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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * We told you last month that 12 trans Illinois Army National Guard soldiers had submitted voluntary separation papers. One of them was Dahlia Dahl, daughter of statehouse reporter Dave Dahl. From St. Louis Public Radio…
Dahl is attending college, so she’ll lose that assistance. In response, here’s Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago)…
* ABC Chicago…
* Views from the Director’s Lawn by Capitol News Illinois’ Ben Szalinski…
* Texas House Democrats will continue to stay in Illinois. The Texas House Democratic Caucus…
* Eye On Illinois | Libraries could get grant money for security measures – will bomb threats persist?: As frequently observed here, legislation billed as protective often amounts to enhancing penalties in hopes of protective or preventive effects. SB 1550 is different in that it does (subject to appropriations) create an actual pathway for physical protection of people and public property. Yet if fortifying public spaces deterred threats, there would be a downturn in such activity instead of a demonstrated increase. It’s apparent that the intent is to frame money as a response to fear. And politicians typically aren’t forthright about limits of their own power, but that makes it incumbent on voters to read between the lines to understand what’s actually happening. * Center Square | Illinois law empowers officials to crack down on predatory towing: State Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, sponsored the bill in response to frequent complaints in her urban district. In 2023, over 500 predatory tows were reported statewide, most in the Chicago area, according to the ICC. “I frequently hear from my constituents and neighbors about bad experiences with rogue tow operators who ignore state rules meant to protect drivers,” Villanueva said at a news conference during spring legislative session. “Many of you have likely heard about motorists scammed by predatory towers, whose cars were taken miles away or whose belongings were held for weeks.” * Chalkbeat Chicago | Who picks the person to lead Chicago schools? Elected officials and legal experts disagree.: At the time, State Sen. Rob Martwick, who represents parts of Chicago’s Northwest Side and some suburbs, said newly-elected and appointed board members had been asking him who has the power to choose the next CEO. […] In the email obtained by Chalkbeat through a Freedom of Information Act request, Martwick cited a section of Illinois’ school code that was first written when Chicago’s schools were put under mayoral control in 1995. It states: “The Mayor shall appoint a full-time, compensated chief executive officer, and his or her compensation as such chief executive officer shall be determined by the Mayor.” * Sun-Times | No charges for Chicago police officers involved in deadly shoot-out with Dexter Reed: Prosecutors determined the evidence presented to them didn’t warrant criminal charges — a decision upheld by an independent appellate review. Lawyers for the Reed family didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s administrative investigation remains open. A COPA spokeswoman said the agency is “working on an expeditious closing.” * Evanston Now | Another transit fiscal cliff: The transit authority in Philadelphia says unless a state funding package is approved by this Thursday the first round of service cuts to bus, rail and trolley service will go into effect ten days later. […] Other than the time frame and dollars involved, the Philadelphia situation is basically the same as what could happen to Metra, CTA, and PACE in the Chicago area … massive service cuts plus fare increases in 2026 unless there is a state assistance plan. * Crain’s | Johnson rules out proposed $1.5B corporate payroll tax: The tax, put forward by the Institute for the Public Good, was presented as a “third option” to avoid the annual discussion over seeking a large property tax hike or drastically cutting city services, but was always considered in legally murky waters. Johnson had directed his administration, including the Law Department, to explore ways to craft the tax to pass legal muster, but city attorneys determined that, like other progressive revenue ideas, the tax exceeds the city’s so-called home rule authority and would first require state approval, according to sources familiar with budget discussions. * Block Club | Can EV Ambassadors In Bronzeville Help Chicago Drivers Go Electric?: Illinois has big plans for electric vehicles — but they won’t happen unless residents of its biggest city, Chicago, embrace the battery-powered cars. That’s where EV ambassadors like William Davis come in. Davis is one of a handful of community leaders working with utility ComEd under a new program that’s meant to convince skeptical individuals and businesses to electrify, and to connect them with incentives to do so. “People don’t understand how EVs work, how they make their lives better,” he said, or “from a socioeconomic standpoint, why it’s urgent to accelerate this transition from internal combustion engines to EVs.” * Tribune | Chicago Latin Restaurant Weeks returns with fewer participating restaurants due to immigration uncertainty: While there is a diverse lineup and a variety of specials to pick from, this year’s 20 participating restaurants is almost half what the number was last year, largely due to the political climate. Organizers for Latin Restaurant Weeks said many of its usual roster of restaurants are feeling the economic and emotional effects of the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement in the city and suburbs, forcing them to fly under the radar. * Sun-Times | Chicago reports first human cases of West Nile virus for 2025: The first three human cases of West Nile virus this season in Chicago were reported Tuesday. The patients range in age from 40 to 80 years old and live on the Northwest and South Sides. Their symptoms began in late July or early August, the Chicago Department of Public Health said. Though they are the first cases of the virus reported in Chicago in 2025, three other people have contracted West Nile this year in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Those cases were reported in DuPage, Lake and downstate Wayne counties. * Sun-Times | O’Hare reaches all-time June high in passenger traffic: The over eight million travelers at the airport marked the busiest June in its 70 year history and the second busiest month of all time only behind July 2019, the mayor’s office said. * Block Club | City Launches Arts Relief Fund To Help Cultural Organizations Affected By Federal Funding Cuts: The program will offer one-time grants between $10,000 and $25,000 to eligible nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Chicago. The deadline to apply is Aug. 20. The fund will help ensure continued access to vital cultural programming across the city, according to the city’s cultural affairs department. Priority for grants will be given to organizations previously awarded funding by the National Endowment of the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services and other affected federal agencies. * Daily Herald | Schaumburg Township road commissioner wants refund for website he says wasn’t ‘delivered’ on time: Lee disputes that, arguing the website at st-roads.org did go live before its July 19 deadline. He said its features include real-time weather reporting and an AI assistant that can reduce the workload of township employees by answering basic questions. “To this day, it’s credited to Mr. Buelow,” Lee said. “It’s up to him whether he wants to take the credit.” But even when informed of the website address Tuesday, Buelow was steadfast control of the site wasn’t turned over to him as highway commissioner and was critical of its content. “I could go on Squarespace and put that up in an hour,” he said. “This isn’t worth $44,000.” * Daily Herald | Naperville Unit District 203 teachers authorize strike: The authorization vote gives the bargaining team the authority to declare a strike; however, there are currently no plans for a walkout, according to a news release issued Tuesday. Students are set to return to school Thursday. A strike is the “the last thing we want to do,” union President Ross Berkley said in a statement. * Sun-Times | Highland Park violence prevention activists take commercial approach in targeting gun companies: The founders of the Highland Park Peace Project aren’t just going after Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer and other gunmakers. Instead, they’re aiming for the bottom lines of companies that do business with them, compiling a public database of dozens of law firms, banks, retailers and more, and branding them as “enablers” of violence or “heroes” in their movement — and encouraging consumers to spend accordingly. “We’re coming at it from an angle that is capitalism-based, rather than waiting around for legislative action,” said Highland Park Peace Project co-founder Stephanie Jacobs, who narrowly escaped the parade shooting herself. * Block Club | Invasive Shrubs Cover Nearly 80% Of Chicago-Area Forests. Can Conservationists Turn Things Around?: Two years ago, the forest preserve was a “wall” of invasive buckthorn shrubs, said Braum, a northwest regional ecologist with the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Those dense buckthorn trees were cleared from the area last winter, but a new crop of waist-high shoots now stand in their place. Forest preserves workers treated the shoots with herbicide last month, in continuation of a cycle that’s become emblematic of the modern-day task of looking after Chicago-area forests: A recent study found that nearly 80 percent of forests in and around the city are infested with invasive shrubs. “You can’t just remove all the invasives and say ‘you’re done,’” Braum said. “It takes constant maintenance.” * Daily Southtown | Tinley Park police union votes no confidence in police chief: More than three dozen Tinley Park police officers signed a vote of no confidence citing 63 reasons why they think police Chief Thomas Tilton should be removed from his position, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Alliance of Police Tinley Park Chapter 192 union. All Tinley Park officers in the union, except officers on probation, signed the document alleging the department has experienced a decline in morale, disregard for staff concerns, a lack of strategic and overall vision, inadequate or absent decisions, operational uncertainty and reduced efficiency due to Tilton’s leadership, according to union representative Ray Violetto, a retired detective. * Crain’s | Gotion to start making EV batteries in Manteno next month: With the addition of two manufacturing lines to assemble EV batteries and commercial chargers, Gotion will have five production lines in operation in Manteno, Chen Li, president of Gotion Americas, tells Crain’s. Another line, which makes residential and consumer energy-storage products for applications such as solar, started in April. Gotion is converting and expanding a 1.5 million-square-foot former Kmart distribution center into a battery-production facility with plans to ultimately hire 2,600 workers in one of the largest manufacturing projects landed by Illinois in a generation. * WCIA | Lake Mattoon beach staying closed: * Smile Politely | Parkland is rolling out a new mobile education unit: The Cobra Pathfinder will officially make its debut this fall. This mobile unit will contain interactive equipment that focuses on Parkland’s various fields of study, including automotive, welding, health professions, agriculture, and more. The vehicle’s goal is to aid in promoting careers and academic programs, which was made possible by the Illinois Community College Board Taking Back the Trades grant. * WSIL | DuQuoin State Fair announces 2025 Grandstand lineup: The Grandstand will host harness racing, ARCA and USAC auto events, and performances by popular country and rock stars. Tickets are available at the Du Quoin Grandstand box office or through Ticketmaster. * CNN | NY attorney general sues Zelle parent company, alleging the payment service enabled widespread fraud: The NY AG’s lawsuit claims that in its rush to sign up new customers, Zelle allowed safety precautions to fall by the wayside. The lawsuit claims that scammers were able to sign up for Zelle through a quick registration process that lacked verification steps, allowing them to pose as businesses and government entities, tricking unsuspecting users into sending funds under false pretenses.
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Pritzker gives unnecessary ‘tutorial’
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * First, some background…
* Now, this post isn’t about Israel and Palestine, but you’ll see how it develops in a bit. From Gov. JB Pritzker’s gaggle today…
1) Condescending much? 2) As pointed out above, 6 percent is the rate where no penalty is incurred. But increasingly smaller penalties will be assessed at various levels below 10 percent. And, as noted above, Illinois has achieved error rates of 6 percent or lower several times in the past. Yes, times change, but states have had no incentive until now to lower its error rates. Not saying this is a good thing, just saying there’s a new reality afoot and it could cost taxpayers a lot of money or cut people off nutrition assistance. 3) And finally, as mentioned above, the under-payment error rate last year for Illinois was miniscule.
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From the mouths of babes
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I have it on good authority (from her mother) that the child who said this also expressed similar opinions about Sen. Dick Durbin and US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries yesterday…
Heh.
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Consumers Are Getting Slammed With Higher Electric Rates – Don’t Add Fuel To The Fire With ROFR
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois consumers are feeling the heat, both from triple-digit temperatures and soaring electricity bills. Ameren customers are seeing 18–22% rate hikes. ComEd has customers paying as much as triple-digit increases. And it’s going to get worse. In July, the PJM Capacity Auction hit another record high - a 22% increase on top of the record highs everyone just started paying. This will already lead to further rate increases next year! As frustration heats up, lawmakers must choose: support competition that drives prices down or fan the flames of electricity inflation with “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation. ROFR kills competition and boosts prices by giving incumbent utilities exclusive rights to build transmission lines. It’s so anti-competitive that both presidents - Biden and Trump - opposed it in 2020 and 2023. As the ICC has said, “The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) believes that competition among transmission developers spurs innovative results and helps control costs.”  ROFR would send electricity prices even higher. Springfield should focus on long-term strategies to lower electricity bills, not raise them. As ROFR may resurface this fall, legislators should reject it and stand up for cost-cutting competition that benefits consumers.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * As noted in this Sun-Times article, the debate over expanding the sales tax to cover services has played out ad nauseum for many, many decades. But the devil is always in the details…
Taxing interior decorator services is one thing (and likely wouldn’t raise much money), but a tax on haircuts is in no way a “luxury tax” and has always been a tough one because barbers and stylists have their clients’ undivided attention for maybe a half an hour or more. And they can use that time to rail against a new tax. That sort of politicking is very effective - particularly if you’re a legislator at the mercy of someone with a pair of scissors in their hand. Same goes for car repairs, etc. * The Question: What services would you tax and what services would you not tax? Explain.
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Tracy says he’ll run for US Senate, plus more campaign news
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
* Subscribers know a lot more, but here’s a bit from Politico…
* Media advisory…
* Moylan’s last dance, from the Journal & Topics…
* More…
* GOP candidate for 17th Congressional District is active early this election cycle: Vancil expressed skepticism of official sources like the Fed and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “The jobs report numbers and everything, it’s one number one month, and then they retract it a couple weeks later. And who knows what the right answer is or what the real answer is anymore. I’d love to see interest rates come back down. Let’s get this housing going. The housing market nationwide is just stagnant. Nobody’s selling,” he said. Vancil also backs President Trump’s tariffs, though cautiously.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Illinois State Fair Event List
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Tariffs Impact Everyone
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The increased costs associated with tariffs impact all of us, affecting millions of people. Retailers like Luckeyia Murry, owner of Luckeyia’s Balloons & Distribution in Homewood, are faced with challenging business decisions because of escalating tariffs. Luckeyia has seen rising prices for balloons, helium tanks, and nearly every other item needed for her business. Despite these obstacles, she, like many small retailer owners, remains committed to her community and her business. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association has found that while retailers are trying to hold-off on price increases, it’s impossible to absorb the extra expenses for numerous business owners who function on very small margins – which forces consumers to pay more. Retailers like Luckeyia Murry enrich our economy and strengthen our communities, even during the uncertainty of increased tariff expenses. IRMA is showcasing some of the many retailers who continue to make Illinois work.
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Roundup: Pritzker signs Sonya Massey Act
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times…
* AP…
* More from Capitol News Illinois…
* More… * WCIA | Governor Pritzker signs Sonya Massey’s law: The law is the first of its kind in the United States. Both the Illinois Sheriff’s Association and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police helped craft the legislation. “The association firmly believes there should be minimum background standards for individuals seeking to protect and serve our communities.” ILACP Executive Director Kenny Winslow said. “We are one-step closer to ensuring that background checks will be more thorough and only those candidates of the highest moral character will be among the police force.” * WGN | Sonya Massey Act targets police misconduct with stricter hiring standards: * ABC Chicago | Gov. Pritzker signs police reform bill named for Sonya Massey, woman killed by deputy: The measure passed out of the Senate unanimously and out of the House with a vote of 101-to-12. […] For the family and the bill’s sponsors, the hope is this law will bring more accountability to police agencies across the state by making them liable for who they hire. “He should have been fired from the very first one. It was one of those days where I believe would be they were just trying to get rid of him and move him along to the next place, so he’ll be someone else’s problem,” state Sen. Doris Turner said.
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SB 328: Protects Working People & Helps Fight Trump’s Predatory MAGA Agenda
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The same front groups, associations and companies that are backing Trump’s predatory MAGA agenda of raising prices, slashing Medicaid, and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, Food & Drug Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also against SB 328. They wrongly believe our state can’t be pro-worker and pro-business, and want Illinois to turn its back on people who have shared their stories about big corporations that have poisoned them or their loved ones: “Because of my career, I was exposed to a tremendous amount of asbestos coming from various automotive companies. These companies came into our state, sold their products, and now are trying to skirt having to pay for what they did [by] trying to make me file a lawsuit in the state where they are headquartered, or ever worse, in Germany or some other country when all of the asbestos was in Illinois? That doesn’t seem fair.” — Retired union mechanic from Chicago suburbs suffering from asbestos-caused cancer SB 328 is good legislation and another way to show that Illinois will always stand up for working families and the most vulnerable. For more information about SB 328, click here.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois proposes lowering scores students need to be deemed proficient on state tests. Chalkbeat Chicago…
- On the ACT, a college entrance exam all Illinois high schoolers must take, juniors would need to score an 18 in English language arts and a 19 in math and a 19 in science to be labeled as proficient. In the past, students needed to score a 540 on the SAT in both math and English languages arts. - Illinois is not the only state to change the cut scores of its standardized tests. States such as Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Alaska, and New York have made similar adjustments to their assessment systems, according to a report by The 74. * Related stories…
∙ Sun-Times: Illinois wants to lower the bar for passing state tests, saying the standard is unfair to students ∙ Tribune: Illinois students could see new testing standards with proposed state board revisions * Governor Pritzker will be at the Orr Building at 11 am for a naturalization oath ceremony, at the Director’s Lawn at 12:30 pm for Governor’s Day, and will wrap up the day at the Coliseum at 4:30 pm for the Governor’s Sale of Champions. Click here to watch. * WGLT | First major public defense reform in decades awaits governor’s pen: The Funded Advocacy and Independent Representation [FAIR] Act establishes a statewide public defender’s office aimed at providing relief, oversight and independence for public defenders. “The right to an attorney is not just the right to a warm body in court, but the right to a meaningful defense,” said Stephanie Kollmann, policy director of the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. * Tribune | Anjanette Young ordinance slated for vote — without no-knock warrant ban: Instead the Anjanette Young ordinance, named after the Black social worker who police handcuffed and left naked in her home while serving a warrant at the wrong address, will require cops to wait 30 seconds before entry. It’s a compromise accepted by both Young and her main council ally, Ald. Maria Hadden, one that reflects the shift in the political climate since demand for police accountability reached a fever pitch during the Black Lives Matter movement that exploded in 2020. * Press Release | State Senator Mary Edly-Allen Announces Candidacy for 10th District State Central Committeewoman: State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (Grayslake), proudly announces her candidacy for the open seat for State Central Committeewoman for Illinois’ 10th Congressional District. A lifelong advocate for Democratic values, Senator Edly-Allen brings over 25 years of experience living, working, and organizing in the district she calls home. For nearly two years, Edly-Allen has served as the President of Lake County Democratic Women (LCDW) and has led with energy, vision, and purpose. She has worked hard mentoring, supporting, and helping elect a new generation of strong Democratic candidates to local offices across the 10th Congressional District and throughout Lake County. Her leadership has revitalized local engagement and strengthened the Democratic bench. * Journal-Topics | State Rep. Moylan Gearing Up For 7th And Final Term: One of the primary reasons he wants to serve for another two years is to work on completion of the Chicago area’s mass transit funding bill. Moylan explained that he has been working on that legislation for the last year. While a proposed bill could be approved in the November General Assembly Veto Session, it’s unlikely because it would require a larger than usual number of votes in favor. After January, the number of votes required for passage is 60, said Moylan. * Evanston Now | Hanley officially kicks off bid for state senate: Hanley, an environmental activist, business owner and political organizer who co-founded Operation Swing State last year, announced Tuesday night his name will officially be on next March’s ballot after receiving enough signatures exactly one week after petitioning kicked off. The biggest name backing Hanely is U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who is retiring from Congress at the end of her term. Over a dozen Democrats, including Fine, are vying to replace her in Washington. * Tribune | In Illinois, Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries says affordability could be key message for the midterms: “Housing costs are too high. Grocery costs are too high. Utility costs are too high. Insurance costs are too high. Child care costs are too high,” Jeffries said, flanked by U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, both of Springfield. “America is too expensive. We need to drive down the high cost of living. Donald Trump has failed to do it.” * Sun-Times | Trump kills union contracts for Chicago EPA workers: A local union official said she believes Trump’s motive is to actually remove workers’ rights as his administration begins to dismantle the government agency charged with keeping air, water and land protected from polluters. Businesses have long complained about their costs to comply with environmental regulations. “No one with half a brain thinks that we are a national security organization. This is an attempt to just silence federal workers,” said Nicole Cantello, an EPA lawyer and the president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 704 for the last six years. * Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson resolves contract with firefighters union, without major concessions: Pay raises included in the six-year agreement — up to 20% depending on the rate of inflation — are identical to those awarded to Chicago police officers in the contract that Johnson extended and sweetened. Local 2 was demanding 20 more ambulances, along with paramedics to staff them. Johnson wanted to reshape the Chicago Fire Department to handle emergency medical assistance demands that make up two-thirds of all calls for service. But there will be no increase in the 80 ambulances on the streets of Chicago, and no change to the minimum staffing requirement that mandates five employees on every piece of fire apparatus. * ABC Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joins Mauser packaging picket line in Little Village: Teamsters Local 705 made the announcement that the mayor will speak at the picket line. More than 100 employees walked off the job on June 9. Teamsters said the company “broke the law and refused to bargain in good faith.” * Sun-Times | Illinois’ regressive tax structure is ‘crime of the century’ that needs to be solved, Chicago’s CFO says: Jill Jaworski, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief financial officer, said the state’s tax inequities can only be solved by switching from a flat state income tax to a graduated tax, and by extending the state sales tax to professional services. * Tribune | Student sues, alleging CPS failed to do a ‘thorough’ background check on guard charged with assaulting her: Before the alleged assault and prior to being hired at Farragut in 2021, Campoverde was arrested more than 15 times and was found guilty of disorderly conduct, one cannabis possession case in Lake County and trespassing in Will County, the lawsuit and court records state. He’s never been convicted of a violent crime, however, and most of the charges against him were dismissed. * Block Club | The Chicago Air And Water Show Returns This Weekend. Here’s Everything You Need To Know: This year’s show recognizes the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Headliners include returning acts from the U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. * Daily Southtown | Orland Park District 135 Board seeks more involvement in hiring decisions amid community frustration: Other board members also expressed empathy for community members who spoke during recent public comment periods, many expressing concerns about district administrators creating a toxic workplace and criticizing the recent hiring of Tremaine Harris as assistant principal of the Century Junior High. In response, the seven-person board that includes three members voted in this year discussed ways to better scrutinize the district’s hiring picks before approving them and to vet the social media accounts of candidates. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights hits the brakes on full-scale ban for youth on e-bikes, e-scooters: Police Chief Nick Pecora’s initial draft ordinance called for an all-encompassing ban on minors under 16 operating so-called “motorized mobility vehicles or devices” on sidewalks and streets. But following comments from adult advocates and even some youth riders, village board members late Monday agreed to claw back the proposed regulations. The rules — pending a final vote Sept. 2 — would bar youth from operating Class 3 e-bikes, which can go 28 mph, but permit anyone of any age to ride Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, e-scooters and other devices. * Daily Herald | Kane County Board rejects solar electricity site near Elgin: Currently, soybeans are being grown in the northern area. The southern part of the site is a flood plain. Forty-four people signed a petition against the proposal. Neighbors were concerned about the loss of the pastoral view from their homes. They also raised concerns about traffic to the site, the fencing, and the types of trees and plants that would have been used to screen the view of the panels from their properties. * Daily Herald | ‘Tremendous potential’: ULI Chicago to present ideas for Naperville’s 5th Avenue area: “It’s really an important node for the city,” says Jon Talty, CEO of Chicago-based OKW Architects. “The idea of that train station deserves kind of some gravitas in terms of one getting off the train and feeling like they’ve arrived somewhere.” Talty chairs an Urban Land Institute panel bringing fresh eyes to an underdeveloped area that has “tremendous potential.” * Daily Herald | Northwest Cook drivers among Illinois’ best, Naperville drivers some of the worst, study says: That’s according to an analysis of self-reported data collected by insurance marketplace platform LendingTree. “The state has pretty good drivers in general, but there are places people can do better,” said Rob Bhatt, an insurance analyst with North Carolina-based LendingTree. Naperville was the only suburb in the bottom five of the analysis, reporting 16 driving-related incidents per 1,000 drivers, placing its drivers fourth worst in the state. * BND | Opponents, supporters of solar farm at Belleville cemetery face off at meeting: “It looks like it’s going to court,” said opponent Jesse Berger, who had warned earlier that the city was opening itself up to legal challenges if it proceeded with the controversial project. “It may be the only way to get it stopped. (Officials) aren’t backing down,” he said. About 60 people gathered on Thursday evening at the Southwestern Illinois Justice and Workplace Development Campus. The city had been required to hold the meeting under guidelines of a state program that’s providing financial incentives for the project. * WGLT | City of Bloomington to host free symposium to discuss future of inclusion and access: The City of Bloomington will host an Inclusion & Access Compliance symposium from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 26 at Heartland Community College’s Astroth Building, 1500 W. Raab Road in Normal. The theme of the free symposium, “Navigating Inclusion: Bringing Divides in a Shifting Landscape,” will bring experts, leaders and community members to dive into strategies for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] in a changing professional and political landscape. * WCIA | Urbana City Council approves new Deputy Police Chief: The council unanimously approved the appointment of Zachery Mikalik to Deputy Chief during its meeting on Monday. Mikalik, an 18-year veteran of the department, formerly served as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Sergeant and as a Lieutenant with the Illinois National Guard. He currently serves as Services Division Commander, leading initiatives in officer training, wellness, community engagement, and system modernization. * WCIA | Marching for a contract: PBL teachers starting school year with expired contracts: A group of teachers in Ford County flooded a highway with a message, while also trying to get the attention of their administrators. Dozens of teachers from the Paxton-Buckley-Loda School District marched to show their unity in a trying time. School starts on Thursday, and they will begin without a new contract. “We wanted to walk in to the meeting together to show that we are all in this together,” President of the Paxton-Buckley-Loda Education Association (PBLEA) Union, Amy Johnson, said. * 404 Media | UK Asks People to Delete Emails In Order to Save Water During Drought: It’s a brutally hot August across the world, but especially in Europe where high temperatures have caused wildfires and droughts. In the UK, the water shortage is so bad that the government is urging citizens to help save water by deleting old emails. It really helps lighten the load on water hungry datacenters, you see. * AP | What to know about Trump’s potential change in federal marijuana policy: Trump said Monday that he hopes to decide in the coming weeks about whether to support changes to the way marijuana is regulated. The renewed focus on marijuana comes more than a year after former President Joe Biden’s administration formally proposed reclassifying marijuana. No decision was made before Biden left office. Meanwhile, many states have already gone further than the federal government by legalizing the recreational use of marijuana for adults or allowing it for medical purposes.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Whatever anyone else has told you, this is not primitive music. Drummer Paul Cook amplifies the anarchic chaos but somehow holds it all together with his loud and swingy syncopation using every surface within his reach. Cookie’s masterful, pounding, crashing triplets as the song builds to its ultimate crescendo always blow. my. mind… No future How’s life by you?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 13, 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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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Illinois State Fair Event List
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Illinois GOP…
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries will headline the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association’s annual brunch on Wednesday. * The pro-Raja Krishnamoorthi Impact Fund is out with a new poll…
* Daily Herald…
* Muddy River News | Tracy talks about being deputized for Texas lawmaker case: Her Friday court filing in Adams County Court was not as an elected official. The petition seeks to compel the Texas Democrats to return to their native state after they fled to Illinois last Sunday to avoid a vote on a redistricting map. “Many people think I’m doing it as a state senator. No,” Tracy told Muddy River News at Saturday’s fundraiser dinner for the Adams County Republican Party. “It was a very fast-paced thing,” Senator Tracy divulged. “I was contacted at 11 am, and by 4 o’clock it was filed. But I am not receiving compensation.” * Fox Chicago | Illinois lawmaker, DCFS dispute legality of intern investigators in child abuse cases: State Rep. Jed Davis, R-75th, alleged that DCFS has permitted interns without proper credentials to investigate families, in some cases leading to the removal of children from their homes. He argued the practice violates the Child Protective Investigator and Child Welfare Specialist Certification Act of 1987, which requires certification before any official investigative work, and says it undermines public trust and harms families. … In a statement, the department said every employee conducting an investigation — regardless of their job title — is certified under the law after meeting education, training, and examination requirements. The agency said its Child and Family Services Intern positions are part of a longstanding pipeline program to recruit qualified investigators and keep caseloads manageable. “To be clear, DCFS complies fully with the Certification Act,” the agency said. “DCFS has developed guidelines for education and profession requirements and a curriculum in child protection investigations.” The department also said it attempted to clarify the issue with Davis, including arranging a face-to-face meeting before his press release, which it says he canceled. * Tribune | Top candidates for the US House in Illinois’ 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th districts for the 2026 election: A South Side native and community organizer, state Sen. Robert Peters of Chicago received an early endorsement from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont after Peters announced his intent to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat. That gave him an early leg up with progressives in the district. “I have a record and I have a personal narrative that I think really touches on where we’re at right now,” Peters recently told the Tribune. The 40-year-old was born deaf and with a speech impediment, and he was influenced by his adoptive father’s work as a civil rights lawyer. * Pantagraph | Rep. Mary Miller gets a primary challenger: Ryan Tebrugge, a state employee and small business owner from Springfield, is circulating petitions to take on the three-term incumbent, who is one of President Donald Trump’s most ardent and, at times, controversial backers. Much like the three Democrats seeking their party’s nomination in the 15th, Tebrugge did not cast the challenge in a partisan lens. He instead criticized Miller’s constituent services as poor and said that she was neglecting the needs of the district by not taking advantage of opportunities to bring money back for infrastructure projects and programs. * Muddy River News | Supporters and protestors greet Congresswoman Miller in Quincy: Inside, well-wishers far outnumbered the outside detractors and applause awaited the congresswoman. […] Adams County Democratic Party Chair Katherine Daniels says they are especially galled that Miller has never met with them. “We have tried to contact her. We have tried to meet with her. We’ve asked her to have town halls, and she completely fails to respond or have a town hall. And she will only speak to Republicans. She won’t speak to her other constituents.” * The 9th Congressional District, already packed to the gills, now has a mystery candidate squeezing in…
* 25News Now | Rivian autoworker is 3rd Democrat wanting to unseat LaHood: Scott A. Best, 24, is seeking the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 16th District, which covers portions of several Central Illinois counties including Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, McLean, Bureau, Stark and Marshall. Best is running as a pro-union, anti-establishment candidate who supports universal healthcare and a federal $25 per hour minimum wage. He’s also for guaranteed paid sick leave and stronger union protections to “ensure companies like Rivian can’t take public money while exploiting their workforce,” his release said. * WTTW | Federal Judge Allows Chicago to Join Lawsuit to Stop Trump from Yanking Funding Sanctuary Cities: A federal judge allowed Chicago to join a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from yanking funding from cities and counties across the country because they have laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants by prohibiting state local law enforcement officials from helping federal agents. U.S. District Judge William Orrick agreed Aug. 5 to allow Chicago and 33 other cities and counties, including Los Angeles, Denver, Boston and Baltimore, to join the lawsuit that claimed the Trump administration was unlawfully trying to force local officials to help federal immigration agents conduct deportation efforts. * Crain’s | Johnson, firefighters reach tentative deal after 4-year standoff: Without detailing specifics, Johnson confirmed the annual raises in the proposed contract are similar to those agreed to for the city’s largest police union, which began at 5% the first two years and are tied to inflation in the final two years. “I’ve said from the very beginning that part of the agreement would include, and we budgeted for, back pay, and there are some other elements within the tentative agreement that I believe place us in a stronger position to build a safe and affordable big city,” Johnson said. * WTTW | Lawyers Ask Judge to Expand Lawsuit Accusing CPD of Targeting Black, Latino Chicagoans With Traffic Stops to Include All Black, Latino Drivers: If U.S. District Court Judge Mary Rowland agrees to certify the lawsuit as a class action, it will sharply raise the stakes in the case and increase the pressure on city officials to reach a settlement to reduce the costs to taxpayers. Rowland has already ruled there is enough evidence that the city intentionally discriminated against Black and Latino drivers because of their race, and that the mass traffic stop program unlawfully burdens Black and Latino drivers disproportionately, for the lawsuit to proceed, court records show. * Chalkbeat Chicago | CPS budget won’t include contested city pension payment: Interim Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King is planning to propose a $10.2 billion budget to the school board Wednesday that doesn’t include midyear cuts to schools or a reimbursement to the city of Chicago for a highly-debated pension payment covering the retirements of city workers and CPS staff, multiple sources told Chalkbeat.Not including the pension reimbursement — a move that most elected school board members have said they support — would help close the district’s budget deficit, which was estimated at $734 million in June. According to a source with direct knowledge of the budget plan, King’s budget proposal also does not include a plan to take out a short-term, high-interest loan — a strategy to address the budget deficit previously pitched by the mayor’s office, where she worked before she became CEO. * Tribune | Mayor Johnson’s CPS chief resists City Hall borrowing plan, pension payment as budget deadline looms: King is scheduled to have meetings with aldermen and state representatives on Tuesday, discussing her budget plans. Sources told the Tribune she intends to tell them that they won’t make the $175 million pension payment and will avoid borrowing measures. It’s not clear whether the district plans to avoid borrowing altogether or do a smaller amount than previously proposed. * WBEZ | CPS leader, unions brief City Council members on budget plan in rare sign of unity: “Every option that’s available to us we have to actually lean into and have a robust discussion around it, and we’re doing just that,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at a City Hall news briefing Tuesday morning. Later, when asked what would happen if CPS doesn’t take out a loan to cover part of the deficit, Johnson said: “We’re either gonna cut or invest. Those are our options right now.” * Block Club | The Never-Ending Line For Benefits Is Back, With Some Immigrants Sleeping Outside To Get A Spot: Leda, who is from Afghanistan and has lived in suburban Skokie for more than a year, said she hoped to renew food stamps and medicaid benefits for her, her four children and her husband. After two failed attempts to get benefits at the facility, she went back for a third time at 2 a.m. with a small camping chair and a blanket. * Windy City Times | Chicago protest targets hospital cuts to gender-affirming care for youth: The rally was organized in response to recent rollbacks in health care access for transgender youth, including four major hospitals in Chicago—UI Health, Rush University Medical Center, University of Chicago Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital—that have suspended gender-affirming surgeries or other care for people under 19. These decisions are part of a national trend in which health care systems are abandoning transgender youth care in the face of political pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has threatened to revoke funding for institutions offering gender-affirming care to minors. * Sun-Times | From Slurpees to Shostakovich, an abandoned 7-Eleven becomes a home for classical music: “It’s pretty unrecognizable,” Boustead said. “The door dings when you walk in, like a 7-Eleven — we left that. Behind the bar, there’s still, where the grease trap used to be, a door that goes down into the floor where they used to dump grease. I found a training poster for their employees, and we’re planning to frame it and put it in the bathroom.” * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County district embraces AI technology in the classroom; ‘We really are on the forefront of … recognizing the importance of this’: D112 launched its pilot partnerships last school year with services Magic School AI and School AI. Magic School offers a variety of tools in its suite, including chatbots that imitate historic figures, authors or characters, image generators, coding assistance, college counseling and even a “joke creator.” The district provided teachers with the pilot’s key objectives, implementation strategies and expected outcomes, all aimed at launching the district into the world of the new technology. * Daily Herald | ‘It’s going to be a game changer’: DuPage’s Crisis Recovery Center opening soon in Wheaton: Expected to open the first week of September, the center will be available around the clock on the county health department campus and serve as an alternative to hospital emergency departments or law enforcement intervention. The goal is to stabilize those in crisis and provide an ongoing care plan — all within less than 24 hours in most cases, particularly in the adult and youth mental health pods. There’s also a separate unit that will provide a range of services for people with substance use issues. * Shaw Local | Appellate court affirms former Joliet inspector general had no power to sue Illinois State Police: Not even the city’s attorneys could have authorized Connolly to file a lawsuit because his office is not a separate unit of government, according to the appellate court. […] Connolly filed his lawsuit in 2023 after Illinois State Police challenged his authority to issue them a subpoena. Connolly’s subpoena requested numerous records of their investigation of involving former Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk and former Joliet City Council member Donald Dickinson. * NBC Chicago | Suburban boil order continues; Medieval Times cancels show after ‘careful consideration’: Schaumburg officials said the boil order, which began Monday morning, would continue for 24 to 36 hours following an emergency water main break in the area. The village confirmed to NBC Chicago the order remained in effect as of 6 a.m. Tuesday. The order led Medieval Times in Schaumburg to cancel its scheduled show Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution.” * Dispatch Argus | Scott County pays $1.3 million to house inmates elsewhere; Rock Island gets $508K for housing 121 from Scott County during fiscal year: Overcrowding, housing logistics and the need to keep some inmates separated caused the Scott County Sheriff to spend more than $1.3 million to house inmates in other county jails in fiscal year 2025, a jump of 91.7% over the previous year. Sheriff Tim Lane reported that in fiscal year 2024, his department spent $681,012 to house Scott County inmates out of county. However, in fiscal year 2025, that jumped to $1,305,419. * WGEM | Quincy Public School officials detail start of school year with superintendent suspended: Quincy Public School officials on Monday released a letter to the community outlining how the new school year will begin in the absence of Superintendent Todd Pettit and two Denman Elementary School teachers. The letter states that the Board of Education has asked the Chief of Business Operations, Ryan Whicker, and Director of Teaching and Learning Kim Dinkheller to provide interim leadership in Pettit’s absence. […] This comes after Pettit reported in early November that QPS received reports from parents reporting concerns over birthday spankings and the use of tape on students. * WGEM | Start of Quincy High School delayed as mold is found in theater: Officials stated they found surface mold in the theatre over the weekend. They also found that three of six air conditioners were not working, increasing the humidity in the theatre. Officials said the theatre has a separate air conditioning system, so the rest of the building has not been impacted. * Muddy River News | Mayor settles dust up about Pride in the Park: Mayor Linda Moore set out to set the record straight about the city council’s recent approval of Pride in the Park, September 21 in Clat Adams Park. “The city council does not have the right to screen content,” the Mayor explained after receiving several calls and various chatter after the vote. “The organizers of Pride in the Park met all the city requirements. The ability to make our own choices is the core of our democracy.” * Muddy River News | Eighth Judicial Circuit Court candidates flex their resumé muscles: Judge Chris Pratt touts his unanimous recommendation from a local selection committee before being appointed to the position by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2024. […] His opponent is longtime prosecutor Tim Bass, whose official announcement was covered by Muddy River News. Bass told his supporters then that his 30 years as a prosecutor make him the most qualified. * WCIA | Central Illinois schools introducing ‘phone-free’ environment: New this year, the Champaign School District said cell phones are not to be used during instructional time. In an email sent to district families, the district said students will need to put phones/electronic devices in pockets or backpacks and phones must be powered off or silenced during instructional time. In both the middle and high schools, electronic devices will be allowed in the cafeteria during lunch. High school students will also be allowed to use their phones during passing period. * WaPo | Pentagon plan would create military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest: The plan calls for 600 troops to be on standby at all times so they can deploy in as little as one hour, the documents say. They would be split into two groups of 300 and stationed at military bases in Alabama and Arizona, with purview of regions east and west of the Mississippi River, respectively. Cost projections outlined in the documents indicate that such a mission, if the proposal is adopted, could stretch into the hundreds of millions of dollars should military aircraft and aircrews also be required to be ready around-the-clock. Troop transport via commercial airlines would be less expensive, the documents say. * Popular Info | Why you might not know that 2024 was America’s safest year since the 1960s: In the early 1990s, there were over 750 reported violent crimes for every 100,000 Americans. As the population has increased in the last 30 years, the raw number of violent crimes has decreased. In 1992, for example, there were 747,000 more reported violent crimes in America than there were in 2024 — even though America had 84 million fewer people in 1992. Similarly, in 2024, there were 1,760 reported property crimes for every 100,000 Americans. That is the lowest rate of property crimes since 1961. The murder rate also plummeted 14.9 percent in 2024, which is “the fastest drop in murder ever recorded.” * Nieman Lab | Politico’s recent AI experiments shouldn’t be subject to newsroom editorial standards, its editors testify: The allegations revolve around two generative AI-powered tools. One tool, called LETO, generates live summaries of speeches and was used on Politico.com’s homepage during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and the vice presidential debate last fall. The other tool, Report Builder, lets Politico Pro subscribers create AI-generated write-ups of niche policy subjects using Politico’s archive. The Guild found that both tools generated statements that were false, violated Politico’s style guide, or were taken down without formal corrections or retractions. * ProPublica | The FDA Let Substandard Factories Ship These Medications to the U.S.: All told, ProPublica identified more than 150 exempted products, mostly from factories in India. One factory in China and one factory in Hungary also received exemptions. Several of the factories make ingredients for drugs, which are then sent to the manufacturers that produce pills, capsules, tablets or injectables. * WaPo | Every VA medical center has severe staffing shortages, audit finds: The inspector general’s office released its annual report Tuesday, revealing the extent of staffing shortages that have plagued the department for years and have worsened this year. All of the Veterans Health Administration’s 139 medical center campuses reported lacking workers, and reports of severe shortages increased 50 percent from the previous fiscal year. * AP | New special session could begin Friday if quorum break continues in Texas: Burrows told members the House would attempt to gavel in with a quorum one last time on Friday morning. If it fails to reach a quorum, he said Gov. Greg Abbott will call a second special session, set to begin immediately on Friday.
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IPA: SB40 With Energy Storage Will Slash Sky-High Electric Bills
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Consumers across Illinois are seeing massive increases in their bills because of inadequate energy supplies and rising demand. And yet a tool that numerous studies have shown could have averted some of these increases now and in the future, battery energy storage, waits for legislative action. Last session, without evidence, opponents claimed adding energy storage in Illinois would spike ratepayer bills. But no fewer than a half dozen studies in Illinois and across the country from groups like the Illinois Power Agency, Clean Grid Alliance and NRDC have shown that storage saves billions for ratepayers. The Facts:
- ComEd customers would save “from $1.52/month to $2.32/month by 2030 and $7.89/month to $8.52/month by 2035.” The facts don’t lie – consumers are seeing the cost of doing nothing in their spiking electric bills NOW. Adding energy storage to Illinois’s electric grid will save consumers billions. That’s why CUB is asking lawmakers to pass SB40 as the best way “to contain costs for electric customers while managing unprecedented energy demand.” Illinois must follow the facts and enact SB40 this fall to deploy 6 gigawatts of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.
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Citing applicable laws, the State Board of Elections refuses to fully comply with federal demand for sensitive voter information
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * First some background from a late July article by Capitol News Illinois…
Click here for the DOJ’s letter. * I’ve been regularly asking the board for updates since then. From the Illinois State Board of Elections today…
* The board explained in its letter why it wasn’t including Social Security numbers, Driver’s License or State ID numbers and dates of birth…
* Back to the DOJ letter…
The board’s response…
* From the above Capitol News Illinois story…
Also, Illinois, like many other states, has no disqualification statute for people “adjudicated incompetent.” And convicted felons who have done their time are eligible to vote here.
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Caption contest!
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * The State of New Illinoisi? By the peole? Hilarious…  * As the Kinks told us…
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SB 328: Protects Working People & Helps Fight Trump’s Predatory MAGA Agenda
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The same front groups, associations and companies that are backing Trump’s predatory MAGA agenda of raising prices, slashing Medicaid, and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, Food & Drug Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also against SB 328. They wrongly believe our state can’t be pro-worker and pro-business, and want Illinois to turn its back on people who have shared their stories about big corporations that have poisoned them or their loved ones: “Because of my career, I was exposed to a tremendous amount of asbestos coming from various automotive companies. These companies came into our state, sold their products, and now are trying to skirt having to pay for what they did [by] trying to make me file a lawsuit in the state where they are headquartered, or ever worse, in Germany or some other country when all of the asbestos was in Illinois? That doesn’t seem fair.” — Retired union mechanic from Chicago suburbs suffering from asbestos-caused cancer SB 328 is good legislation and another way to show that Illinois will always stand up for working families and the most vulnerable.
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Trump, Sims and Peters on the end of cash bail
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * President Donald Trump yesterday…
* React from two strong supporters of ending cash bail. First up, Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago)…
* Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago)…
Discuss.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker: Taxpayers shouldn’t be ‘propping up’ Bears stadium plan. Daily Herald…
- The Bears are a privately owned business, Gov. Pritzker said, and if its owners want to move the team to its 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, he’ll support it. - Regardless of where the team winds up, Pritzker said Illinois taxpayers shouldn’t be “propping up” a business worth more than $8 billion with public funding for a new stadium, a stance he’s long held. * Related stories…
∙ Rep. Kam Buckner: Springfield should think twice before giving the Bears a property tax break ∙ CBS Chicago: Pritzker unenthused about tax relief bill for Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, Illinois * At 3 pm, Governor Pritzker will sign Sonya Massey’s bill, which requires more thorough background checks in police hiring. Click here to watch. * The Southern | Joe Cervantez launches bid for Illinois Attorney General: In an exclusive interview with The Southern Illinoisan, former Jackson County State’s Attorney Joe Cervantez is making his first statewide run, announcing his candidacy for Illinois Attorney General as a Republican. […] So far, incumbent Democrat Kwame Raoul has filed for reelection, and former Chicago Alderman Bob Fioretti is circulating petitions to appear on the March primary ballot, according to a report in Capitol News Illinois. * Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker again makes Nazi comparisons after President Trump threatens DC-like takeover in Chicago: “You’ve seen that he doesn’t follow the law,” Pritzker said. “I have talked about the fact that the Nazis in Germany in the ’30s tore down a constitutional republic in just 53 days. It does not take much, frankly, and we have a president who seems hell-bent on doing just that.” Pritzker previously made a comparison between Trump’s second term and the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. During his State of the State speech earlier this year, the governor, who is Jewish, likened the actions of Trump and his administration to the quick rise of Nazism in Germany, adding that he was “watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now. … The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here.” * WTVO | Illinois plans to swap federal healthcare marketplace for state-funded option: Starting November 1st, all Illinois resident who were enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid through Healthcare.gov will be transitioned to Get Covered Illinois for their 2026 coverage. Last year, Get Covered Illinois launched a $6.5 million grant to create a statewide navigator program to assist residents in enrolling in healthcare coverage. * Inside Climate News | As Climate Change Makes Hail More Destructive, Illinois Residents Pay the Price: The big rate increase continues a statewide trend. Illinois homeowners’ rates have gone up 50 percent over the last three years, more on average than in any other state but Utah, from roughly $2,000 to roughly $3,000, said Abe Scarr, state director for Illinois PIRG, a public-interest advocacy group. * WTTW | Illinois Lawmakers on How to Fix Chicago Public Schools’ Budget Challenges:“Of course the state will have a very critical role in providing funding not just for Chicago Public Schools but for districts throughout the state,” said state Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago). “Exactly how that happens really depends on what we see on Wednesday when CPS does release its budget.” * After nearly 20 years with the company, Donovan Pepper is leaving his role as the Senior Director of Government Relations and Civic Engagement for Walgreens…
* Daily Herald | Wheaton city councilwoman running for state House seat: Current Wheaton City Council member Erica Bray-Parker, a Democrat, has launched a campaign to succeed retiring Republican Amy Grant in an Illinois House seat. Bray-Parker, a teacher at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, has been on the Wheaton council since 2019. She holds one of the two council at-large positions, which represent all of Wheaton. Bray-Parker has now emerged as a candidate for the 47th state House district seat. * Tribune | State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit joins growing Democratic field running for Illinois comptroller: Kifowit joins a field that includes House colleague, state Rep. Margaret Croke of Chicago, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim and Champaign County Auditor George Danos. State Sen. Karina Villa of West Chicago is also expected to enter the contest. Croke narrowly won the endorsement of Cook County Democratic slatemakers last month. Kifowit called herself “one of the few fiscal experts in the General Assembly” and said she has been “the voice of fiscal responsibility since that day I got there.” * TSPR | New Illinois law to protect rural auctioneers: State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, introduced Senate Bill 2351. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and will require a licensed auctioneer to be involved in any online auctions, estate sales, and estate services in Illinois. “Illinois must guarantee that all auction services are carried out by credible, licensed auction professionals. This law will protect our local auctioneers and give bidders peace of mind when they make their transactions,” Halpin said in a release. * Block Club | City Gives 27th Ward Aldermanic Hopefuls Just A Week To Apply For Ald. Walter Burnett’s Job: The requirements are starkly different than the ones the city listed when former Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa’s 35th Ward seat vacated earlier this year, when candidates were required to have “at least five years of experience working in government or public service.” Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said the requirements are different because each selection committee creates their own requirements for applicants. Mayors have historically had wide discretion in appointing replacements to vacant City Council seats, often selecting candidates recommended by the departing alderperson — frequently a close aide or political ally, Simpson said. * Sun-Times | Trump’s warning on replicating a DC police takeover in Chicago an empty and illegal threat: local officials: Johnson said Trump’s repeated attempts to portray Chicago as a cesspool of violent crime run contrary to the 30% drop in homicides and nearly 40% reduction in shootings over the last year. In an interview with ABC-7, Johnson said a federal takeover of law enforcement in Chicago would “destabilize our city” and be unpopular to boot. “No one in the city of Chicago — residents that I’ve spoken to, the people of this city — no one has ever asked for the National Guard to come to Chicago,” the mayor said. * WTTW | At Least 47% of Jobs Charged With Implementing Court-Ordered Police Reforms Are Empty, Another 226 Are Unaccounted For: Records: Of 439 positions in the Chicago Police Department charged with implementing the court order known as the consent decree, 207 positions, or 47%, were empty seven months into 2025, according to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by WTTW News. CPD officials and representatives of Mayor Brandon Johnson failed to account for another 226 positions that city officials told the federal judge responsible for overseeing the reform effort would be charged with implementing the consent decree designed to reform CPD, which has faced decades of scandals, misconduct and brutality. * Crain’s | Northwestern, UChicago named in price inflation conspiracy lawsuit: A lawsuit seeking class-action certification, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, takes aim at the early decision practice — where students apply early to a college and commit to attending in order to increase their admissions chances — which plaintiffs allege is a violation of antitrust law. […] The complaint argues that students, once selected in the early decision process, are prevented from receiving competitive offers from peer institutions and are subject to changes in tuition prices and financial aid package changes without recourse. * CBS Chicago | Chicago to install 50 flood sensors providing real-time alerts of flash flooding: Many of the flood sensors will be in the Chatham neighborhood, where CBS News Chicago has covered flooding issues for years. “This sonar sensor here? That’s how we track how far away the water is,” Hyfi chief executive officer Brandon Wong said. […] “This device measures the flooding on the ground and then through Verizon’s connectivity, it links up with all the other 50 sensors to help inform where to send of an alert in a given part of a neighborhood,” Wong said. * Sun-Times | Canal that famously reversed the Chicago River deserves a better name, group says: The canal that made it all happen has since been known as the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal. It’s an unglamorous name. But maybe not for long. Organizations, including Friends of the Chicago River and Friends of the Forest Preserves, are pushing to change the name of the canal to something more inspired. The current name, supporters of the change say, is too focused on the canal’s past. * Sun-Times | Right-hander Drew Thorpe joins White Sox as he continues recovery from Tommy John surgery: “A lot better than last year, just vibe-wise,” Thorpe said of being around the 2025 Sox. “Everything seems like it’s meshing well. We’re playing a lot better than last year, and I think we’re still very young, so a lot of progress to be made, but I think we’re headed in the right direction.” * Tribune | Oak Park ends contract with license plate reader camera company: “At a time when the federal government is making overreaching attacks on norms, institutions, civil rights and due process and the rule of law, Oak Park should not be spending taxpayer funds on a technology that can easily be abused to advance a universal system of authoritarian style surveillance and control,” said John Slocum, the executive director of Refugee Council USA, in a public comment before the vote. Voting to terminate the Flock contract were village Trustees Jenna Leving Jacobson, Chibuike Enyia, Brian Straw, Derek Eder and a reluctant Village President Vicki Scaman. Village Board members Jim Taglia and Corey Wesley voted against terminating the contract with Flock. Instead Taglia and Wesley supported a motion to turn off the cameras for 90 days to give the village more time to study the issue. That motion was defeated by a vote of 4 to 3 as Scaman joined Taglia and Wesley in supporting the motion. * Daily Herald | Pace paratransit rideshare program is victim of its own success: As regards paratransit funding, the Chicago-based Taxi Access Program (TAP) was created over 20 years ago. It lets certified ADA/paratransit passengers pay the first $2 of any trip. Pace covers the remainder up to $30, with riders paying costs exceeding $30, plus tips and surcharges. In 2024, Pace introduced a similar service, the Rideshare Access Program, for city and suburban paratransit riders using Uber and UZURV. Those combined have resulted in a projected 2.2 million more rides and an estimated $53 million shortfall in 2025, planners said. * Daily Herald | One year later, Mount Prospect says new fourth fire station working according to plan: The $1.75 million station at 1415 E. Algonquin Road addressed a long-standing imbalance in coverage. Prior to Station 11’s opening, more than 50% of calls originated south of the tracks, forcing the engine at Station 13 to cross from the north side more than 1,300 times annually. “We now have two fire suppression vehicles south of the tracks, where well over 50% of our calls had always originated,” Dolan said. * Daily Southtown | Blackface performers at Oak Forest charity picnic draw backlash, distancing efforts: Video posted on social media show at least two performers wearing what appears to be black or very dark-colored makeup or stage paint, one of them dressed as a nun. […] The Archdiocese of Chicago also, after the event, issued a statement saying the picnic was “not sponsored, co-hosted, or affiliated with any parish of the Archdiocese of Chicago.” * Daily Southtown | Orland Square Starbucks workers join union; cite pay and working conditions: Nick Brown, a shift supervisor of five years in Orland Park, agrees and said shifts can be inconsistent. “We deserve consistent schedules, a living wage and a louder voice at work,” said Brown. “I hope that by unionizing we can model for other stores in our community.” Workers at two Chicago Starbucks became the first unionized Starbucks workers in the city in 2022, and similar efforts have increased since. * WAND | Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Illinois scrambling to save after-school programs: * WCIA | Neoga School District provides update on tornado repairs entering 2025-26 school year: The elementary school is ready to welcome students back, as priority repairs have been completed. Remaining repairs such as the exterior walls, roof membrane, metal work and the front entrance will not be complete until the late fall, but officials said they will have minimal impact on the learning environment. […] Junior and senior high school students, however, will continue to see the accommodations that were implemented last year. Renovations continue at their facility and officials said interior demolition and repairs continue and are expected to take 12-24 months. * WCIA | Illinois State Fairgoers jump into action, rescue 3-year-old from Sky Glide: Townsley said she immediately began yelling for the operators to stop the ride. After about a minute, Hailey said the Sky Glide paused, and she held on to her son. A crowd formed, and a group of people eventually lifted a woman in the air, who grabbed onto Townsley’s son and lowered him to the ground. She estimated that she held onto him as he dangled over the edge for about five to six minutes. * WGLT | Ford County Chronicle among 40 newsrooms getting new tax credit to curb Illinois news deserts: With co-publisher Andrew Rosten as the Chronicle’s two reporters, they’ll receive $30,000 in tax credits for the next five years. Brumleve said that’s lot of money for a small operation like the Ford County Chronicle — about 10% of their annual budget. But the overall impact is bigger than that. “If it wasn’t for this tax credit our paper would be closed,” said Brumleve. * WICS | Megan Moroney sets new attendance record at Illinois State Fair: Megan Moroney made history Sunday night at the Illinois State Fair, drawing a record-breaking crowd of 15,532 fans. The audience sang along to her hits, including “Am I Okay?,” “Tennessee Orange,” and her latest single, “6 Months Later.” Moroney’s performance surpassed the previous attendance record of 15,427 set by Lil Wayne last year. Before that, Jason Aldean held the record with 15,329 attendees in 2011, followed by Florida Georgia Line in 2014 with 15,204 tickets sold. Reba McEntire drew 14,823 fans in 2019, and Hootie and the Blowfish rounded out the top five with 13,956 tickets sold in 1995. * WaPo | Trump nominates Bureau of Labor Statistics critic to replace fired agency head: [E.J. Antoni] has a PhD in economics from Northern Illinois University and contributed to Project 2025, a Heritage Foundation policy blueprint that laid out many of the strategies that the Trump administration has followed since taking office. He is a fellow at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, a conservative economic group helmed in part by informal Trump adviser Stephen Moore. * Study Finds | How Profit-Driven AI Jesus Chatbots Prey On Prayer-Driven Christians: A new study by Anné H. Verhoef, a professor of philosophy at North-West University in South Africa, examines this growing trend, warning that these chatbots pose a new kind of challenge: they don’t just imitate humans made “in God’s image” — they claim to be God. Verhoef analyzed five popular “AI Jesus” platforms: AI Jesus, Virtual Jesus, Jesus AI, Text with Jesus, and Ask Jesus. He found none were created or endorsed by any church. Instead, they are run by for-profit companies with names like SupremeChaos, AllStars Productions LLC, and Catloaf Software. * NPR | Lawyers, judges see a chilling effect from immigrants’ arrests at criminal courthouses: As the Trump administration seeks to scale up deportations, ICE agents have been increasingly seen at immigration courts and criminal courthouses. Defense attorneys, prosecutors and judges say they’re seeing a chilling effect on criminal proceedings, not only on the defendants but on witnesses and victims.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Last night on Lake Springfield…  What’s happening by you?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Aug 12, 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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