start lobbying their onetime colleagues, creating an environment that can tempt officials to legislate with an eye toward their future employment prospects rather than the public good. The state finally enacted a revolving-door restriction last year, but good-government advocates say the cooling-off period between legislating and lobbying is too short, with a loophole that still allows lawmakers who finish out their terms to become lobbyists the next day, rendering the restriction mostly meaningless.

*** Statewide ***

* Local 916 president JP Fyans | IDOT is turning to nonunion workers, at a cost to the public: According to a summary statement provided by IDOT, these outside contractors currently work the equivalent of an additional 1,013 full-time employees, at a cost of more than $675 million. Internally, IDOT admitted the use of these contractors and consultants has quintupled in the past three years alone. The driving force behind this massive and expensive shift in staffing is the apathetic hiring approach taken by IDOT and Central Management Services. Based on conversations with several applicants, many civil engineers who were deemed qualified after interviews have been waiting for a year or longer to be offered a position.

* Eye On Illinois | Local governments beginning to reinstate grocery tax: With the clock ticking and the budget shortfall approaching, some governments are doing just that: the Normal Town Council voted 4-3 in September to put its own grocery tax in place, preserving about $2.3 million, according to WEEK-TV. The Pekin City Council followed suit earlier this week, also on a 4-3 vote. That community stood to lose $1.7 million. I’m no political strategist, but now is the time to take such actions. We’re still more than a year out from the change, and shoppers won’t actually experience anything different. The alternative approach is letting the state tax expire and hoping the revenue drop doesn’t actually affect operations. But by then, reinstating the tax might feel more like something new than simply local officials taking over what had been a state responsibility.

* KSDK | A forgotten war was lost against crows in Illinois. Here’s why conservationists stopped bombing the birds: “Frank N. Davis, inspector in charge of predatory control, … is said to have perfected one that is less expensive than those used several years ago and also more effective,” according to a 1940 article in the Belvidere Daily Republican. “It’s a cylindrical cartridge about 10 inches long and two inches wide, containing an eight-inch stick of dynamite … (surrounded by)two and one-fourth points of No. 6 1/2 steelblast shot and bits of broken metal.” Officials would set the bombs off in trees where the crows would roost, each one killing between 3,000 to 20,000 birds in a single blast.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Robberies Drop By Half In Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Avondale Compared To 2023: There were 566 reported robberies in Humboldt Park last year compared to 283 so far this year, city data shows. In Logan Square, there were 368 robberies last year and 165 this year. Avondale saw 121 robberies last year compared to 59 so far this year. […] Many businesses hit by burglars have done away with cash to avoid getting burglarized again or they keep very little in the register, but Aylward recommends business owners leave their empty cash drawer open and visible so they don’t get broken into.

* Tribune | University of Illinois nurses reach tentative agreement with hospital, ending strike after four days: Nurses at University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics have ended a four-day strike, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with UI Health late Saturday night. The nurses began their strike Nov. 13, with no set end date. The strike was the second one since August, when the nurses’ last contract expired. About 1,700 nurses are part of the Illinois Nurses Association unit that went on strike.

* Crain’s | Chicago Fire near decision on new downtown stadium site: It’s unclear how far talks have progressed with either developer as both try to jump-start projects that have been stuck in neutral since being approved by City Hall in 2019. But multiple sources said Mansueto and the Fire are expected to move forward with one option in the weeks ahead and are said to be primarily targeting The 78, because it likely presents the quickest path to getting shovels in the ground.

* Crain’s | Union League’s Monet going to auction — but for how much?: Last spring, the club hired an art adviser to see what it could do, only to have the painting consigned to auction. The estimate is $7 million to $9 million, a range that covers the earlier price but not much more. Ahead of the auction, the club and the auctioneer, Christie’s, have clammed up, not saying whether there’s a minimum price at which the painting would be sold, or what that so-called reserve price is.

* Tribune | ‘He was my baby brother’: Hundreds gather for funeral of slain Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez: It was the second time this year that scores of CPD officers, department leaders, suburban officers and law enforcement officials from across the country flocked to St. Rita to remember the life of a young officer. Among those in attendance were former Mayor Richard M. Daley and deputy mayor for public safety Garien Gatewood, along with alders Marty Quinn, Anthony Napolitano, Matt O’Shea, Anthony Beale, Peter Chico, Jason Ervin and former mayoral candidate Paul Vallas.

* Crain’s | Stockyards sites proposed for $80 million music campus to support Chicago’s film and TV industry: The DPD put out a request for proposals last November. In its announcement, the DPD said it received two complete proposals. It did not include details of the other proposal. The sale of the site, at a proposed $1.9 million, will need approval from the Chicago City Council. That process is not yet scheduled. “Chicago needs this (facility) because the rest of the production infrastructure is in place and production is booming,” said Rich Daniels, a Chicago Federation of Musicians board member who’s been involved with local production, including as music director for the television show “Empire” for its full six-season run.

* Tribune | Historic Chatham Park Village Cooperative defaults on mortgage as residents disagree on property’s future: Once noted for its beautiful and carefully tended facilities, the Chatham Park Village Cooperative has offered affordable homeownership on Chicago’s South Side for more than 60 years. Today more than 20% of the over 500 units at Chatham Park Village are vacant, said co-op board member Eneal Lee, and the property is at risk of foreclosure as the co-op has defaulted on its mortgage, according to documents reviewed by the Tribune.

* WBBM | Invasive carp avoid the Chicago area, study finds: ‘There’s something in the water’: Cory Suski, a professor of natural resources and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois and a co-author of the study, said the fish instantly slow down as they move closer to the Chicago area. He believes contaminants in the water play a factor. “This is kind of a stress response,” he said. “It’s a response to, sort of, something uncomfortable in the environment for them. They don’t really know exactly what’s going on, but they’re just going to stop and wait it out and hope that that negative stimulus goes away.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Look inside Northwestern’s new $850 million Ryan Field plans: Northwestern University unveiled plans for its new Ryan Field stadium today, and the $850 million project — the most expensive in NCAA history — promises to reimagine the college football viewing experience. The stadium will not replicate the traditional bowl design common at other colleges, but rather look and feel more like a miniature NFL or MLS facility. It is designed to maximize sound and bring attendees as close to the on-field action as possible.

* Crain’s | Ragu sauce maker moving HQ to Schaumburg: The company that makes Ragu pasta sauce and other food products will move its North American headquarters next year to Schaumburg, where it has signed a deal to become the new anchor tenant of an office complex near Woodfield Mall. Mizkan America, a U.S. subsidiary of Japanese food manufacturer Mizkan Group, has inked a long-term lease for 50,394 square feet at the Woodfield Corporate Center property in the northwest suburb, according to a statement from real estate services firm Savills, which negotiated the deal on behalf of the company

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Board calls on metro-east official to resign after she used township debit card at casino: Sally Rodriguez was appointed township supervisor by other members of the board in May of 2023, after elected supervisor Norm Miller died. According to minutes from the board’s Sept. 4 meeting, she admitted using the card for her personal use, but only by mistake. “I asked her how do you make the same mistake five times and how does your personal card have the same pin number as the Township’s?” said board member Rickie Thomas.

* WAND | Workforce development program launches newest chapter in Decatur: In partnership with Workforce Investment Solutions, ADM, and Richland Community College, the program is designed to establish a pipeline of skilled professionals to meet the needs of the manufacturing industry in central Illinois. […] “We are thrilled to introduce the FAME program to the Decatur community,” said Tony Davis, National Director for FAME U.S. “Our goal is to bridge the gap between education and industry, ensuring that our graduates are not only job-ready but also equipped to drive innovation within the manufacturing sector.”

* The 21st Show | Metro East filmmaker who won Miss Trans Illinois is now running for mayor: Colton Baumgartner, 35, was named Miss Trans Illinois in 2024. She is running for mayor of Granite City, in the Metro East area. Colton is also the author of a children’s book, Cawing Love. She raises funds for Elevated Access, a nonprofit organization that flies people who live in states that outlaw abortions or gender-affirming care to states where such health care is offered.

* WGEM | JWCC and WIU sign criminal justice agreement: John Wood Community College and Western Illinois University have established a new transfer pathway for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice and law enforcement. John Wood President Bryan Renfro and WIU Interim President Kristi Mindrup signed the agreement in a ceremony Monday morning.

* BND | East St. Louis official has different story than what’s told in housing authority lawsuit: Michael Collins said Shonte Mueller did not tell the truth when she alleged in her recently filed lawsuit that she came to him with concerns that a former interim executive director of the East St. Louis Housing Authority was not following HUD guidelines and could jeopardize federal government money. […] Nick Mueller and Shonte Mueller filed a civil rights and defamation lawsuit in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois claiming they were wrongfully removed from their positions by City Manager Robert Betts.

* SJ-R | Watchdog organization finds Springfield hospitals below average for patient care, safety: Springfield Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. John’s Hospital have both received “D” grades from The Leapfrog Group. […] Several of the categories for grading showed in red for the hospitals, being on a green-red scale. Springfield Memorial Hospital scored particularly low in the “problems with surgery” category. HSHS St. John’s Hospital scored particularly low in the “problems with surgery” and “safety problems” categories.

* Muddy River News | From small town to national stage: Quincy native earns Grammy nomination for best folk album: Savana Santos, a Quincy High School graduate, recently received a Grammy nomination for best folk album for her work on “Weird Faith” with singer-songwriter Madi Diaz. The album features “Kiss on the Wall,” co-written by Santos. Santos moved to Nashville to pursue music after graduating high school in 2017. She released the song “F2020” with former music group Avenue Beat. The song became a viral sensation, leading to more than 100 million streams across different platforms. Santos took advantage of this momentum and is now a solo artist, releasing songs like “Messy” and “Cheater.”

*** National ***

* NYT | Associated Press to Cut Staff by 8%: The news organization said the cuts, which would be done through buyouts, were part of a plan to meet “the evolving needs of our customers.” The cuts will affect both news and business employees. “This is about ensuring AP’s important role as the only truly independent news organization at scale during a period of transformation in the media industry,” The Associated Press said.

* Editor & Publisher | Investor building newspaper chain eyes Lee Enterprises, DallasNews: A Florida billionaire with a fondness for local news is looking to build a newspaper giant by potentially scooping up publishers Lee Enterprises and DallasNews. David Hoffmann, who last month disclosed a 5.2% stake in Lee Enterprises, has raised that interest to 8.7%, making him the Davenport, Iowa, company’s second-largest shareholder.

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Question of the day

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Hmm…


* The Question: Your prediction for Rahm Emanuel’s political future?

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Legislators pressure IDOC on inmate mail

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From a legislative letter addressed to Illinois Department of Corrections Acting Director Latoya Hughes

Dear Director Hughes,

In light of calls to suspend or electronically scan incoming mail for residents in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), we urge you to allow people who are incarcerated to continue to receive their original physical mail. These demands have escalated in recent weeks after several “exposure incidents” in which Correctional Officers have made claims of overdose symptoms after handling mail.

The safety of correctional staff and residents is a paramount concern. However, restricting physical mail has not been shown to improve safety, and we urge you to investigate and document the root of the problem before taking drastic action. In 2017, The American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology issued a joint report debunking the possibility of incidental transdermal exposure causing overdose symptoms as well as explaining that it would take an extremely high level of long term high-level airborne exposure to cause any effects. In addition, in multiple cases this summer, no evidence of the presence of any drug has been reported in spite of officers going to the hospital and facilities being placed on lockdown in reaction to the “exposure events.” In addition, ProPublica reported in 2023 on the widespread inaccuracy of the very field tests being used in IDOC facilities in these incidents and their high degree of false positive results.

In recent years, many prison administrators have claimed that delivering scanned copies of mail will stop the flow of drugs into their facilities, but there is no evidence that mail scanning has had this effect. Other states that implemented mail scanning to stop the alleged problem of drugs coming into prisons through the mail saw drug use and overdoses increase.

Physical mail—including letters, cards, drawings, and photographs—is an affordable way for people who are incarcerated and their loved ones to communicate. Maintaining close relationships with a person’s support system during incarceration supports rehabilitation and improves public safety. Mail is essential to maintaining a sense of hope and connection, and restricting it has measurable negative impacts on mental health, behavior, and success when people return home. Scanned copies of photos and cards simply aren’t the same, especially when you factor in the limited access to tablets and the costs associated with accessing them.

We look forward to your response and working with you to ensure the safety of everyone in IDOC facilities. We do not doubt that drug abuse in Illinois prisons (as in the rest of society) is a problem, but it should be solved by addressing the root of the problem through comprehensive substance use disorder treatment for people who are affected by it rather than eliminating this vital lifeline for everyone. Taking mail away works directly against the bipartisan goal we all share of supporting rehabilitation.

Thank you for your consideration of this critical issue.

Sincerely,

    Rep. Kelly Cassidy
    Sen. Robert Peters
    Rep. Justin Slaughter Rep. Kevin Olickal
    Rep. Will Guzzardi
    Rep. Laura Faver Dias Rep. Norma Hernandez Rep. Lilian Jimenez Rep. Ann Williams
    Sen. Lakesia Collins Rep. Anne Stava-Murray Rep. Yolanda Morris Rep. Theresa Mah
    Rep. Kim du Buclet Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid Rep. Mary Beth Canty Rep. Hoan Huynh
    Rep. Laura Faver Dias Rep. Kam Buckner
    Rep. Dagmara Avelar Sen. Laura Fine
    Sen. Adriane Johnson Rep. Nabeela Syed
    Sen. Mattie Hunter
    Sen. Karina Villa
    Sen. Ram Villivalam Sen. Javier Cervantes Sen. Mark Walker
    Sen Celina Villanueva Sen. Mary Edly-Allen Rep. Sonya Harper
    Sen. Mike Simmons

IDOC has not yet responded to the letter. From the governor’s office…

The safety of DOC staff, individuals in custody, and everyone entering facilities is the administration’s top priority within the department. Governor Pritzker appreciates the perspective from lawmakers on this issue and remains committed to working with them to ensure essential communications and family connections are maintained for individuals in custody.

* Some links from the authors…

• A year after the New Mexico Corrections Department banned physical mail and implemented mail scanning, a July 2022 state Legislative Finance Committee report indicated that the new procedure had zero effect on drug use in the state prison system. The report noted as well that positive results on random New Mexico drugs tests on people who are incarcerated rose to 3.7% in 2021–2022, nearly doubling the previous rate (2%) before the mail restrictions were implemented in 2020–2021. (https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2022/sep/1/florida-now-digitizing-inco ming-mail-state-prisoners/)

• According to data from October 2022, overdoses rose in Missouri prisons despite the implementation of mail scanning. In the first six months of 2022, Missouri prisons averaged a little more than 34 overdoses a month. Mail scanning went into e ect on July 1, 2022. In July, August, and September 2022, the average number of overdoses increased to 39 per month. (https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/overdoses-rise-in-missouri-prisons-des pite-strict-new-mail-policy-38708405)

• According to a 2023 article, data provided by the Pennsylvania DOC revealed that across a number of metrics, the drug problem in state prisons became worse following the implementation of mail scanning. In August 2018, 1.0% of people incarcerated in Pennsylvania tested positive on random drug screenings; as of December 2022, that rate had grown to 2.7%. (https://www.pennlive.com/news/2023/04/nearly-5-years-after-inmate-mail-scanning-policy-took-effect-pa-prison-drug-problem-remains.html)

• Mail is often the most commonly used, affordable, and accessible form of communication for people who are incarcerated and their loved ones. Decades of academic research indicate that visits, mail, phone, and other forms of family contact for incarcerated people have meaningful, positive impacts including better health, better behavior while incarcerated, better post-release outcomes, and reduced recidivism. (https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/12/21/family_contact/#:~:text=The%20re search%20is%20clear%3A%20visitation,recidivism%2C%20and%20improvement %20in%20school).

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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BIPA reforms surviving court challenges for now

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Bloomberg

Recent changes to Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act aimed at limiting damages awards apply to lawsuits that were filed before the amendments were enacted, a federal judge ruled.

Judge Elaine E. Bucklo of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Wednesday tossed out a BIPA lawsuit against Michigan-based trucking company Central Transport LLC after finding that the maximum amount of damages available to plaintiff John Gregg under the new provisions didn’t meet the threshold for federal diversity jurisdiction.

The decision is here.

* More

The Court recognized there is a general presumption that the legislature intends to change existing law when it passes a statutory amendment. Under such circumstances, courts must determine whether that change should be applied retroactively. However, where circumstances surrounding the amendment’s enactment show the legislature only intended to clarify (rather than change) the original law, the amendment should be applied as though it existed at the time the legislature passed the original statute. That, the Court held, is what happened when the legislature passed its recent amendment to BIPA.

* Another judge appeared to concur

Similarly, in Ulysses Ballard v. Freedman Seating Company, Judge Catherine A. Schneider recently transferred a BIPA case out of the Law Division and to the First Municipal District for its failure to meet the $30,000 minimum damages threshold required for jurisdiction in the Law Division following the enactment of the Bill. Defendant, in that case, argued that the Bill clarifies and explains the Illinois General Assembly’s intent regarding the assessment of damages under BIPA and, therefore, is properly applied to all cases pending on the date of the enactment. Judge Schneider’s Order granting defendant’s motion to transfer the case appears to adopt this reasoning.

* Capitol News Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill in August that clarified when a business improperly obtains biometric information of an employee or customer, the violation happens just one time, instead of each time the biometric data is obtained. For example, if an employee signs into their job with a fingerprint timeclock each day without giving their employer written consent to collect their biometric data, the company would be in violation of the law one time rather than each time the timeclock is used.

A prior interpretation of the law by the courts caused many businesses to pay out enormous settlements to employees or customers for violations of Illinois’ law, which is the only of its kind in the country. The Illinois Supreme Court invited the General Assembly to clarify the law after a case against White Castle wound up with the fast food chain potentially on the hook for $17 billion in damages, though it was ultimately settled for $9.4 million. State law stipulates damages are awarded for $1,000 for each “negligent” violation and $5,000 for each “reckless” or “intentional” violation.

“Because in this context employees are often required to scan each workday, sometimes multiple times per day, an important question arose: do BIPA claims accrue each time there is a biometric scan and each time that scan is transmitted to a third party, or do those claims only accrue upon the first scan and transmission?” Bucklo wrote in her opinion.

State lawmakers ultimately voted earlier this year to amend BIPA to show they intend for violations to occur once per person rather than each time data is obtained from a person.

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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.

We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Emil, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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Asked about Trump using ‘military assets’ for mass deportation, Pritzker says the plan may be ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘illegal’

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Background is here if you need it. ABC News

President-elect Donald Trump on Monday confirmed he would declare a national emergency to carry out his campaign promise of mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission.

Overnight, Trump responded to a social media post from Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton, who said earlier this month there are reports the incoming administration is preparing such a declaration and to use “military assets” to deport the migrants.

“TRUE!!!” Trump wrote.

Trump pledged to get started on mass deportations as soon as he enters office.

“On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history to get the criminals out,” he said during a rally at Madison Square Garden in the closing days of the presidential race. “I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered, and we will put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail, then kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible.”

* During an unrelated news conference today, the governor was asked about Donald Trump’s plan to declare a national emergency to carry out mass deportations of migrants in the US

Q: You may have heard this morning, President-elect Trump confirming on Truth Social that he’s likely to declare a state of emergency for deportation and use the military to do that. What would that mean here in Illinois? Could he use the Insurrection Act to call out the National Guard and how would you respond to that?

Pritzker: We, of course are deeply concerned about the President of the United States calling out military inside the United States, where people are peaceful, even if there may be people who are undocumented. But the idea of calling out the Army into the domestic confines of the United States seems uncalled for, and may, in fact, be unconstitutional and illegal. We’ll look into that. Honestly, he says a lot of things. You never know what he’s telling the truth about, so we’ll have to see.

Q: He had talked back in the George Floyd riots, having governors call up the National Guard to help quell the violence. Senior advisors apparently talked him out of that. What is your hope as he talks about this about what may not actually happen?

Pritzker: Well he does not have the ability to call out the National Guard inside the confines of the United States, the governors do. There are two different provisions of the Act that authorizes the use of the National Guard, Title 10, Title 32 and he doesn’t have under either one of those the ability to call the National Guard out again in the United States of America. He can, however, call out the National Guard to fight in foreign wars. And he indeed, has done that. We’ve sent many, many thousands of National Guard over just my term in office to serve abroad, and that’s at the behest of the President of the United States, whether it was Joe Biden, or before him, Donald Trump.

* Meanwhile, from the New York Times

Some of the first maneuvering by top Democrats began this past week, when Mr. Pritzker and Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado announced the formation of a group called Governors Safeguarding Democracy. Its unveiling followed several days of behind-the-scenes drama, as several fellow Democratic governors declined to join the group, at least for now.

A draft news release listed six other governors as members of the coalition led by Mr. Pritzker and Mr. Polis. But four of them - Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania - declined to join, according to people briefed on the discussions.

Govs. Tony Evers of Wisconsin and Josh Green of Hawaii were also named on the draft news release, but neither has yet agreed to join the group.

Alex Gough, a spokesman for Mr. Pritzker, said that the group had been working with 20 governors’ offices but that “not all of these governors wish to be named publicly at this time for understandable reasons, including the potential threats states are facing.”

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Abandon ship?

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The thing I most despise about the current version of X (Twitter) is that the site rewards outrage engagement farming. Look below any post by a public figure and you have to wade through a wide band of paid “blue check” subscribers tweeting increasingly vile things for the sole purpose of garnering attention and being compensated by the site’s ownership.

The system is specifically designed to produce a super-ugly feedback loop, and it’s not gonna get any better.

I don’t usually read the comments over there. So, that ugliness mostly doesn’t bother me, and I stay away from the site’s darker corners. But even if I did let that stuff get to me, I can’t leave yet because I use X mainly as a way to spot breaking news stories. Until state reporters and politicians also decide to leave, I’m stuck there and I’ll just make the best of it no matter what.

* But there is a growing alternative. I’ve set up an account at BlueSky. During the past few days, a large number of reporters and some major news media outlets have created profiles at the site. Click here for a “starter pack” I created of state reporters, and click here for a broader Illinois news media list.

A handful of state legislators, a few members of the governor’s top staff, a couple of state agencies, the Senate Democrats and a smattering of lobbyists and PR people have also set up BlueSky accounts. Click here for a list I created of those folks. Even Oswego Willy has a BlueSky account.

* It feels like a tipping point might - *might* - be coming. If that happens and if we can easily follow events like the Michael Madigan trial and all the the spring legislative session news and upcoming elections, then I’ll move fully over to BlueSky. Heck, we might even be able to return to actual live coverage if I can convince my third party app to create the software.

Anyway, click here to check it out. And let me know if you’ve joined the exodus.

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Energy Storage Can Minimize Major Price Spikes

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Each month, families and businesses pay a capacity charge through their energy bill. It’s essentially an insurance policy that pays energy resources (or “capacity”) to be available for when the grid needs them most. Grid operators project a possible shortage of capacity in the coming years, which means the charge for this insurance policy will rise next year for many Illinoisans.

Batteries, or energy storage, are currently the best solution to minimize this price spike (which could be as high as $30 in 2026)—but building them at the pace we need will require legislation. The added benefit is the ability to store cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day—lowering energy bills and making the grid more reliable.

Learn more about legislation that builds urgently needed energy storage here.

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Welch talks Trump, budget, staff

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column

Just about nothing happened in the first week of veto session in the House and the Senate. The Democratic legislative leaders are still trying to figure out what their members want to do in the wake of Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and whether that can be done.

Whether that action starts in the second and final week of the veto session, or in the lame-duck January session or in the regular spring session is still up in the air as I write this.

“We’re going to have to do something,” House Speaker Chris Welch told me, but he couldn’t say what that “something” was just yet. “I think it’s important that we let the conversations happen. Those conversations have to happen so that we come to alignment on that.”

Asked about Trump’s economic message of consistently railing against inflation and promising no income taxes on overtime, tips and Social Security, Welch said, “I think the economic message worked. I think the economic message and what we’ve been through in this country was very important, and we’re going to have to listen and acknowledge that. And as Democrats in Illinois, I think we’ve already done a good job of doing that, but we’re going to have to continue to listen to the voters when it comes to that economic message. Listen, Trump won, and he won in a resounding way. We have to acknowledge that, and we have to be responsible.”

Welch continued: “If we don’t listen to voters here and make the necessary changes, particularly on the national level, quite frankly, I think nationally, they can do a lot more of what we’ve done here in Illinois. If we don’t listen to the voters, we’re not going to reverse what happened here on Tuesday (Nov. 5).”

When asked about the projected massive budget deficit, the House Speaker said, “The governor and I need to sit down and have some serious conversations about how we’re going to approach next year’s $3.1 billion budget deficit and come to an agreement. I think it’s important that we be in alignment and walk in the same direction on that, and we’re prepared to do that.”

Welch recently hired a new appropriations staff director. While praising the outgoing director, Welch said his new director, Madeline McCune — a former House staffer who left to run the legislative shop for the Illinois Association of School Administrators — is drawing kudos from far and wide.

The House Democrats haven’t been able to draft a budget during the past two sessions.

“I think she’s going to take us to another level,” Welch said of McCune. “There’s a history there with the Senate team. There’s a history with the governor’s team. And one of the things that we’re going to have to do going into a very difficult budget year, we’ve got to work together. We have to all be clicking on the same page and on all cylinders, and with Madeline there, we’re not going to just not miss a beat, we’re going to elevate our game.”

Speaking of staff, Welch also acknowledged that he’s telling his members to expect some significant changes in his operations during the coming year. “I have to acknowledge that we have to do things a little bit different,” Welch said.

The House Democrats have had serious staffing shortages, under-qualified staff and major staff turnover problems. One of the reasons is a decades-old handshake agreement that the party caucus dollars are divided equally in both chambers, with the Senate getting more overall because their districts are twice as large as the House districts.

So, even though Welch has 78 members, his caucus is appropriated the same amount as the House Republicans, who have 40 members. And it receives less than the Senate Democrats, who have 40 members, and less than the Senate Republicans, who have a mere 19 members.

“We have to address that,” Welch said. “And I’m gonna fight like hell to address that, because that’s the way that I can address a number of my staffing issues.”

“Where’s the fairness and equity in that?” Welch rhetorically asked about the disparities. “And so, do know, as the leader of this chamber, that’s one of the things that I’m laser-focused on. And the voters have spoken. They’ve elected 78 Democrats twice now, possibly more, and we’re going to fight to make sure we have the proper resources to address the staff and the concerns.”

Welch also promised to make further “necessary tweaks to elevate our game,” in the coming spring session.

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Open thread

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: DOJ investigating Sangamon County for discrimination after Sonya Massey murder. WCIA

    - County officials received a formal letter from the Department of Justice asking for more information after receiving allegations the Sheriff’s Office, the county, and the Sangamon County Central Dispatch System could have violated federal nondiscrimination laws.
    - DOJ officials said Sonya Massey’s murder “raises serious concerns” about members of the Sheriff’s Office’s interactions with Black people and people with behavioral health disabilities.
    -The department also asked for review of several years of policies, practices, procedures, and training deputies receive on de-escalation, rendering medical aid, and responding to behavioral health crises.

* Meanwhile, from the Illinois Times

The only people to speak in support of a serial sex offender at a recent sentencing hearing were two Springfield police detectives.

More than three years after his arrest by Illinois State Police, Zane Merreighn, 25, was sentenced to 21 years in prison for the sexual abuse of five girls who ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old.

Merreighn is the son of Jennifer Oglesby Mack, who is a sex crimes investigator for the Springfield Police Department. Parents of the victims contend Merreighn’s crime spree could have been stopped sooner if not for area law enforcement agencies cutting him breaks because his mother was a cop.

Special Appellate Prosecutor Lorinda Lamken said there was no evidence that Oglesby Mack used her influence to protect her son. But she added it is clear that Merreighn evoked his mother’s name and sought special treatment. […]

During the testimony, Oglesby Mack sat next to her husband, Michael Mack, and stared at the floor. Mack is also a detective with the SPD.

* At 10 am Governor Pritzker will give remarks at the Inwood Athletic Club in Joliet to celebrate the first CEJA-funded EV charging stations. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Secretary of State Giannoulias discusses importance of organ donation at west suburban church: He joined Jordan Temple’s Senior Pastor Stephen Richardson, the recipient of two heart transplants. He received the first in November 1996 when he was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. He got the second in November 2013 when medications formed plaque buildup that blocked his arteries. He also got a new kidney that same year. “Three hearts, three kidneys and I’m still moving, I’m very thankful,” Richardson told the Sun-Times. “A donor extends a person’s life.”

* Tribune | After-school programs on the chopping block due to delayed funding disbursement: About 40% of the state’s after-school programs have been slashed this year, following delays in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, and the number is expected to rise to 87%, totaling about 290 sites, by the end of this year. The problem is that the governor’s office is at a standstill with the money, and there has been no communication on when funds will be released.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Center Square | Illinois homeschoolers worry Trump tax credit could lead to state regulation: Trump, in a video posted on social media, promised homeschooling parents tax relief on their education costs, up to $10,000 per year per child. […] Illinois Family Institute Executive Director David Smith said rumblings of regulation coming out of the Illinois capitol might deter homeschooling parents from applying for the credit.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Illinois nuclear plants are in the crosshairs of data centers and AI’s insatiable demand for clean power. At what cost?: On Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s administration unveiled plans to triple the nation’s nuclear power supply by midcentury. While support for most clean energy projects is threatened by Republican control of Washington, this one might stick. A Pew Research poll from August shows Republicans are more likely than Democrats to favor expanding nuclear power generation. […] If early experiments reopening plants and developing smaller reactors fail, tech giants could zero in on Illinois’ operational plants, which provide more than half of the state’s power.

* WCIA | IL launches multi-million-dollar Cannabis Research Institute: On Friday, Governor JB Pritzker, U of I System President Tim Killeen, government officials, and cannabis researchers with Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) launched the Cannabis Research Institute (CRI). […] “The Cannabis Research Institute will use innovative research and data collection to deepen our understanding of cannabis and help shape the future of the industry, better inform the public, and develop policies for consumer protection, economic and community development, and equity,” Pritzker said.

* Tribune | After Trump win, Illinois providers report a spike in demand for abortion pills, birth control and sterilizations: Planned Parenthood of Illinois saw a 15% increase in calls immediately following the Nov. 5 election, with many callers asking about vasectomies and options for long term but reversible contraception, such as intrauterine devices and birth control implants. “People are frightened,” said Cristina Villarreal, chief external affairs officer for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, which has 17 clinics statewide. “We are concerned about a lot of different things with the coming administration and we are doing what we can to prepare for it. But I think the important thing for patients to know right now is that we are open for providing the reproductive and sexual health care that they need … and we will fight to continue to do that.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | After 50-0 defeat of his $300 million property tax hike, Mayor Brandon Johnson brokers a new deal: The largest chunk of new revenue — $128 million — will come from raising the personal property lease tax on cloud computing to 11%. Another $14 million would be squeezed out of “redundancies and efficiencies” in administrative costs tied to the spending programs bankrolled by federal pandemic relief programs in 2026 without laying off employees or disrupting programs.

* Tribune | Killing extra pension payment could spare Mayor Brandon Johnson and aldermen political headaches, but cost Chicagoans later: Some officials are rallying around the idea of diverting surplus dollars from past years’ budgets that were set aside to keep the city’s pension funds afloat. The “advance” or “supplemental” pension payment Johnson wants for 2025 is $272 million, just shy of the $300 million tax hike he called for then abandoned last week in the face of an overwhelming council revolt against it. Cutting that pension payment is among the most straightforward fixes floated to fill the gaping property tax hole in Chicago’s budget. But there are plenty of warnings against skipping it, including from Johnson’s budget team and municipal finance experts.

* Block Club | Most Chicago Street Fests Aren’t Paying Police Overtime, Leaving Taxpayers On The Hook: Last week, alderpeople grilled officials from the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, demanding to know how many police resources were poured into neighborhood street festivals while raising concerns about officer burnout amid so many competing demands. […] “It’s my understanding there are a number of events in the city where, for whatever reason, we don’t ask the event organizer to reimburse us for things like police resources, police and fire, paramedic, traffic control,” Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said during the hearing last week. “Some events spend lots of money on those sorts of things, like Lollapalooza, for example. Yet other events don’t get charged these things.”

* WBEZ | Trump’s inroads in Chicago driven by staggering dropoff in votes for Democrats: Citywide, former President Donald Trump saw a roughly 16,000 vote bump compared to 2020, but Vice President Kamala Harris’ vote total was more than 205,000 votes behind President Joe Biden’s in 2020. “The real story is you have fewer people voting and that Trump got the same number of votes in 2024 than he got in 2020,” said Delmarie Cobb, a Democratic political and media consultant.

* Crain’s | Chicago Tribune union ratifies first-ever contract: Per the deal, employees will now receive a 3% pay raise each year along with a 401(k) match and bonuses, according to an announcement by the publication. Several Tribune employees went decades without raises and “no one can remember the last time back-to-back, company-wide raises were made,” the union claimed in a social media post.

* Crain’s | Loop landlords pitch taxing themselves to boost ailing downtown:
Many commercial landlords in the Loop have expressed interest in a BID to help revitalize downtown amid record-high office and retail vacancy, even as the real estate industry grapples with the burdens of high energy costs and property taxes, BOMA Executive Director Farzin Parang said. “The industry is very sensitive to new costs; we already have the highest commercial property tax in the country, so really the purpose of this process is to find out, ‘does this make sense?’ ” Parang told Crain’s.

* Sun-Times | Celebrated as a ‘voice’ for the community, Perri Small retires from WVON: Small was not only celebrating her retirement, but her 65th birthday. Sitting in front of a bouquet of flowers and sipping champagne, she spoke to in-studio visitors and took calls from prominent figures honoring her decadeslong career as a journalist and media personality. Public intellectual and former presidential candidate Cornel West even called in, encouraging Small to “keep that smile and that style and that spirit and that soul.”

* Tribune | Addiction treatment center opens Mac’s Deli, a new West Loop restaurant staffed entirely by patients in recovery: Monday marked the grand opening of Mac’s Deli, a restaurant that Haymarket Center has opened in order to employ patients in recovery and provide them with job training. Mac’s Deli will be fully staffed by Haymarket Center clients, with the proceeds from its classic Chicago fare going toward the center’s initiatives. The restaurant was built into the side of Haymarket Center’s building, just paces away from its other services. Mac’s Deli is designed to provide patients with substance use disorder an opportunity to return to the workforce within a supportive community centered around recovery, according to Haymarket Center President and CEO Dan Lustig.

* Block Club | Chicago Crowns Jeremy Allen White Lookalike Contest Winner: The contest sought to find the person who most closely resembles White, who plays Chicago chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto in the hit FX on Hulu series “The Bear.” Ben Shabad, 37, took home the coveted “Num. 1 J.A.W.” ribbon along with a cash prize of $50 and a pack of Marlboro Cigarettes.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WBEZ | Amid concerns about a federal rollback, Cook County Commissioner pitches more money for reproductive health: Amid concerns about the next presidential administration’s lack of support for abortion rights, Democratic Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen wants the county to infuse more money into access to reproductive health services. County commissioners are set to vote on a proposed 2025 budget next week totaling nearly $10 billion. Degnen wants to amend the proposed budget to provide $2 million in grants to community organizations that provide wraparound reproductive health services. These organizations help cover the cost of everything from hotel stays and travel to medical bills for people seeking abortions.

* Sun-Times | Kim Foxx sees legacy as helping community trust law enforcement: After eight years as Cook County’s top prosecutor, 12 before that as an assistant state’s attorney and three with the office of the public guardian, Foxx said it has been “decades of sadness first thing in the morning,” as she briefs herself on cases that came in overnight. But the reports were also motivating, she said, inspiring her to try to make the county better.

* Daily Herald | ‘Looking out for the child’: How a Lake County nonprofit helps low-income families: Since the nonprofit’s inception in 1998, some 53,000 children and their families have received financial support totaling nearly $6 million. That includes nearly 2,900 kids and $688,619 over the last year. “Barbara set the mission up, and the mission hasn’t changed,” said Lisa Cervieri, the organization’s executive director. “The crux of it is just helping kids that are in dire situations, and she hit the nail on the head because of her years in social work: It’s the little things that make the biggest difference to these kids.”

* Evanston Round Table | Mayor Biss ready to do ‘whatever it takes’ for what’s to come in Trump presidency: Biss acknowledged early in the interview that what’s to come is still somewhat unknown. He sees a push toward Trump’s mass deportation plans, which the president-elect had alluded to during debates, happening early in the administration. Beyond that, though, “I don’t think we know,” Biss said. “I don’t think we should pretend to know.”

*** Downstate ***



* SJ-R | ‘This isn’t over yet.’ Final ballots to be counted in Springfield-area recorder race: The four-term incumbent in the Sangamon County Recorder’s office and the only Democrat to hold a county-wide seat said he is feeling upbeat despite having to make up a 68-vote deficit against his opponent. On Tuesday, county clerk officials will tabulate some 450 late-arriving vote by mail ballots and qualified provisional ballots under the gaze of the two candidates, Springfield Clerk Frank Lesko who leads current Recorder Josh Langfelder by just a handful of votes.

* IPM News | Josh McCray runs for three TDs to lead Illinois to a 38-16 win over slumping Michigan State: Josh McCray ran for three touchdowns and Luke Altmyer threw two TD passes, leading Illinois to a 38-16 victory Saturday over Michigan State. McCray had nine carries for 61 yards, Altmyer completed 19 of 32 passes for 231 yards and Pat Bryant caught four passes for a career-high 135 yards and a TD in his final home game as the Illini (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) ended a two-game losing streak.

*** National ***

* The Chicago Council on Global Affairs | How cover crops could help the Midwestern agriculture business: While cover cropping in the Midwest has increased fourfold from 2011 to 2021, it still occurs on just a small percentage of the region’s 148 million acres of farmland. That stands in stark contrast to the practice’s use in some farming regions overseas. Parts of Europe, for instance, use cover crops on almost all of their arable land due to stricter regulations. Coppess said more state and federal incentives could similarly increase uptake in the Midwest — though he also notes that, while the practice helps eliminate some risks, it also comes with risks of its own.

* The Guardian | ‘Queen of polling’ J Ann Selzer quits after Iowa survey missed by 16 points: In a column published by the Des Moines Register on Sunday, Selzer wrote that public opinion polling had been her “life’s work” and had made a decision to step back from it a year ago. “Would I have liked to make this announcement after a final poll aligned with Election Day results? Of course,” she wrote. “It’s ironic that it’s just the opposite.” Seltzer ventured that her strong track record had “maybe that history of accuracy made the outlier position too comfortable”.

* NYT | How Bluesky, Alternative to X and Facebook, Is Handling Explosive Growth: Bluesky’s 20 full-time employees have been working around the clock to deal with the issues that come with hyper-growth: site outages, glitches in the code and content moderation issues. Most importantly, they have been trying to keep early users happy as new members have flooded in. “We as a team take pride in our ability to scale quickly,” Jay Graber, 33, the chief executive of Bluesky, said in an interview. “But there’s always some growing pains.” She added that the app — which is still dwarfed by Facebook, Instagram and X — was adding more than one million new users a day.

* Vox | Bluesky brings the fun, weird vibes of old Twitter back to life: Bluesky looks a lot like the old Twitter you knew and loved. It’s a reverse chronological feed of posts, including images, videos, and links that you can like and repost. Like old Twitter, your feed is not ruled by an algorithm. Meanwhile, Bluesky’s open source, decentralized framework gives you a lot more control over how your feed works than X or even Threads, the X alternative Meta has been pushing onto Instagram users.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Monday, Nov 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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« NEWER POSTS PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Reader comments closed for the weekend
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* The Waukegan City Clerk was railroaded
* Whatever happened, the city has a $40 million budget hole it didn't disclose until now
* Manar gives state agencies budget guidance: Cut, cut, cut
* Roundup: Ex-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis testifies in Madigan corruption trial
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
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* Yesterday's stories

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