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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Planed Parenthood Illinois Action…
* Riverbender…
* WSIL…
* The Telegraph | Katie Stuart campaigns for 5th term in Illinois’ 112th House District: Katie Stuart is looking to win her fifth term as a state representative in the 112th District and is keeping busy as election day draws closer. She is facing a challenge from Republican Jay Keeven. “I’m out every day talking to folks, going door-to-door and just listening to concerns and sharing what I’ve been doing for the district,” she said recently. * WTTW | Chicago Spent $129M on Police Overtime in 6 Months, 30% More Than its Annual Overtime Budget: This means the city is on pace to spend at least $258 million on police overtime by the end of the year, even as officials imposed limits on overtime for all city departments, except for police and the Chicago Fire Department, amid a massive budget crunch. CPD exceeded its budget for overtime in 2024 even after Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling stopped assigning police officers to sit in prominent spots downtown with their emergency lights flashing, as part of CPD’s strategic deployment initiative. * Block Club | Fire Union Blasts Removal Of Paramedics From Mental Health Emergency Response Program: Union President Patrick Cleary said CARE’s exclusion of Fire Department personnel violates the union’s contract as non-union members would perform city EMS services. Cleary also said proposed changes to union members’ hours, wages and conditions of employment must be brought to the bargaining table. The Firefighters Union learned about the changes to CARE program through a job posting shared by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The April job posting was for an EMT and was listed under the health department. “We do that. Those are our duties,” Cleary said. “You can’t offer our work to another entity.” * Sun-Times | Someone in Chicago hit me with their car and fled: On my way back, a block away from home, I was crossing the street where I had eight seconds left on the traffic signal. At the same time, a northbound gray car eagerly waited to make a left turn. While attempting to beat the red light, the driver sped up, hit me and left me in the middle of the street — about 10 feet away from the crosswalk. […] And the person responsible? No consequences, just a mini victory by beating the light and getting home a few minutes earlier that day. […] I thought about them when I learned how to stand and use a walker, when I got doctor approval to start walking with a cane, when I took my first steps without assistance and when I ran my first three miles a few weeks ago. * CNN | America’s Greyhound bus stations are disappearing: Greyhound’s lease for its terminal in Chicago expires next month. Not only would that mean Greyhound could leave the city, but FlixBus, Barons, Burlington Trailways and other lines that also operate from the terminal could be forced to leave as well. A representative for Greyhound told CNN that there are no proposals for a lease extension. The city, which regulates curbside pickup and drop-off locations, told CNN that it is looking for alternative options for facilities. Both Greyhound and city leaders say they are committed to finding a solution. * Sun-Times | Metra working to recover after messy morning rush: The Union Pacific Northwest, Milwaukee North, North Central Service and Heritage Corridor lines were all affected, a Metra spokesperson said. The disruption was caused by the Canadian National Railway’s positive train control system. That system is a safety measure used on tracks and at rail crossings to prevent collisions, derailments and work zone mishaps. All railroads are required to have it. * Sun-Times | A weird and warm time surrounds returning salmon around Chicago: Even the idea of salmon in Lake Michigan is weird. In the 1960s, Michigan’s Dr. Howard Tanner concocted the audacious plan to use Pacific salmon to control invasive alewives that were turning Lake Michigan beaches into stinking messes. The plan worked, to the point where now lake managers balance alewives to the amount of salmon in the lake. That would’ve been absurd 57 years ago. * WBEZ | As Jimmy Carter turns 100, listen to this 1988 WBEZ interview when he warned of rising temperatures: Carter came to WBEZ as the country was in the midst of a presidential campaign, with then-Vice President George H.W. Bush and Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis vying to succeed Reagan. […] While he was reserved in his criticism of Reagan, Carter said the country was sliding backward on environmental policies under his successor. In remarks that may sound eerily modern, Carter — who proclaimed himself the first environmental president — said it was time to act to reverse signs of a warming planet. * Tribune | The secret lives of Maurie and Flaurie, the Superdawg rooftop icons in Chicago: The refurbishment includes new LED eyes replacing the incandescent eyes for the first time. But the original paper-mache will remain “The last time they were down, we looked inside,” Berman said. “And there was old newspaper.” * WLS | Ford Heights appoints acting mayor after former mayor resigns over theft, misconduct convictions: Tensions between some residents and city officials ran high as current Trustee Freddie Wilson was appointed acting mayor of the struggling southern suburb. […] While there is support for the new mayor, others question his ties to a corrupt Mayor Griffin, who served from 2009 to 2017 and again beginning in 2021. “That’s got nothing to do with me,” Wilson said. “Whatever the mayor might have made mistakes doing, that was on the mayor. Don’t hold me accountable for what the mayor did.” * Sun-Times | Chicago Marathon and United Center ditch plastic water bottles with help from Rosemont company: When runners cross the finish line at next month’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon, they won’t get plastic single-use water bottles. Instead, they’ll get aluminum ones made by Culligan International, a Rosemont-based water filtration and treatment company. The roughly 50,000 marathon runners can also refill the metal bottles at Culligan’s portable refilling stations throughout Grant Park during the post-marathon party on Oct. 13. * Lake County News-Sun | Development of Waukegan’s downtown, lakefront moving at different speeds; ‘We have to learn what developers may want’: Already working with the Waukegan Planning & Zoning Commission, the Waukegan Community Development Partnership is proposing the renovation of the one-time YMCA on Clayton Street and a former restaurant on Genesee Street into multiuse facilities. […] Mayor Ann Taylor said plans for the lakefront will take longer, in part because of contaminated land from the city’s industrial past and the reluctance of the Canadian National Railway to part with its right of way bordering the western part of the lakefront area. * Telegraph | Illinois retiree challenges Rep. Mary Miller as write-in candidate: Looking at his ballot in the spring Democratic primary, William Bonnett noted there were only two races listed – the presidential election and a judicial race. So Bonnett, 70, a retiree in Ashland, Illinois, a small town northwest of Springfield, decided to do something about it – he signed up as a write-in candidate against Republican incumbent Mary Miller in the 15th Congressional District. He described himself as a “volunteer Democrat.” * Sun-Times | Oak Lawn man, 18, dies in shooting near Illinois State University, another 18-year-old injured: A person was killed and another was critically wounded in a shooting early Sunday near Illinois State University in downstate Normal. The victims are not associated to the university, police said. * SJ-R | Unhoused people return to encampment site after city of Springfield removes items: Multiple people brought food to the seven or so people present in the morning, carrying bags of Lunchables, sandwiches, bottled water and doughnuts. “We’re not supposed to close up our bowels of compassion and not help,” said Michelle Myers who handed out sandwiches she had made. “It becomes very political and so forth… but we are still supposed to help. And that’s just being a Christian and a humanitarian.” * WAND | UIS Illinois Innocence Project marks International Wrongful Conviction Day: As part of the flag display, the “UIS blue” flags represent the 555 people exonerated in Illinois. Those men and women lost 4,657 years of their lives to wrongful incarceration, the University of Illinois Springfield said. […] IIP has helped exonerate/release 24 innocent men and women in Illinois who were wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit and wrongfully imprisoned for a collective 546 years at a cost of $35 million for incarceration alone. * WGEM | Quincy church hosts scam education seminar: Pastor Orville Jones stated senior citizens are the most likely to fall for phone scams due to a lack of education about technology. That’s what prompted him to start a seminar to educate seniors about scams. “We get these phone calls, sometimes they’re threatening and say they’re from the IRS,” Jones explained. Guest speaker Don O’Brien of the Better Business Bureau explained to the attendees that asking the scammers questions that an actual government employee would know is just one of the ways that seniors can avoid the scam. * PJ Star | Peoria-based healthcare system named one of the best employers in Illinois: Peoria-based OSF Healthcare was named to the Forbes list of best employers in Illinois for a sixth year in a row. […] OSF has nearly 24,000 employees in more than 150 locations, including 16 hospitals in Illinois and Michigan, according to the healthcare system. OSF was the only Peoria-headquartered business to make the list. * AP | Abortion pills will be controlled substances in Louisiana soon. Doctors have concerns: Opponents argue the classification could have catastrophic impacts in a state that already has a near-total abortion ban and one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. Doctors fear the reclassification will cause delays in accessing the drugs — mifepristone and misoprostol — which together can be used to manage miscarriages, while misoprostol induces labor and treats severe bleeding after delivery. They also worry the practice of reclassifying the drugs might spread beyond Louisiana. * NYT | Verizon Mobile Users Report Outages Across the U.S.: According to the website Downdetector, which tracks user reports of internet disruptions, more than 104,000 cases of Verizon outages were reported across the country as of 11:30 a.m. Eastern, more than an hour after the first issues were reported. By about noon, that number had dropped to around 78,000
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As temporary federal emergency funding runs dry, CTU demands state pick up the slack
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * CBS 2…
The Illinois school districts which did not put the majority of their federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding into their spending bases are not facing a crisis. Chicago did do that. * WBBM Radio…
* Stacy Davis Gates Tribune op-ed…
California, Maryland and Minnesota all have graduated income taxes. Illinois voters rejected a graduated income tax 53-47 in 2020.
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Illinois’ water loophole
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot struck a $1 billion deal in 2023 to supply Joliet and five of its surrounding suburbs with treated water from Lake Michigan starting in 2023. * Tribune…
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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What the heck is going on, IDOC?
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Southern…
* From one of those IDOC documents, which I also obtained…
* But those NARK II field tests have come under intense criticism in other states…
* Part of the testing issue is this…
* OK, now, scroll back up and re-read this from the Southern’s article…
From WebMD…
* Back to the internal IDOC document from above…
* Here’s another one from a different file…
* From a DEA fact sheet on synthetic cannabis…
But that suggests high dosage. Simply smelling smoke from what may or may not be a synthetic cannabinoid, or touching a piece of paper that might have come into contact with a synthetic cannabinoid sends you to the hospital? If that’s so, then why were only a few staff members in these examples hospitalized? * To be clear here, I have enormous respect for IDOC officers. They have an impossible job and I’m thankful for their service. Just click those links above to see what they face every day. My hat is off to them. What I’m saying is that a few officers might be experiencing panic attacks and are putting the entire correctional system at risk. And as I said many months ago, IDOC needs to do a much better job of training workers about the actual risks of their jobs and what will and will not harm them. My one truism in life is that every labor problem is the fault of management. IDOC needs to get its act together here.
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The Importance Of Energy Storage
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Recent polling shows 72% of Illinoisans support incentives for energy storage, and a majority of Illinoisans would be likely to for a candidate that supports building more energy storage in the state. But it’s not just popular. It’s urgent — Building more storage today is the best way to save Illinois families and businesses from rapidly rising energy costs. By guaranteeing a backup of affordable energy at times when heat waves, storms, or cold snaps threaten Save families money and make energy more reliable. With energy costs set to rise, we need energy storage now. Learn more about energy storage and outstanding bills about it here.
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Illinois is becoming boring
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Open thread
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Stateville prison almost empty after state moves quickly to comply with court order. Tribune…
- IDOC spokesperson Naomi Puzzello said Friday that all “general population” inmates have been transferred to other facilities. - A full complement of Stateville employees represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 are still reporting to work at the prison as the union bargains over the process for transferring the workers, AFSCME Council 31 spokesperson Anders Lindall said last week. - All Stateville staff will continue on with their “assigned duties” until the bargaining process is completed, Puzzello said. At 1:30 pm Governor Pritzker will celebrate completion of Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project. Click here to watch. * Crain’s | As Johnson scrambles to close $1 billion budget gap, vote could get delayed to December: With his budget team scrambling to find politically feasible personnel cuts and revenue boosters to avoid going back on Johnson’s promise to not raise property taxes, some members of the City Council have been told the budget process could begin weeks later than originally scheduled. Johnson was scheduled to deliver his annual budget address Oct. 16 but is now planning for Oct. 30, according to sources briefed on the mayor’s plan. Under the new schedule, hearings to probe every department’s budget would happen in November and a series of votes on the budget plan would not occur until early December. * Illinois Answers Project | Many cameras. Little focus. Blurry results: In recent years, records show, police have ramped up efforts to make better use of their behemoth surveillance operation, which is anchored by city-owned PODs but also includes permitted access to roughly 35,000 other cameras owned by the CTA, schools and private businesses. The cameras also provide benefits to first responders that are difficult to quantify, as when the officer reviewing camera footage from the Humboldt Park shooting was able to tell responding police where the victim was. Still, the Illinois Answers/Tribune analysis of city-owned PODs suggests the city has failed to follow best practices that could have prevented or solved more crimes and freed up money to hire more officers. * Center Square | As Illinois considers banning all hemp-related products, others are calling for uniform laws: Some Illinois lawmakers have proposed laws to regulate hemp, while others are calling for the federal government to get involved. A Reason Foundation report shows that Congress federally legalized hemp-derived products in the 2018 Farm Bill, but failed to establish a regulatory framework. The report said that states that legalized marijuana, like Illinois, are more inclined to ban or restrict hemp-derived products. * Tribune | Top members of Gov. JB Pritzker’s communications team exiting: Jordan Abudayyeh and Jason Rubin, both deputy chiefs of staff, were among the longest-serving members of Pritzker’s administration, holding posts in the office dating back to the governor’s first campaign in 2018. Replacing Abudayyeh and Rubin are Matt Hill, who takes the role of deputy chief of staff for communications, and Emily Bolton, who will be director of agency communications.
* Tribune | Inside Mayor Brandon Johnson’s stunning fight for control of Chicago schools as CTU contract talks stall: Sources from both sides say the schools chief’s days on the job appear numbered. The only question is a matter of how soon he gets canned by the seven-member school board, which was handpicked by Johnson and will remain controlled by mayoral appointees following the January transition to a hybrid elected school board. * NBC Chicago | Candidates for Chicago Board of Education weigh in on leadership controversy: Pedro Martinez, who is serving in that role, was asked last week to resign by Mayor Brandon Johnson, multiple sources said. An additional candidate, La’Mont Raymond Williams, in an interview with NBC Chicago, weighed in on the strain between the two. “I think it’s unfortunate, because right now the district itself can’t really afford more distractions than it already has with its budget deficit,” said Williams. * Sun-Times | With new exhibition, Theaster Gates treats the remnants of Johnson Publishing ‘as a work of art’: Chicago artist Theaster Gates got the call around the time the Johnson Publishing Co. closed its Michigan Avenue headquarters in 2011. On the other line was Linda Johnson Rice, the daughter of John and Eunice Johnson, the founders of the historic publisher. “She asked me if I was willing to be the kind of caretaker of the things within that building, [including] the photographs, so the library, the furniture. She said, essentially, whatever you’re able to retain, retrieve, exhume from the building is yours,” Gates recalled of the conversation with Johnson Rice. “And so I’ve been living with these objects for the last decade now.” * Crain’s | Outside Schurz High School, two dumpsters’ worth of books: Crain’s learned of dozens of titles being discarded at the school in the Irving Park neighborhood, ranging from Shakespeare to fiction to physics. This also occurred on a day of non-attendance for students to account for a professional development day. A Chicago Public Schools spokesperson told Crain’s all books were older, and this is a common practice for the district called “weeding.” * Sun-Times | Mulitple Metra lines face “unknown” delays due to signal and train control problems: Multiple Metra lines faced “unknown” delays Monday morning due to a string of signal and train control problems. The Union Pacific Northwest, Milwaukee North, North Central Service and Heritage Corridor lines were all impacted by signal and train control problems, Metra announced on X, formally known as Twitter. The Milwaukee District West line was delayed due to mechanical failure, according to Metra. * Sun-Times | Church opens its arms in first blessing of a same-sex Chicago couple: ‘There’s a place for you’: Michael Thiry and Nathaniel Washington celebrate their seventh anniversary with a blessing from the Rev. Michael Pfleger. The St. Sabina pastor has said that blessings of same-sex couples are a recognition of their humanity. * ABC Chicago | Tony Durpetti, owner of Chicago’s oldest Italian steakhouse Gene & Georgetti dies at 80: In a statement online, the restaurant said Durpetti will be remembered for his warmth, love, and commitment to excellence. “Tony’s passion for hospitality and dedication to our family’s legacy have been the heart and soul of our restaurant for decades,” the statement. * NBC Chicago | Jerry Reinsdorf calls White Sox season ‘a failure’ in letter to fans: After a season that saw the Chicago White Sox set a modern baseball record for losses, chairman Jerry Reinsdorf wrote a letter to fans, calling the campaign “a failure” and promising to act to improve the team’s fortunes. The White Sox sit at 40-121 heading into the final day of the season, and are now the owners of the most losses in a single season since 1900. * The New Yorker | The Chicago White Sox’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Season: It could be worse for the Chicago White Sox, the worst baseball team in more than a century. No, really. It could be 1899. Jerry Reinsdorf, the stubborn, nearly nonagenarian owner of the White Sox, could be Frank Robison, the owner of the Cleveland Spiders, which was one of the better teams in baseball until Robison ruined it on purpose. * NBC Chicago | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard and boyfriend given eviction notice: court docs: NBC Chicago obtained a copy of an eviction notice filed Sept. 18 in Cook County Circuit Court naming Henyard and her boyfriend Kamal Woods, who is an employee of Thornton Township, where Henyard serves as supervisor. Henyard and Woods are behind $3,350 in rent for their home along Harvard Street in Dolton — plus an additional $50 each day and $2,400 on the beginning of the month. The couple was given five days to vacate — or sign a new lease and pay all owed rent, documents revealed. * Daily Herald | How we got here: A look at the ongoing billing dispute with the DuPage County clerk: For more than 16 months, the DuPage County Board and County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek have been at odds over how bills get paid and what she can or can’t do with her office’s budget. In a nutshell, the county insists that Kaczmarek must comply with the county’s accounting procedures — including filling out budget transfer requests when a line item runs short — to get bills paid. Kaczmarek, however, argues state law gives her control over her office — and the county board cannot delay payment of bills if there is enough money in her budget. * Shaw Local | Report: Ogle County deputies’ use of deadly force justified during Lost Lake shooting: Ogle County deputies who used deadly force during a June shootout near Dixon will not face any criminal charges, according to a news release from Ogle County State’s Attorney Mike Rock. The decision, issued by the Winnebago State’s Attorney’s Office, comes after a review of the events leading up to a June 12 gunfire exchange between the Ogle County Emergency Response Team and Jonathon Gounaris, a Lost Lake resident. * Daily Herald | Sugar Grove issues clarification on referendum petition: With multiple petitions circulating in opposition to the development, specifically one calling for the annexation to go to a referendum proposed by Thoughtful Progress Inc., the village issued a statement Sept. 18 to clarify that a referendum is not applicable to the annexation. “It appears that misconceptions have arisen regarding the recent annexation of the Crown property,” the statement reads. “Because this information has been posted directly to the Village’s Facebook page by one or more members of the public, the Village believes it is necessary to provide clarification. * Daily Herald | How grants are helping Kane County manufacturers improve, be more competitive: They are the first grants awarded as part of the county’s new $1 million manufacturing program, a joint initiative with IMEC. The money came from federal American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 recovery funds the county received. “In general, manufacturing is in quite an exciting time,” said Dave Boulay, president of IMEC. “This is our generation’s manufacturing moment.” * Tribune | Downstate racetrack to move ahead with casino, while Hawthorne in suburban Stickney fights lawsuit: Accel, a video gaming terminal operator, plans to invest $85 million to $95 million for temporary and permanent casinos on the site, while retaining racing, creating a “racino.” Accel’s five-year plan predicted the facility could generate $20 million to $25 million before paying taxes, debt and depreciation, creating a “compelling cash flow return.” * WAND | DOJ: Taylorville woman ordered to pay $600k to YMCA in fraud case: The DOJ said Lori Zeitler, 65, worked at the Christian County YMCA for 32 years in various roles, including as bookkeeper. This week, she was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay restitution after being convicted of five counts of wire fraud. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Zeitler stole at least $292,336.29 and was responsible for $600,000 in loss. * Shaw Local | Bureau County coroner, state’s attorney forums set Oct. 2 in Princeton: A political forum for the Bureau County state’s attorney and coroner races is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Princeton Moose Lodge, 1339 N. Euclid Ave. Candidates will answer curated questions from the audience, with each candidate getting an opportunity to answer the same question. * WCIA | Cass Co. sheriff warns residents against stealing political signs: In a post on Facebook on Sunday morning, the Sheriff said there have been multiple reports of political sings being stolen throughout the county. The Sheriff’s office also said that anyone caught stealing will be arrested. The post suggests supporting a candidate by talking about the individual platforms, rather than stealing a sign. * WAND | Illinois drops to #24 after loss to Penn State: Following a 4-1 start with two ranked wins, the Illinois football team enters its first off week of the season ranked #24 in the AP Top 25 and #25 in the Coaches Poll. The Illini are ranked in the AP poll for the third straight week. * Daily Herald | Casten, Conforti differ on abortion, but both oppose federal ban: Casten touted his sponsorship of legislation that would restore the federal abortion protections established by Roe. He also said he’s twice written to the U.S. Senate to urge it to eliminate the filibuster to prevent a minority of senators from holding up legislation. “We will continue to push for both of those,” Casten said. * WSJ | ‘Three New York Cities’ Worth of Power: AI Is Stressing the Grid: Tech companies scouring the country for electricity to power artificial intelligence are increasingly finding there is a waiting list. In many places the nation’s high-voltage electric wires are running out of room, their connection points locked up by data centers for AI, new factories or charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. * Sun-Times | Did coffin flag from Abraham Lincoln’s 1865 funeral train wind up hidden away in Florida?: What Rhonda Hiser discovered behind a bookcase at the Museum of Southern History in Florida was an 1865 American presentation flag that she now believes was draped over the coffin of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on the long train trip back to Springfield for his burial. * Tribune | Farmers frustrated and environmental goals threatened by failure to pass a new farm bill: The comprehensive package of legislation that sets agriculture and food policy is supposed to be updated every five years. But partisan gridlock got in the way last year, forcing Congress to simply extend the 2018 bill another year. That extension expires Sept. 30 and, with a presidential election less than two months away, Congress isn’t focused on finalizing a new five-year plan. Experts say the lawmakers are likely to extend the 2018 bill again.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here 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, Sep 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The kid playing guitar on Rodney Crowell’s right is a 19-year-old Steve Earle. And the guy driving the bus is David Allan Coe… Now baby taught me a different way of thinkin’
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Nick Reiner on the passing of former Deputy House Republican Leader Brent Hassert…
* FYI…
* WAND | Lt. Governor Stratton and ILAFA to host Workforce Summit for a thriving Agri-Food industry: “Illinois is leading the way in the agri-food industry by nurturing a diverse and skilled workforce,” said Lt. Governor Stratton. “This summit is a critical investment in our future, ensuring that Illinois remains at the forefront of innovation and sustainability. As I often say, ‘Ag connects us all,’ and we’re building a brighter future for generations to come.” * Crain’s | Illinois computer science programs are enrolling far more women: The biggest gains were made by women, who accounted for 21.5% of computer science majors in four-year programs in the 2022-23 academic year, up from 11.7% a decade earlier, according to a study by the University of Illinois Discovery Partners Institute. The percentage of Asian students nearly doubled to 26.5% from 14.3%, and Latino students grew to 16.9% of computer science majors from 9.5%. Black students declined slightly to 7.5% from 8.2%. * Bloomberg | Chicago aims to ride muni bond refinancing wave sparked by Fed rate cuts: The reopened window is a win for governments who have had limited refinancing opportunities since the Fed started raising interest rates in 2022. And such sales can save cities, states and towns major cash. Chicago, for example, estimates it can reclaim about $70 million of debt-service costs through a proposed $1.5 billion refunding sale to help close its budget deficit. * Sun-Times | Homeless tent camp stirs neighbors’ vitriol on Northwest Side: As much as neighbors complain, Johnson is so far not budging. His administration says there’s no money left for Gompers after spending $70 million in federal dollars for homelessness since 2020. There will be no accelerated move from the Northwest Side park this year, the city said in a statement. City officials and nonprofit groups will continue to monitor the situation, the statement added. On Monday, Sendy Soto, Johnson’s top official in charge of addressing homelessness, will attend a community meeting next to the park to face a crowd of neighbors fuming about the homeless camp. They complain about drinking and drug use, open fires and erratic behavior. * WTTW | As City Prepares to Close 3 Shelters, Advocates See Shifts in Migrants’ Needs: With a decreased migrant population and the unmaterialized surge of new arrivals this summer, the city expects in 2024 to spend less than $141 million to care for the migrants, who are in the country legally after requesting asylum and receiving permission to remain in the U.S. while their cases are resolved. The city is currently facing a projected $982 million budget gap in 2025. * Block Club | After CPS Slashes Funding, Chicago Debates Asks For Help Keeping Beloved Program Alive: The district has a $1.3 million, four-year contract with the nonprofit, agreeing to cover up to $390,000 in expenses for fiscal year 2025, documents show. That includes costs such as equipment, paying debate judges, recruiting and training volunteers, tournament prep and running the summer camp, according to the contract. […] But CPS officials told nonprofit leaders in July they’d only get $208,000 to cover this year’s expenses, Bolden said. Officials cited a part of the contract saying CPS can terminate an agreement “in the event no funds or insufficient funds are appropriated and budgeted … by the board,” Bolden said. * Tribune | A 685-acre tiff: Council, community divided on future of Pilsen taxing district: Progressives such as Johnson and Sigcho-Lopez have traditionally railed against tax increment financing districts, which freeze for decades the property tax revenues distributed to schools, parks and other government bodies and instead earmark those funds for projects within the boundaries. While TIF proponents say those projects spur economic development, opponents often decry the spending as a handout for private developers, or unnecessary in areas that are already thriving. * Sun-Times | Bike theft victims are frustrated, saying the problem is getting worse and isn’t being fixed: Pusateri immediately headed to the nearest police station to file a report. Later, after scouring social media, he found the bike listed for sale on Facebook at a fraction of the purchase price. Someone even contacted him promising to return the bike for a fee after Pusateri listed it stolen online. He brought the Facebook listing — which had the suspected thief’s name and location — to the Chicago Police Department. “I knew exactly who this guy was, and the police were like, ‘We can’t help you at all. We’re too busy,’” Pusateri said. “I did everything I possibly could, even giving the police a solved case, and they still didn’t want to do anything about it.” * Crain’s | Investors buy hotel next to Rivers Casino for $20 million: The property benefits from its proximity to O’Hare and being next to Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, one of the state’s largest gambling facilities. Neither of the Patels responded to requests for comment on the Courtyard purchase. But the investors are planning a $5 million renovation of the 35-year-old property set to begin in December, according to The Real Deal Chicago, which first reported the sale. * WBEZ | Chicago’s beach season is over … or is it? Lake Michigan temps are breaking records.: Lake Michigan is heating up. The lake’s surface temperature has surpassed the running average dating back to 1995 nearly every day this year, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. And it’s not just one Great Lake. All five are warming. The massive bodies of water, which provide drinking water to more than 30 million people, are among the fastest-warming lakes worldwide, according to the federal government’s Fifth National Climate Assessment. * Tribune | What was the final Chicago White Sox home game like? An odd wake, full of melancholy, contradiction — and elation.: In the closing minutes of the last home game for the 2024 Chicago White Sox, one could feel the Earth’s rotation grind to a halt. It was as if Guaranteed Rate Field itself let out an exhausted, terminating sigh of relief. Even the fireworks that marked the end felt rushed, brief and eager to be done with. The hurt was past. The horror — at least here on 35th Street (there were still three games left to play in Detroit) — was over. A lone gull looped high above right field, averted its eyes and flew off. The sky was cloudless and the flat metal top of a vendor’s grill, already scrubbed and cold, chimed with the clumsy clang of dropped tongs. Individual sounds leaped out. * Block Club | 33 Million Birds Migrated Over Illinois In 1 Day This Week. How McCormick Place Is Trying To Keep Them Safe: Chicago Bird Collision Monitors collects about 100 injured or dead birds daily during the peak migration season in September and early October, Prince said. About 75 percent of the birds the group finds are dead, Prince said. Injured birds are taken to the DuPage Wildlife Center, where they’re treated and released into the wild to continue their migration. The group has already noticed fewer bird casualties around the McCormick Place this migration season, Prince said. The new film is an “exciting development” and serves as an example that it’s worth constructing buildings with bird-friendly designs, she said. * Daily Herald | Grayslake mayor says he won’t seek a fifth term and supports veteran village trustee as successor: Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor announced Friday he will not seek a fifth term and will be retiring from local government. “I have enjoyed every day of my time in the office,” he said. “I will be forever grateful to Grayslake for granting me this unique and wonderful opportunity.” Taylor was a village trustee for six years before being elected mayor in 2009. He said he has served with 13 different village trustees in that role, including Elizabeth Davies, who he endorsed as his successor. * Daily Herald | Hanover Park man sentenced for selling ghost guns, gun converter: Jeffrey Levander, 43, was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for the unlawful sale or delivery of an unserialized firearm, six years for unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, six years for the unlawful use of a weapon, three years for the unlawful sale of a firearm, and three years for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. His sentences will run concurrently. * Daily Herald | Kane County offers $755,000 Food and Farm Resiliency Grant Program to support local growers: The Kane County Food and Farm Resiliency Grant Program is now open for applications, offering $755,000 in financial assistance to local food-growing businesses and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible organizations operating in Kane County can apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to help cover essential operating expenses incurred between March 3, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2025. * Sun-Times | Days after his conviction on corruption charges, Ford Heights mayor says he’s stepping down: “He’s gone,” village attorney Michael Stuttley said Thursday about Mayor Charles Griffin, who was convicted by a Cook County judge earlier this week of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the tiny, cash-strapped south suburb. “I saw his letter of resignation.” Referring to Griffin’s fellow village board members, Stuttley said the resignation will be formalized “once they accept” it in coming days. * WCIA | Danville officials say construction won’t prevent access to the ballot box: Construction began this week on the northbound road of Vermilion Street up to Harrison, temporarily closing the intersection. This closure is just outside the early voting location at Joseph G. Cannon Building. Officials with the City of Danville said not to worry about the construction, as it won’t impede anybody from casting their vote at the Election Commission. * Daily Herald | ‘Safest it’s ever been’: Recent high school football deaths not causing alarm: Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the National Federation of State High School Associations, said the organization has counted 12 deaths so far this season. Their data comes from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, which uses reports from NFHS-member schools as well as private schools outside its membership. […] “We started to pay attention, and through coaching education we modified rules, we shifted how we practice and how we play, and obviously elevated our medical response, resources and awareness,” Niehoff said. * My Journal Courier | Completion of Illinois River navigation projects kicks off barge tour of region: The three projects were part of the corps’ Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program. Objectives of the program include enhancing geomorphic diversity and reducing erosion; creating and/or improving fish habitat as well as native fish habitat; and increasing side channel diversity. * SJ-R | Hurricane Helene: Workers from Springfield head to Georgia for assistance: Crews from the City Water Light and Power division of the City of Springfield are heading to assist people with the effects of Hurricane Helene in Georgia. Two crews and a supervisor left Thursday afternoon to assist in Douglas, Georgia. The crews were initially headed to assist the City of Marietta but were reassigned. They were originally tasked to assist with power restoration from Hurricane Helene making landfall, according to CWLP. * AP | Parents will have to set aside some earnings for child influencers under new California laws: The California laws protecting child social media influencers follow the first-in-the-nation legislation in Illinois that took effect this July. The California measures apply to all children under 18, while the Illinois law covers those under 16. The California measures, which received overwhelming bipartisan support, require parents and guardians who monetize their children’s online presence to establish a trust for the starlets. Parents will have to keep records of how many minutes the children appear in their online content and how much money they earn from those posts, among other things.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Friday, Sep 27, 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 David, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Indictment alleges NYC mayor gamed campaign reform to scam $10 million out of taxpayers
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Here’s an official explainer of New York City’s public financing program for local political campaigns…
* Press release from the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York on the indictment of New York City Mayor Eric Adams…
The full indictment is here. As Illinois has discovered time and time again, reforms won’t stop a determined criminal.
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The Importance Of Energy Storage
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Recent polling shows 72% of Illinoisans support incentives for energy storage, and a majority of Illinoisans would be likely to for a candidate that supports building more energy storage in the state. But it’s not just popular. It’s urgent — Building more storage today is the best way to save Illinois families and businesses from rapidly rising energy costs. By guaranteeing a backup of affordable energy at times when heat waves, storms, or cold snaps threaten Save families money and make energy more reliable. With energy costs set to rise, we need energy storage now. Learn more about energy storage and outstanding bills about it here.
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Big staff changes announced for Pritzker’s communications team
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Press release…
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Question of the day
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller Capitol News Illinois launched its election guide yesterday…
* The Question: Do you plan to vote early (in-person or by mail)? Explain your answer please.
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Open thread
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago Board of Education unanimously votes to halt school closures until 2027. Tribune…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign updates
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here 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)
Friday, Sep 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * IDPH…
* She Runs Illinois 2024 | Morgan Phillips, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 105: She Votes Illinois is pleased to feature Morgan Phillips running for IL House of Representatives, District 105. Follow our series, She Runs Illinois 2024!, leading up to election day as we showcase and uplift the voices of Illinois women running for public office in the upcoming election, November 5, 2024. * She Runs Illinois 2024 | Barbara Hernandez, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 50: What challenges do you see in addressing child marriage in Illinois, and what legislative measures do you believe are most effective in ensuring the protection of minors? “I have carried the bill many times, however, the main obstacle has been the ACLU. I believe that children should not be able to marry at 16 even with a parent’s note. I feel like students can wait until they are 18 to determine if they do want to get married or not, without any religious or cultural pressure,” Rep. Hernandez said. * NPR Illinois | Law aims to protect tenants with complaints from landlord retaliation: Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law recently prohibiting landlords statewide from taking retaliatory action against tenant complaints. The bill was proposed by state Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat. “Far too often tenants face retaliation for … trying to exercise their basic rights, trying to make sure that the unit that they live in is habitable and safe,’ he said, “And when they complain about conditions or raise questions with their landlord, instead of getting those conditions fixed or getting good answers from their landlord, they get an eviction notice on their door.’’ * WBEZ | Lawsuit claims years of discrimination against disabled young people in Illinois prisons: The lawsuit was filed by Equip for Equality, a nonprofit advocating for the civil rights of individuals with disabilities, and Latham & Watkins. It covers those who were 22 or younger when they were first incarcerated and who had a plan outlining special education services from their previous school. The complaint states that the correctional agencies have failed to identify eligible students; notify eligible students of their right to these educational services; or provide any special education services and high school credit-bearing courses. * Press Release | IDOT’s Cycle Rider Safety Training Program classes returning statewide: In partnership with Southern Illinois University, IDOT is offering its popular Cycle Rider Safety Training Program to any Illinois resident 16 and older with a valid driver’s license. These classes also come with extra credit: Successful graduates can waive the written and riding portions of the Illinois motorcycle license exam that’s administered by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. * WMBD | Illinois county clerks invite public to watch voting process: Starting Thursday, Sept. 26, anyone that has questions about the voting process can visit any clerk office and learn everything about the voting process. Since the 2016 election, more questions have been raised concerning voting security. The clerks say in the press release, that visiting the offices has always been an option, but they are making it clear this year so voters feel confident. * Block Club | City Removing Police And Fire Departments From Mental Health Emergency Response Program: The CARE, or Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, provides teams of mental health professionals plus specially trained police and paramedics to respond to mental health related 911 calls. The program was launched in two neighborhood clusters during the 2021 budget process with an initial $3.5 million investment and has steadily expanded since then. The CARE program will now operate solely under the Chicago Department of Public Health and will not include police officers or fire department personnel, according to a Wednesday announcement. * Crain’s | UChicago gets anonymous $100M donation to support free speech: The university said the donation will support “UChicago’s leadership on the principles and practice of free expression” and the advancement of a new initiative called the University of Chicago Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, which was launched by President Paul Alivisatos in 2023 to buttress open discourse on campus. […] The large donation to support free expression comes after a fraught and turbulent year on college campuses, which saw large student demonstrations and tent encampments protesting the Israeli invasion and ongoing war in Gaza. * WTTW | Wrongfully Convicted Man Speaks Out on Record $50M Verdict: ‘I Won’t Get That Time Back’: Detectives from the Chicago Police Department deprived Brown of food and sleep and questioned him for 34 hours before he was charged. They denied him access to a phone call and legal counsel while keeping him socially isolated. “I was very, very wronged over three days, and that took a toll on my mental (health),” Brown said. “Fighting with the detectives, with the mind games they were playing, was probably one of the worst experiences of my life.” * Block Club | How A Taqueria Connected To A Lincoln Park Gas Station Became Illinois’ Top Taco Spot: The taqueria, which just celebrated its three-year anniversary, is tucked away in a small strip mall that shares a parking lot with a Mobil gas station. El Tragón serves fresh, made-to-order street tacos and other items inspired by small taquerias in Jalisco, Mexico, where owner Gerardo Madrigal grew up. The menu is small, consisting of tacos, quesadillas, chilaquiles and some of the best quesabirrias in the city. * Capitol News Illinois | Sun-Times seeks dismissal of defamation suit centered on Trump Tower reporting: The court, which heard oral arguments in the case last week, is not being asked to rule as to whether the Sun-Times engaged in defamation. It is rather asked if the lawsuit should be dismissed under a state law designed to protect against litigation that “chills and diminishes citizen participation in government” before the case can proceed in circuit court. * Sun-Times | A look back at Derrick Rose’s legendary high school career: Rose had the physical gifts of a superhero. He was blazing fast with the ball, possessed unreal body control, and was the best leaper anyone had seen. Rose lost a few inches on his vertical when he put on muscle and weight in college and the NBA, which is common. But those that saw him in high school will never forget the dunks: they began beautiful and soaring, but ended with swift violence at the rim. * Daily Southtown | Appointments of Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard blocked by Cook County judge: In a ruling Wednesday, Judge Thaddeus Wilson said Henyard didn’t abide by proper procedure when she named Ronnie Burge Sr. as police chief, Michael Smith as village administrator and Angela Lockett as village attorney. Four trustees who are at odds with Henyard contended the appointments were illegal because the Village Board did not vote on them, and the judge agreed. In barring Henyard from making the appointments, Wilson also said the three appointees are ineligible to hold the posts. * Tribune | Toxic chemicals at Homewood nature preserve prompt calls for EPA intervention: Napoleon Haney, Homewood’s village manager, said village officials reached out to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency a few weeks ago and met with agency representatives last week to gather information and determine next steps. “We want it resolved; we want our community beautiful,” he said. “We just want to make sure that the right agencies are involved to assist us in resolving any and everything that’s out of compliance. We’re confident that the IEPA will provide some wonderful guidance.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Township honors history of boxcar camp, Austin-Western neighborhood: The Aurora Township board approved the honors to “recognize the contributions of generations of working-class immigrants who helped to make Aurora … a major railroad town and major manufacturing center,” according to a resolution passed by the board in the spring. The Austin-Western neighborhood close to the boxcar camp was home to many generations of immigrant working class families who came from many nations. * SJ-R | Sonya Massey’s cousin named a new co-chair of Massey Commission in leadership shake-up: After only one listening session, the Massey Commission has new leadership. One of the newest co-chairs is Shadia Massey, a cousin of Sonya Massey, the namesake of the commission, who was fatally shot by a now former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy in her home in an unincorporated part of Woodside Township on July 6. * WCIA | Master key that can open 90% of Urbana mailboxes stolen from mail carrier: [Nikeya Holmes, a customer service supervisor with the Urbana Post Office,] said she isn’t sure what will happen if the key is not found, but that the Chicago-area has seen similar crimes in the past. She said that the Urbana Post Office will communicate with other offices who have experienced this issue before to figure out what to do if the key remains stolen. * WSIL | Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois Raises $115,000: Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois held their annual United We Lead Gala, raising more than $115,000 for the organization. The gala took place in Edwardsville on September 6th. This year’s theme was “Envision Greatness.” Girl Scout officials say the event brings together a wide range of people who share a common goal – to empower today’s girls to become tomorrow’s leaders. * WSIL | Time to enjoy the fall foliage display at Bald Knob Cross of Peace: Bald Knob Cross of Peace organizers say as nature is setting the scene they look forward to their annual Fall Colors at the Cross celebration around one of the world’s largest crosses on Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20, 2024. Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs so they can enjoy lunch and help them welcome Nashville recording artist, Marty DeRoche at 1pm on Saturday. * Fox 32 | Chicago White Sox announce a multiyear deal for analyst Steve Stone: The Sox announced Thursday they’ve inked baseball analyst Steve Stone to a multiyear deal. Stone also announced the deal on the air during the Sox’s series finale against the Angels of Anaheim. Stone’s analysis will move over to the Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) and work with White Sox play-by-play announcer John Schriffen. * WaPo | How to cover the worst MLB team ever without going (too) insane: “You have to kind of try to figure out a specific moment of a game — when did this one turn?” said LaMond Pope, who covers the team for the Chicago Tribune. “That’s how you go into the clubhouse versus, ‘Talk to me about your general feelings about all this.’” For the most part, reporters said, the players have been both understanding of their circumstances and generally approachable. “A month into the year, it’s, ‘Why do you suck?’ And the answer has always been: ‘Well, we don’t want to suck. We’re trying hard not to suck.’ And they’ve answered it over and over and over again,” said Bruce Levine, a veteran baseball reporter in town. * ESPN | Inside the 2024 White Sox’s road to MLB’s all-time worst recordXT: MORE THAN 17,000 fans — and 375 dogs, attending the season’s final Dog Day promotion — descended upon Guaranteed Rate Field on Tuesday, there to see the Chicago White Sox set the modern-day mark for losses in a single season. One fan even printed out a hard ticket for the game. “It’s history,” he said. “I want to have a piece of it.” * NYT | How Does a Baseball Team Lose 120 Games? Every Way You Can Think Of: In the fourth inning of a ridiculous baseball game — ridiculous even by the standards of the 2024 Chicago White Sox — I wandered out into the stands to meet Beefloaf. Beefloaf sits in Section 108. I’d noticed him earlier, from across the stadium, because a White Sox home run (a rare thing) had gone sailing past the right field foul pole and landed near his seat. Even in the maelstrom of high fives, Beefloaf stood out: big guy, round shoulders, wearing a tank-top jersey with the number “108” and, in capital letters, “BEEFLOAF.” (Beefloaf is not Beefloaf’s legal name; his 5-year-old daughter chose the nickname, and it stuck.) * Tribune | With Chicago White Sox fans rooting against them, the players have to do it for themselves: A playoff-type atmosphere was in store for the Sox, though they were as far away from the postseason as humanly possible. And with Sox fans rooting for a loss the last two days, the players responded with back-to-back wins, including Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Los Angeles Angels on Andrew Benintendi’s walk-off single. “It’s huge,” Benintendi said. “I think if we swept the final series of the year, it would be, not funny, but it’d give us all a chuckle.” * AP | A Pennsylvania bakery known for its election cookie poll is swamped with orders: The bakery sells 4-inch (10-centimeter) round sugar cookies, one with blue and white sprinkles and a Harris 2024 label on it and the other with red and white sprinkles and a Trump 2024 label on it. The sale of each Harris 2024 cookie counts as a vote in the poll for Democrat Kamala Harris and likewise for Republican Donald Trump. The cookie poll started in 2008 and accurately predicted the winner the first three times, but not in 2020, when Trump lost the election for the White House to Democrat Joe Biden.
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Unclear on the concept
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
Maybe that would be an interesting question if the city was offering to put up a billion dollars. Instead, the teams want the state to pony up that and much more. The city wants the state to expend billions on Soldier Field. And even if it was valid, why would you put $1 billion in one-time cash into ongoing operations? * The rest of the survey…  I guess it’s fine as some sort of exercise to tease out that group’s spending priorities. But, other than that, it’s basically worthless.
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Food for thought
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Progressive Chicago alderperson… 
Hard to argue with any of that.
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AG Raoul: Watch out for AI election misinformation
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Daily Herald…
* Early voting starts today in most of the state, Tribune…
* WBEZ has some background on the income tax advisory question that’s on the ballot…
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Quantum computer company EeroQ sets up shop in Chicago
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WTTW…
* WTVO…
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Open thread
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker calls CPS budget deficit ‘challenging,’ advises against borrowing. WTTW…
* Related stories…
∙ Tribune: Mayor Brandon Johnson cites work ‘to transform this public school system’ when asked about wanting schools chief out ∙ Crain’s: In push to oust CPS chief Martinez, Johnson tests the limits of his power again ∙ WBBM: Pritzker, pressed to comment, speaks on rift between CPS head, Brandon Johnson At 1:30 pm Governor Pritzker will celebrate the opening of HIRE360 Training and Business Development Center. Click here to watch. * Press Release…
* WGN | Dolton trustees: Judge blocks Tiffany Henyard appointments: The bitter battle for control of south suburban Dolton took another turn Wednesday evening when trustees opposed to Mayor Tiffany Henyard said they were granted a key ruling limiting Henyard’s power. Trustees asked a Cook County judge for a temporary restraining order blocking Henyard’s recent appointments of a new police chief, village manager and village attorney. They argued Henyard can’t unilaterally make appointments without their consent. * Block Club | Couple’s Marriage Proposal Goes Viral, White Sox Avoid Record-Setting Loss At ‘Weirdest Game Ever’: The night was already surreal: The White Sox were on the brink of setting the record for most losses in a single season. But even with greater history looming, Taft decided to go through with the proposal anyway. “We enjoy going to games together … And I didn’t really consider that this was going to be the game [the record] could happen,” Taft said with a laugh. “I was hoping the Sox would win. But I didn’t care that much about watching the game. More focused on the proposal.” * Daily Herald | ‘Not a real problem’ or ‘mission critical’? State senate hopefuls differ on climate change: “Climate change is a very convenient political ploy to advocate for all kinds of government control,” said Jon Luers, a software engineer from Chicago. “I believe that the climate has not changed much over the last any number of years that you can name. It does change gradually from year to year and decade to decade, but I believe that we are just fine, and no governmental intervention should be attempted to change that.” [Sen. Rob Martwick], who has held the Senate seat since 2019 after serving as a state representative for much of the same area since 2012, attributed climate change to “the realities of the human condition,” including population growth, the burning of fossil fuels, and excess use of disposable plastics. * South Side Weekly | El Barrio Art Show Celebrates Latinx Heritage: El Barrio Art Show welcomed artists and performers to showcase their work at Southside Sociál in Back of the Yards. Organized by Ruidosa Art Collective founders Stephanie ‘Soli’ Herrera and Garcia, the legacy event was transformed in its second year from a backyard show to an evening of art, vendors, tattooing, and music. It was followed by an official afterparty at Subterranean in collaboration with Mictlān Productions, which hosts underground dance parties and punk shows. * FOX 32 | Not tonight, 121: White Sox win as Benintendi singles in 10th for 4-3 win over Angels: The Chicago White Sox avoided a record-breaking 121st loss for the second straight game, beating the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Wednesday night on Andrew Benintendi’s 10th-inning single. […] Benintendi delivered the go-ahead hit for the second time in as many games when he lined a one-out single to left-center against José Quijada (2-1), helping the White Sox (38-120) put off infamy for the second night in a row. Designated runner Miguel Vargas scored from second. * Daily Herald | Past due: DuPage County clerk credit card bill goes unpaid: A past due credit card bill is now part of the ongoing controversy surrounding the DuPage County clerk’s office and unpaid bills. The $4,812 charge on the county’s only credit card stems from a retrofit to the county clerk’s election van. County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek submitted the bill for payment, but the county finance department noted there was no money in the clerk’s capital budget to pay the bill. * Sun-Times | U.S. Senate passes resolution honoring Palestinian-American boy killed in alleged Plainfield hate crime: The Senate passed a resolution this week honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, the 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy from Plainfield murdered last October in what authorities called an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate crime. The resolution states that “no one should be a target of hate because of their ethnicity or religion, whether such ethnicity or religion is expressed verbally or through how one dresses, such as through the wearing of a hijab, keffiyeh, turban, mitpahat, tichel, shpitzel, sheitel, kippah, or yarmulke,” and that the U.S. “has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination.” * FOX 32 | Suburb eliminates daily fees at Metra parking lots: According to City Administrator Tim Kristin, the decision comes in response to ongoing issues with vandalism and theft at the parking lot payboxes, which have required police intervention and repairs from public works staff. In total, Kristin said the estimated cost to replace 12 payboxes is $60,000. * Sun-Times | Bozo fan Billy Corgan plans three-day celebration of beloved clown: One of Bozo’s biggest fans — Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan — is bringing the clown and a heaping serving of tube TV nostalgia to Madame ZuZu’s, the art and dining space he runs with his wife, Chloé Mendel, at 1876 First St. in Highland Park, in October. The three-day event — Oct. 18-20 — features a host of “Bozo’s Circus”-related activities, including vintage Bozo carnival games as well as an appearance by “Scream” actor David Arquette as the beloved clown. * WCIA | Springfield removes homeless camp two weeks after withdrawing ordinance to fine ‘public camping’: “Outreach coordinators were immediately dispatched on-site to connect with all individuals, providing referrals, resources, and contact information,” city officials wrote in the statement. “Everyone was given the opportunity to collect their belongings. However, some unclaimed items were left behind.” The City called the Public Works Department to remove more belongings. Eyewitnesses reported construction vehicles were used to remove the belongings. * SJ-R | New Springfield-area sheriff is intent on listening to Massey Commission: New Sangamon County Sheriff Paula Crouch told The State Journal-Register in a one-on-one interview last week that she is intent on listening to the Massey Commission and suggestions it might offer regarding policing in the community going forward. “I think the most important thing is for me right now to hear what the Massey Commission has identified as what our community thinks is a big problem with law enforcement,” Crouch said. “I don’t think it’s going to be just the county. It’s law enforcement in general, though our focus with this issue is the county. * WCIA | Danville Quaker Oats building scheduled to be demolished soon: Mayor Williams says what hurts him the most is seeing people without jobs. He says the city owns nearly 100 acres west of the building. Williams also said he’s been in talks with PepsiCo to see if they can get the property Quaker Oats sits on. * SJ-R | Born a woman, fought as a man: Looking for Lincoln campaign to share Albert Cashier story: There are 260 such wayside exhibits in the state, and according Liz Vincent, Pontiac’s director of community enrichment, there’s talk of adding more — more specifically a storyboard for Albert Cashier, who has ties to both Belvidere and Saunemin, Illinois. […] After the war, Cashier returned to Illinois and continued to live as a man, working and voting in elections as well as receiving a pension as veteran. Cashier worked as a farmhand and a laborer in Belvidere and Saunemin, which is about 12 miles east of Pontiac. * WCIA | Central Illinois 3D concrete printing goes viral: LX Construction is responsible for the first 3D concrete printed building in Illinois. The original building and many others have attracted the attention of millions on social media. “We started posting some really easy, simple videos, and before too long the first one hit a million,” CEO of LX Construction Nathan Lilly said. Their most viral video has over six million views. They show their thousands of followers cutting edge 3D concrete printing. * Crain’s | Contract pharma manufacturer putting $146M into big expansion in Rockford: PCI Pharma Services plans to grow its largest manufacturing facility by more than 50%, pouring about $146 million into a 545,000-square-foot expansion into its Rockford facility. The Philadelphia-based contract pharma manufacturer said in an emailed statement it now has five facilities across more than a million square feet at its Rockford campus and employs more than 2,220 people. The facilities perform advanced drug delivery and drug-device combination assembly and packaging, the company said. * NYT | Hurricane Helene Strengthens as It Heads Toward Florida Coast: The storm could intensify to a Category 4, if not higher, before making landfall late Thursday, and forecasters warned Helene’s anticipated large size could make its effects felt across an extensive area. Areas as distant as Atlanta and the Appalachians are at risk for heavy rains. * AP | 10th death reported in Boar’s Head deli meat listeria outbreak: At least 59 people in 19 states have been sickened by the bacteria first detected in liverwurst made at the Jarratt, Virginia, plant. Illnesses were reported between late May and late August, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. All of those who fell ill were hospitalized. The latest fatality was reported in New York, bringing the total deaths to two each in New York and South Carolina and one each in Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and New Mexico.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here 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)
Thursday, Sep 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Another day, another prison lockdown over unsubstantiated drug fears
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Yesterday…
* I’m highly dubious of these claims by guards…
Also…
* Anyway, I just received this from the Illinois Department of Corrections regarding a lockdown at Shawnee Correctional Center…
Not sure why a lockdown is even necessary. IDOC needs to start an intensive education program.
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Trump-appointed judge threatens AG Raoul, SA Foxx with possible sanctions
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background…
More background is here. * Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Cook Count State’s Attorney Kim Foxx eventually filed a motion to stay judgement pending appeal. Excerpt…
* That highlighted sentence infuriated Judge Iain Johnston, a Trump appointee who openly fretted about that connection when he handed down the original ruling. Judge Johnston issued an order today…
* If you’re unfamiliar with Rule 11(b), it’s about possible sanctions…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. From G-PAC Illinois…
* Illinois Association of County Clerks & Recorders…
* Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park…
* Block Club, WBEZ and Chalkbeat have all put out voter guides for Chicago’s first school board races. * WAND | How to avoid AI before heading to the polls; 2024 Voter Misinformation Guide released: On Wednesday, Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a 2024 Voter Misinformation Guide to help Illinois voters identify and report election misinformation generated by artificial intelligence (AI). As the election ramps up, so has the use of AI being used to create fake but realistic content about the November election and its candidates. * Press release | State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Returns Missing Money to Nearly 140,000 Residents Through Enhanced Money Match: A record-setting 138,561 people are in line to receive a total of nearly $13.2 million from the state’s Unclaimed Property program and all they have to do is cash the check, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. * South Side Weekly | What’s After ShotSpotter?:” I think the evolution has come from us wanting to see what else is out there, not necessarily committing to another gunshot-detection technology, but we need to see what is in the marketplace to see if there is a fit for the City of Chicago. And quite frankly, I think it’s important to put an RFI out to explore what options are there,” Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Garien Gatewood said. * Sun-Times | As Chicago’s mayor tries to oust CPS’ Pedro Martinez, the CEO’s contract is a major hurdle: When Chicago Schools Chief Pedro Martinez took the bold step last week of rejecting Mayor Brandon Johnson’s request that he resign, Martinez did it knowing his contract would make it difficult to quickly oust him. Sources tell WBEZ and the Sun-Times that Martinez is waiting for the Board of Education to decide his fate and that he is holding out hope the members will save him. In statements and in a Chicago Tribune op-ed, he says the school district needs the stability he brings. * WBEZ | McCormick Place Lakeside Center completes bird-safe glass project in time for fall migration: The easternmost structure in the city has two football fields’ worth of glass, and the $1.2 million project took three months to complete. […] Annette Prince with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors commended the authority for completing the project. Her organization rescues injured birds and recovers dead birds found in the city — many of which have collided into glass. “We are excited McCormick Place finished its application, and we think it’s already yielding good results,” Prince said. “On days we have had hundreds of birds hitting buildings downtown, McCormick Place hasn’t seen as many collisions.” * WBEZ | Lawsuits claim Black students in Northwestern’s prison education program were unjustly disciplined: A pair of federal lawsuits claim the Illinois Department of Corrections unjustly disciplined two Black students in Northwestern University’s prison education program because the students worked together to prevent university staff from harassment during their visits to the prison. Corrections officials deemed the coordinated effort to “stop problems” gang-related activity, according to the federal complaints. The lawsuits were expected to be filed Wednesday morning. The plaintiffs, LeShun Smith and Brian McClendon, allege they were denied due process and targeted because of their race, violating their constitutional rights and effectively ending their education, said their attorney, Alan Mills. * Sun-Times | Chicago area’s data center push continues as developer T5 breaks ground on Northlake facility: “This will be the nicest data center we’ve built,” said Robbie Sovie, T5’s executive vice president of development. “We’re going to have a lot more in the next five to 10-plus years, but this is going to be a great project.” The building, called T5 Chicago III, will serve an undisclosed user, though T5 CEO and President Pete Marin said the customer is “the best at what they do.” * Tribune | Pedestrian safety measures still lacking at many rail crossings — sometimes with tragic results: While road-rail crossings in the Chicago area typically have gates to stop vehicles, there often are no such protections for pedestrians. Of 971 rail crossings with roadway gates in Cook and the collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, only an estimated 204, or 21%, have pedestrian gates, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates crossings. * Daily Southtown | Thornton Township trustees call for investigations into Tiffany Henyard spending: After tit for tat calls for accountability during heated exchanges between Thornton Township trustees and Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, officials approved audits of all township departments along with a former official’s credit card during a board meeting Tuesday evening. As Trustees Carmen Carlisle and Chris Gonzalez called out Henyard for continued unauthorized spending and general lack of transparency regarding township operations, Henyard shot back by questioning Carlisle’s spending when the trustee worked as her assistant. She motioned to conduct a “forensic audit/investigation” of former Thornton Township administrator Keith Freeman’s credit card “and Carmen Carlisle’s use of said card.” * Tribune | Weed shops can set up in bustling uptown area of Park Ridge after mayor misses chance to veto: Park Ridge currently has one recreational use cannabis dispensary that opened in 2023 at 1036 Higgins Road. “While my intention was to veto the action taken by Council relative to the expansion of where a cannabis dispensary can apply to operate Uptown … I made a procedural error. My mistake means that my intended action (a veto) never took place,” Mayor Marty Maloney stated in a note to the City Council that he shared by email with Pioneer Press. […] Maloney has been against allowing marijuana dispensaries in Uptown mostly due to the Park Ridge Public Library being in the area. Additionally, the area is a bustling hub in Park Ridge that includes eateries, shopping options, the town’s Metra commuter rail station, is where the farmers market is held and more. * Sun-Times | Evanston shelter mourns Blue Line victims, reaffirms its mission: Around 50 people gathered for the service Tuesday, hosted by Connections for the Homeless at Lake Street Church in Evanston. While the organization hosts an annual memorial to mourn the lives lost of those involved with the group, it was a unique event this year. A former beneficiary of the group’s services, Margaret Miller Johnson, was one of the victims killed in the mass shooting. * Shaw Local | Tiny McHenry County town where mayor fills the potholes is asking to levy its 1st property tax: But that could change on Nov. 5. The village board has placed a question on the general election ballot, seeking approval of a .25% property tax levy. If approved by voters, the levy would bring the village about $5,000 a year for its roads, said Jim Kelly, the village attorney. Even if the village board were to raise that hypothetical levy in the future “it would take us 10 years to get to what Wonder Lake taxes at,” Village Trustee Brian Spiro said at the board’s Monday night meeting. * KFVS | U.S. 60/62 bridge over Mississippi River to reopen ahead of schedule: According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, the bridge carrying U.S. 60/62 over the Mississippi River in Alexander County and Mississippi County, Missouri is reopening ahead of schedule. The bridge is set to reopen, weather permitting, by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25. * WAND | Springfield Mayor releases statement on 5th and North Grand community concerns: Memorial Behavioral Health, the City of Springfield’s Community Outreach Coordinator, and the City’s Homeless Outreach Team responded to those concerns Wednesday morning. […] Outreach coordinators were sent out to connect with everyone there, provide referrals, resources, and contact information. “Everyone was given the opportunity to collect their belongings. However, some unclaimed items were left behind,” the Mayor’s Office said. * WCIA | Champaign Co. 911 center experiencing staff shortage: According to METCAD’s Director, Ralph Caldwell, the call center is having a hard time hiring and keeping dispatchers because of the demands of the job. He said the stress and relatively low-pay of the job makes it difficult to keep qualified call-takers. Relatives and loved one of dispatchers, however, have been showing their concern for the lack of staff support. They said it’s not only an added stressor for their loved ones but might impact METCAD’s ability to handle calls. * BND | A second juvenile is arrested in connection with threats made against metro-east school: A 15-year-old has been charged in connection with a social media threat against Cahokia High School last week. Law enforcement officials are not naming the juvenile or the specific charges filed due to the suspect’s age. The teen is being held at the St. Clair County Juvenile Detention Center, Cahokia Heights Police Chief Steven Brown said. * BND | Belleville Oktoberfest is latest metro-east festival ended early by ‘unruly’ juveniles: Officers asked the band to stop playing and began clearing out the crowd about 8:30 p.m., according to Assistant Police Chief Mark Heffernan. The festival was supposed to run until 9 p.m. […] Heffernan estimated that more than 100 juveniles were involved in the disturbance at Oktoberfest. No one had been charged as of Monday, he said, but police still were investigating alleged crimes, including one case of aggravated battery. * SJ-R | Campaign celebrating Abraham Lincoln’s Illinois roots goes from Freeport to Jonesboro: Pontiac, Illinois, could be getting its 10th Looking for Lincoln wayside exhibit with some recently announced grant funding, but did you know there already are 260 exhibits across the state? Many of them are in a community near you. Wayside exhibits are essentially storyboards that serve as historic markers. The exhibits help residents and visitors learn more about Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president and the Lincoln from which the Land of Lincoln gets its name. * AP | The chunkiest of chunks face off in Alaska’s Fat Bear Week: Fat Bear Week doesn’t officially start at Katmai National Park and Preserve until Oct. 2, when fans can begin voting online for their favorite ursine behemoths in tournament-style brackets. But on Tuesday organizers revealed the four cub contestants in this week’s Fat Bear Jr. contest — with the “chubby champ charging on to face the corpulent competition” in the adult bracket, as Naomi Boak of the nonprofit Katmai Conservancy put it during the livestreamed announcement. * NYT | As School Threats Proliferate, More Than 700 Students Are Arrested: “Five years ago, we averaged 29 school threats per month. Last year, we averaged 785 per month,” said Don Beeler of TDR Technology Solutions, a software company that tracks threats using data from schools, the police and news accounts. On the Monday after the Georgia shooting, he said, 500 schools were under threat.
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IRMA, financial institutions escalate battle over swipe fee law
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tulchin is a legit pollster which does lots of work for the House Democrats. The poll, however, has some pretty leading questions. Illinois Retail Merchants Association press release…
* Response…
Discuss.
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Reason for new bill collapses, so all sponsors are left with is a ’stunt’
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * September 19th press release…
* Same day in Center Square…
* Caulkins’ statement about striking out the voting language because it was already covered under federal law did not deter fellow Eastern Bloc member Rep. Adam Niemerg from saying this in a press release five days later…
* But Matt Dietrich, a spokesperson with the Illinois State Board of Elections, told WGLT that the rest of Caulkins’ bill is also already covered under federal law…
*Hard sigh* * Gov. Pritzker was asked about Rep. Caulkins’ bill today in Chicago…
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Rate the new Sorensen ad (Updated)
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The ad… * Transcript…
* Lee Enterprises’ Illinois political reporter Brenden Moore…
McGraw put his first TV ad out last week. …Adding… McGraw campaign…
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * HB5876 from Rep. Ryan Spain…
WGLT reported in July that the FY2025 budget included a nearly 50% cut to operating funds for Illinois soil and water conservation districts.
* HB303 would have prevented the Chicago Board of Education from making any changes to selective enrollment schools until 2027…
* WGLT…
…Adding… Governor Pritzker was asked at an unrelated news conference today about Rep. Caulkins bill…
* HB5879 from Rep. Sonya Harper…
* Rep. Carol Ammons introduced HB5874 earlier this month…
More information about the bill is here.
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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I keep saying it, but nobody listens
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Considering the horribly long lines during every election, the last-minute precinct voting changes, and all the other bungles; I swear, if Chicago and Cook County were in Georgia, people would most definitely say that stuff like this was specifically designed to depress Democratic turnout…
Chicago doesn’t start early voting until October 3rd. But this is all just accepted as the natural order of things.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Why I’m not resigning as CPS chief and we’re not closing any schools CPS CEO Pedro Martinez…
* Related stories… ∙ Fran Spielman: Pushing out Martinez carries huge risks for Mayor Johnson ∙ WTTW: CPS CEO Martinez Asks School Board to Prohibit Closures Until 2027, Says He Refused Mayor’s Request to Resign At 11:30 Governor Pritzker will announce new quantum business investments. Click here to watch. * Tribune | Board of Elections objects to election workers’ union petition, saying union membership constitutes prohibited ‘political activity’: SEIU 73’s communication director, Eric Bailey, said the union was “dumbstruck” that the city had opposed the workers’ petition. “They’re working to ensure the freedom to vote for the people of Chicago,” he said. “All we want is for their freedom to form a union to be upheld in the city of Chicago.” * Tribune | Hundreds of former detainees allege rampant sexual abuse in Illinois and Cook County youth detention centers: ‘Wouldn’t wish my situation on anybody’: “These abuses are horrific in nature,” said attorney Todd Matthews at a Tuesday news conference in the Loop. “This has to stop, it has to stop. It has to be dealt with.” The complaints, filed Monday in the Illinois Court of Claims and Cook County Circuit Court, detailed widespread abuse from 1996 to 2021. The more than 270 plaintiffs in the lawsuits — about 40 women and 230 men — join hundreds of others who have alleged similar abuse. * Chicago Mag | The Man Leading Illinois’s Energy Transition: From an early age, JC Kibbey knew the impact a lack of clean air can have. Growing up in the shadow of coal plants in Lansing, Michigan, he often found himself dealing with respiratory illnesses, the result of exposure to pollution. And when one of those plants closed, he watched as people lost their jobs. That’s all been on Kibbey’s mind in his role as the state climate adviser for Illinois, a position he assumed last December after five years at the Natural Resources Defense Council. At the top of his agenda? Helping the state spend a $430 million federal grant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution — part of President Joe Biden’s signature climate legislation. The funds are expected to help Illinois cut an estimated 57 million tons of emissions by 2050, but Kibbey argues that the state’s energy transition has benefits far beyond curbing climate change. * Patch | Anti-Islamic Survey Alleged In Burr Ridge Area Race: Democrat Suzanne Akhras, who is running for District 82’s state representative, said Tuesday she has received multiple reports that a survey is falsely telling residents she belongs to Islamic terrorist groups. […] Based on her information, Akhras, who is Muslim, said the survey asks, “Would you vote for Suzanne Akhras if you knew she belonged to Islamic terrorist groups?” The survey comes through a text, stating, “Dan here with Political Opinion Research with a poll about the upcoming general election.” A link is given to Survey Monkey. * Sun-Times | Court records show two Springfield insiders profited from a controversial state government program: Ex-Illinois state Sen. James DeLeo, D-Chicago, and prominent Republican lobbyist Nancy Kimme each got 1% of the profits from a clout-heavy company called Vendor Assistance Program LLC, but that lucrative arrangement wasn’t publicly known until a week ago, the court documents and other records show. VAP is led by politically connected lawyer Brian Hynes, who has thrived for more than a decade in a state program that allows a small group of companies to buy government debt. Under the program, VAP and the other companies front unpaid state contractors most of what Springfield owes them, and VAP and other “qualified purchasers” go on to pocket the late-payment penalties from the state. * WGEM | Illinois lawmakers discuss potential changes to how higher education is funded: The state House Appropriations Higher-Education Committee met Monday to discuss a potential new funding model based in equity to make college more accessible. […] “Our competition has grown to include out-of-state flagships, privates and many others that have wooed our students with shiny buildings and new equipment. While this hasn’t changed the quality of education that we provide, it does impact that perception of our students and our perspective families,” said Eastern Illinois University Vice President for Business Affairs Matt Bierman. He said Eastern Illinois University’s enrollment has declined significantly over the past 15 years. * Pontiac Daily Leader | Early voting for the Nov. 5 election is about to begin. Here’s what you need to know: If you missed the deadline to register to vote locally or online, you can still vote using grace period registration. The grace period runs from the end of regular registration through Election Day. Grace period registration takes place in person at local election offices, as well as at some early voting sites and at certain polling places on Election Day. Those taking advantage of grace period registration are required to vote the same day they register. * WCIA | State Board of Elections warns of sample ballots through mail: Officials posted to the board’s Facebook page that people may receive what appears to be a ballot from political candidates or organizations. These are not real ballots; they are sample ballots that cannot be used to vote. People will get a real ballot through the mail only if they ask for one. People who are signed up permanently for voting by mail will receive one automatically from the State Board of Elections. * Sun-Times | Vacant armory can’t be used as police station because of air traffic safety rules, Mayor Johnson says: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration on Tuesday cited federal air traffic safety regulations for the decision to use a former National Guard armory to store and maintain police vehicles, aircraft and other equipment — and not for a new Southwest Side police district. Last week, alderpersons in the area accused the mayor of pulling the rug out from under their longstanding campaign for a new district to speed response times. It would be carved out of the existing Chicago Lawn police district, which serves the second-largest geographic area with the fewest officers per capita. They accused the mayor of thumbing his nose at a bill approved by the Illinois General Assembly and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker calling for the state to sell the closed armory at 5400 W. 63rd St. to the city for $1 “for the express purpose” of creating a new police district. * WBBM | Study on Chicago police reform efforts finds holes in city’s approach: At the request of people within Chicago’s philanthropic community, the New York University School of Law’s Policing Project has been looking into the Chicago Police Department for years. Professor Barry Friedman, the project director, said the city is overly fascinated with finding new approaches to policing rather than focusing on proven methods. * Tribune | New center for organ donors at Rush is first of its kind in Illinois: The Gift of Hope Organ Donor Care Center at Rush is the first of its kind in Illinois. The center accepts patients from area hospitals who’ve been declared brain dead and who’ve been authorized to be organ donors. At the center, doctors and nurses work to keep donors’ organs functioning and ultimately procure their organs, so they can be transported to some of the more than 104,000 people now on waiting lists for organs in the U.S. The center received its first donor Sunday. * Crain’s | Turns out Chicago’s pandemic exodus wasn’t as drastic as it seemed: Although it was the largest exodus from Chicago in five years, it wasn’t nearly as severe as those seen in other big cities, such as New York, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles, according to a Brookings Institution analysis of IRS data on where people filed their taxes from one year to the next. * Tribune | Crazy night saw Chicago White Sox fans conflicted over the possibility of a record-setting loss: “It’s been a long season,” left fielder Andrew Benintendi said. “I think that people here tonight were maybe trying to see history. But they’re going to have to wait one more day.” After a slight pause, Benintendi caught himself and added: “Maybe.” So it’s back again on Wednesday when Davis Martin starts and the Sox attempt to avoid history for a second straight night. They need to win their final five games to avoid holding the record. * Daily Herald Editorial Board | A divisive moment averted: Plans to bring inflammatory speaker to suburbs would only have hurt Illinois GOP: It is hard to wrap our heads around the self-inflicted damage certain northern Illinois Republicans inflicted on themselves and their party in recent days by inviting a misogynistic, homophobic, Holocaust-denying and Black-hating politician from North Carolina to speak at a GOP fundraiser. If former Lake County GOP party leader Mark Shaw was trying to help former President Donald Trump win Wisconsin when he invited Mark Robinson to speak at the Tenth Congressional District Republican Organization in Kenilworth on Sept. 29, he miscalculated. * WGN | Thornton Township trustees ask for auditor to step in amid question over spending: Trustees in Thornton Township are asking for an auditor to step in as they question money being spent on credit cards for events, amid their focus to reign in on spending. “I am the leader for Thornton Township, I am the supervisor for Thornton Township and I’m going to make sure y’all give me my respect and stop playing these games every time you come to the meeting. I need you to please put some respect on my name,” embattled Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard said during Tuesday night’s contentious meeting. * WAND | Increasing diaper costs impacts local families and nonprofits: The Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery provides free childcare to families who don’t have access to reliable care. In addition to childcare, they also offer a small pantry, stocked with diapers and formula. Each month, the crisis nursery hands out more than 250 packets of diapers to families in need and have to turn away dozens when their stock runs out. * WICS | Illinois Veterans’ Homes at Anna and Manteno See Increase in Mild COVID-19 Cases: The Illinois Veterans’ Homes at Anna and Manteno are experiencing increased COVID-19 cases among its veterans and staff and the majority of cases have presented mild symptoms. As of September 24th, the following cases have been reported: Anna: 17 residents and seven staff Manteno: 15 residents and nine staff * WCIA | U of I workers hit day 2 of strike as proposal is rejected: Rain or shine union members were back at it to make their voices heard. And U of I students are feeling the impact of the building and food service workers being out here on the picket lines. It’s day two of a strike for more than 700 workers. There’s no compromise on a contract yet. There was an offer made during yesterday’s mediation session. The union rejected it. * WCIA | UIS scores top public regional university in Illinois rating: The University of Illinois Springfield has been recognized as the top public regional university in Illinois for the sixth year in a row. UIS scored better than several other public universities like Eastern Illinois University, Western Illinois University and Chicago State University. The university tied for 28th place overall for all regional universities in the Midwest with Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, and Winona State University in Minnesota. * PJ Star | Multitalented Peoria native will have recurring role in popular NBC TV show: Peoria native Dionne Gipson will have a recurring role in the upcoming second season of the acclaimed NBC crime drama “Found.” The season debut is Oct. 3. It won’t be the first national exposure for the multitalented Peoria High School alumna. Gipson is an actress, singer and songwriter, born and raised in Peoria. She got her start in the entertainment industry through singing with her father, Byron “Wild Child” Gipson, a popular local musician. She graduated from Florida A&M, a historically black university, and earned a master’s degree in theater arts from Penn State University, according to her website biography. * Politico | The Truth About Emmett Till Wasn’t in Your History Book: What almost nobody knows, including me when I started reporting The Barn, my new book on the untold history of this famous murder, is that he allegedly whistled the day after a long gubernatorial election dominated by intense racial rhetoric. Mississippi during the election of 1955 was a place trapped in a cycle of hysteria, conspiracy and rage. “A Nazi rally,” is how former Gov. William Winter once described to me the state’s mood during the civil rights era. * WaPo | GOP asks court to change voting rules in one state, with impact for all: A panel of federal judges heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could upend the rules for counting a sliver of mail ballots in Mississippi just weeks before Election Day, with possible ramifications for all states. At issue is a Mississippi law that allows mail ballots to be counted if they arrive up to five days after Election Day and are postmarked by Election Day or earlier. Seventeen other states and Washington, D.C., have laws allowing postmarked mail ballots to be counted if they arrive after Election Day, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. Click here to keep up with the La Schiazza trial. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Sep 25, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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