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Trump admin freezes $240 million in grants for Illinois K-12 schools

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* NPR

On Monday, the Trump administration notified states that it was withholding over $6 billion in previously approved federal education grants to schools. The announcement came a day before the July 1 deadline when those funds have traditionally been dispersed, and will likely impact school districts’ plans for the fall.

In messages sent to state education officials, the U.S. Education Department said, “Given the change in Administrations, the Department is reviewing the FY 2025 funding for the [Title I-C, II-A, III-A, IV-A, IV-B] grant program(s), and decisions have not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this upcoming year.”

The message – which was shared with NPR by multiple sources, including The School Superintendents Association (AASA) – said grant money would not go out “prior to completing that review.”

“This is definitely unprecedented to my knowledge,” said Tara Thomas, government affairs manager at AASA.

* According to Education Week, Illinois will lose over $240 million in funding. The first list explains what the funding is for

* More from Chalkbeat

The withheld funds, which were approved by Congress earlier this year, include all $890 million meant to help English learners develop their language skills and $375 million to provide academic support to the children of migrant farmworkers, according to an email that was sent to states by the U.S. Department of Education and obtained by Education Week.

The money being held back also includes $2.2 billion in Title II funds that support teacher training, $1.4 billion for before- and after-school programs, and $1.3 billion in funding for academic enrichment programs, such as STEM and college and career counseling. […]

Congress had previously approved this funding as part of a continuing budget resolution in March, which was supposed to keep K-12 education funding mostly level for the 2025-26 school year. But the Trump administration told states on Monday that it has not yet decided how this money will be allocated, and won’t send funding notices until it completes a review, the email obtained by Education Week stated.

  6 Comments      


Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Institute of Government and Public Affairs

The Illinois Flash Index for June fell to 101.9 from its 102 level in May.

An index reading above 100 indicates growth.

“The end of June marks the conclusion of the state’s fiscal year and the first half of 2025,” said Fred Giertz, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Despite recent political and economic turmoil, the Illinois economy has remained surprisingly stable.”

The Flash Index has stayed within a narrow range, declining slightly. The state unemployment rate has held steady at 4.8 percent for the past three months, down from 5.1 percent a year ago. Illinois has also reduced the gap between the national and state unemployment rates. A year ago, Illinois’ rate was 1.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. rate. Now, the difference has decreased to six-tenths of a percentage point.

For the month, state tax receipts for income and sales taxes increased compared to the same month last year, after adjusting for inflation, while corporate receipts declined. For the fiscal year, real individual income tax receipts grew by 7 percent, whereas sales tax receipts dropped about 1.5 percent. Corporate receipts fell approximately 12 percent following a particularly strong previous year.

*** Statewide ***

* Crain’s | The cost of entry is crushing Illinois’ cannabis entrepreneurs: As of June 2025, the state of Illinois had issued 694 business permits to various companies looking to run marijuana dispensaries, grow facilities, THC-infusing manufacturing operations and transportation businesses. But of those, only 382 have managed to open for business thus far, according to information from the Illinois Department of Federal and Professional Regulation and the Department of Agriculture, which share industry oversight duties.

* WSIL | Grants bring $20M to Illinois libraries for community growth; here’s the list: This announcement comes as libraries nationwide face federal budget cuts. Giannoulias said in March, the Trump administration signed an executive order to eliminate and defund the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides $180 million annually to libraries. Illinois receives nearly $6 million of this funding annually. “We’re doing things differently in Illinois,” Giannoulias added. “Instead of cutting funding that would limit learning and prove harmful to Illinois communities, we’re fighting for Illinoisans to ensure they have the funding and resources to learn, grow and explore today and in the future.”

* WCIA | Corn crops way past ‘knee high at the Fourth of July’ in Central Illinois: “I’ve heard that all my life, and a lot of farmers talk about it, but, oh my gosh, it hasn’t been that way for many years,” Champaign County farmer Dennis Riggs said. Recent extreme heat in the area hasn’t been good for all plants, but it is causing the corn crops to thrive. “It’s really speeding the crop up,” Dr. Fred Below, a crop science professor at the University of Illinois, said. “Corn grows by accumulating heat units. It’s 90 plus, you’re maxing the crop out at 80 units so, as long as they’re getting enough moisture it’s growing as fast as it can.”

* Press Release | IDPH Adds More ZIP Codes to Lead Testing List: The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has announced an expansion of its list of ZIP codes where lead exposure testing is required for children who live within those areas. 180 new zip codes, representing parts of 47 Illinois counties, have been added to the list this year, bringing the total of high-risk ZIP codes to more than 1,350. By this time next year, all remaining ZIP codes in the state will be included, implementing universal childhood lead testing statewide.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | New Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery Launches: - Today, Governor JB Pritzker announced that the newly formed Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) has officially begun operations. Housed in the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the new division integrates the former IDHS Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) and Division of Mental Health (DMH). Governor Pritzker signed an Executive Order February 2025 instituting the change to improve outcomes and access to behavioral health care and to streamline and reduce administrative burdens for providers. The executive action went through the legislative process and became law.

* WGLT | State Rep. Regan Deering announces re-election bid: “If you’re fed up with high prices, woke nonsense, broken schools, and politicians who care more about power than results, I’m your candidate,” Deering said in a statement. During her first term in the state legislature, Deering proposed 11 bills; one passed. It would require the Illinois State Board of Education to post submitted career opportunities for high school students on its website.

* WVIK | Halpin: Vote Against Budget Reflects Underfunding Higher Ed: State Senator Mike Halpin (D-Rock Island) discusses the recently concluded Illinois legislative session, his vote against the budget, education, economic issues, district accomplishments, mental health, the budget process, tariffs and what the national Democratic party needs to do to improve its image.

* WAND | Proposal helping farmers with deer control arrives on Pritzker’s desk: Farmers across the state have told Democrats and Republicans that nuisance deer have caused expensive and costly damage to their crops and farmland. This plan would allow the state to issue antlerless-only deer removal permits based on the percentage of permits redeemed in the previous season. It could also expand youth hunting tags from one to two.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools laid off 161 employees. More cuts could be on the way: The layoffs included 87 people represented by SEIU Local 73 — nearly all of whom were crossing guards — plus 67 employees in the district’s central and network offices, and seven people represented by the Chicago Teachers Union, CPS confirmed to Chalkbeat. The district also said it will not fill more than 200 vacant positions, including 166 at the central office and 19 CTU-represented positions. The district originally said it would not fill 24 open crossing guard jobs as part of freezing those open positions, but late Monday revised that figure to 19.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Police say an ICE worker’s 911 call prompted them to patrol an immigration raid protest: “There were federal agents that needed assistance” with “crowd control,” Chenetra Washington, a police communications operator, said at a hearing on allegations that CPD assisted ICE in enforcement actions last month. Still, Glen Brooks, the director of CPD’s Community Policing office, contended officers weren’t aware that a civil immigration raid was taking place when they arrived at the scene and entered the federal immigration office.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago leaders host hearing over South Loop ICE operation, CPD’s involvement: On Tuesday, the committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights will vote on a measure for Chicago Police, the Office of Emergency Management Chicago, and the mayor’s office to provide all data and communication related to that day. Chicago police were called to the scene, but the department says they were not aware of any ICE activity when they arrived and did not help with any arrests.

* Bloomberg | Trump Hotel Pays $4.8 Million to Resolve Complaint Over Killing Fish in Chicago: Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago will pay $4.8 million to resolve a complaint that it was killing fish in the Chicago River. A system used to cool the building by drawing in river water was sucking in thousands of fish and other organisms, the plaintiffs in the case said Tuesday in announcing the settlement. The complaint was brought in 2018 by the Illinois attorney general and state environmental agency, as well as the Sierra Club and a group called Friends of the Chicago River.

* Crain’s | Fulton Market landlord defies office market struggle with big refi: A joint venture of Chicago-based Shapack Partners, Focus Development and Walton Street Capital is set to close this month on a new $247 million loan backed by the 17-story office building at 167 N. Green St., according to a presale report on the debt offering from ratings agency KBRA. The new mortgage will be used to pay off a $232 million balance on a loan the trio took out from Deutsche Bank in 2021 to refinance the property, which was completed in late 2020.

* Sun-Times | Veteran police dispatcher who was a calming voice for Chicagoans at their worst moments goes off the radio: Debra White’s OEMC dispatch colleagues describe her as the “mama” of the unit, making everyone feel welcome and treating emergency callers with empathy. They held her up when tragedy struck her own family and sent her off to retirement with cake, tears and a procession of police and firefighters.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Illinois Answers Project | Cook County Tried to Erase Medical Debt. For Many, Help Came Too Late: But data shows the majority of debt was relieved for people who likely should have qualified for free care — a sign that hospitals are failing to screen for some of the region’s poorest patients.

* Lake County News-Sun | EPA weighing how to address Lake County asbestos contamination; ‘It’s a pretty isolated location’: Currently inaccessible to the public both by physical means — there is a fence — and an EPA ruling, Dave Nadel, the EPA’s community involvement coordinator for Region 5, which includes the Chicago area, said he is in the process of finalizing the decision-making. Adjacent to the Johns Manville EPA Superfund site, Nadel said the contamination occurred years ago — likely in the 1940s or 1950s — before it became part of the nature preserve in 1964. Not part of Manville’s property, dumping occurred in the past. The discovery of asbestos was more recent.

* Daily Southtown | South, southwest suburban high school districts prepare to implement new AI programs: Several high school districts, including Orland High District 230, Bremen District 228 and Oak Lawn District 229, have expanded technology committees and implemented guidelines on AI in discipline codes, giving teachers autonomy to use AI but prohibiting certain uses, such as generating content. “Because it’s been embedded in so many programs now, we had to come up with a clause in our policy that actually covers that. I mean, AI is just everywhere,” said Marcus Wargin, assistant principal at Oak Lawn Community High School. “We knew we didn’t want to say no to AI, so we just wanted to put some guardrails in place.”

* Daily Herald | What’s next for Spring Brook restoration in Blackwell Forest Preserve?: The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority funded the first two phases of the project — within St. James and Blackwell, respectively — to help mitigate construction impacts associated with road widening. In Blackwell specifically, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County rerouted a section of the creek so that it’s more sinuous or natural. The district also removed a dam structure — a barrier to fish movement. The intergovernmental agreement with the tollway provides funding for the third and final phase of the Spring Brook project, according to district documents. On Tuesday, the forest preserve board is set to vote on a contract with RES Environmental Operating Co., with substantial completion of the work expected by December 2025.

* Daily Herald | ‘A trusted colleague’: veteran Des Plaines Public Works Director Tim Oakley retires: Throughout his lengthy municipal career, Des Plaines Public Works and Engineering Director Tim Oakley kept the city running — above and below ground. But now the state of the city’s streets, sewers and overhead utilities are someone else’s responsibility. After nearly 40 years of public service, Oakley retired June 27.

* Sun-Times | This year’s fireworks could cost you more and cost some suburbs extra, too: All of the fireworks on sale at Uncle Sam’s Fireworks Store in Hammond, Indiana, come from China, said co-owner Dan “Dynamite” Mota. Though the shop bought most of its stock before the president’s tariff policies were first imposed in April, some items required replenishing — Roman candles, for example — and were bought more recently. Last year, the candles at Uncle Sam’s went for $6.95 per package. This year, the same pack is $13.95, according to Mota.

* Daily Southtown | South Holland woman sentenced in theft scheme, pocketed rent payments: A South Holland woman was sentenced to two years in prison for taking more than $18,000 in rent payments while she was working for a property management company, according to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office. Delvya Harris also admitted to fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in federal Paycheck Protection Program loans by falsely claiming she owned a business, Raoul’s office said in a news release.

* Crain’s | Chicago’s pro golf drought continues — except in Bolingbrook: When LIV Golf, the controversial Saudi-funded tour challenging golf’s establishment, lost its residency more than a year ago at the exclusive Rich Harvest Farms club in far west suburban Sugar Grove, local golf fans figured organizers would seek out a new welcome mat at another of the storied private clubs — maybe Medinah or Olympia Fields or Butler National — in the professional golf-starved Chicago marketplace. Not hardly. More than a year ago, on a tight deadline, LIV announced a deal to move its 2024 event to the municipal Bolingbrook Golf Club, a nondescript public course unlikely to appear on the radar of elite touring pros. It’s flat, largely treeless and mostly defenseless in the face of low-handicappers except for the man-made ponds that its designer, Arthur Hills, carved into cornfields three decades ago.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Illinois Wesleyan adds nutrition, physical education and quantum science for 2025-26 school year: A new concentration in Quantum Science and Technology [QST] will be delivered by the Physics department, becoming one of few Midwestern schools offering quantum science at the undergraduate level. Physics chair Narendra Jaggi said QST courses were initially offered on a trial basis to assess student interest and available resources, with introductory courses quickly filling to capacity. “We see this program as a prime example of the deep and broad learning that defines a liberal arts education,” Jaggi said. “It offers interdisciplinary training and encourages strong student-faculty collaboration — an approach that has already propelled our physics majors, and students in our Optics & Photonics concentration, into leadership roles in both academia and industry.”

* WGLT | Connect Go rural transit service launches July 1: The service called Connect Go provides door-to-door transportation for McLean County residents living outside Bloomington-Normal and Towanda. Reservations for Connect Go’s wheelchair accessible vans must be made before noon, one to three weekdays before a scheduled ride. The service is currently available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at no cost to customers.

* WCIA | Coles Co. Board to vote on wind project during Tuesday’s meeting: WCIA previously reported that the Coles Wind project would include 51 turbines, is estimated to create nearly 300 constructions jobs and is projected to add $2.7 million in tax revenue to the area each year. But, not everyone in the community is on board. In previous meetings, residents attended in droves, hoping to prevent the project from happening.

*** National ***

* Reuters | Despite last-minute changes, US Senate bill deals big blow to renewable energy: The U.S. Senate’s massive budget bill that passed on Tuesday will make it harder to develop wind and solar energy projects, despite the removal of some contentious provisions, industry advocates and lawmakers said. The Senate dropped a proposed excise tax on solar and wind energy projects that don’t meet strict standards after last-minute negotiations with key Republican senators seeking better terms for renewables.

* The Atlantic | That dropped call with customer service? It was on purpose: “Yes, sludge is often intentional,” he said. “Of course. The goal is to put as much friction between you and whatever the expensive thing is. So the frontline person is given as limited information and authority as possible. And it’s punitive if they connect you to someone who could actually help.” Helpfulness aside, I mentioned that I frequently felt like I was talking with someone alarmingly indifferent to my plight. “That’s called good training,” Tenumah said. “What you’re hearing is a human successfully smoothed into a corporate algorithm, conditioned to prioritize policy over people. If you leave humans in their natural state, they start to care about people and listen to nuance, and are less likely to follow the policy.”

  6 Comments      


SB 328: Separating Lies From Truth

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

For more information, click here.

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Comptroller Mendoza: All GRF bills released, $1.9 billion in the bank, pension payments will be made early

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller


* Press release…

With the close of fiscal year 2025 on June 30, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza reports another successful year in paying the state’s bills in a timely manner while the state’s Rainy Day Fund balance has again increased to new records.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Illinois Office of Comptroller (IOC) released all pending bills to vendors from the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF), while reporting an end-of-year GRF cash balance of $1.9 billion.

This means the IOC is current on all bills received related to Medicaid, the state’s Group Health Insurance program, elementary and high schools, higher education, and other government operations and programs. 

“Working with Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly, we have positioned the state in the most fiscally stable position we can, given the uncertainties of federal funding in the months to come,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “While we keep a close watch on the latest from Washington D.C., my office will continue to pay providers and vendors as quickly as possible to ensure they have the stability and predictability that they and the people who depend on them deserve.”

During fiscal year 2025, the state’s Rainy Day Fund received more than $256 million in transfers and deposits. Over the next 12 months, another $166 million is estimated to be deposited or transferred, bringing the total to more than $2.5 billion by the end of fiscal year 2026. Comptroller Mendoza continues to be a faithful advocate for making additional payments into the pensions systems and Rainy Day Fund during good years.

“We work hard each year to pay bills on time, build up the state’s emergency reserves and stress fiscal discipline, even in these uncertain times,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “My office will strive for continued improvement in state finances and credit ratings in the new budget year.”

With healthy GRF balances anticipated in July, Comptroller Mendoza will once again exercise a law enacted last year that permits the IOC to pre-pay required monthly pension payments when the state has the financial flexibility to do so.    

“We informed the state retirement systems to send us the vouchers for their November pension contributions this month so we can advance these payments early. This will enable the systems to plan accordingly and keep additional dollars in their investment portfolios into the new budget year,” Mendoza said. 

  17 Comments      


Question of the day

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

U.S. Term Limits (USTL), the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation. Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term limits on Congress. 2025 Illinois state house Rep. Sonya Harper (district 6), has committed support for term limits on Congress by signing the term limits convention pledge.

The U.S. Term Limits pledge is provided to candidates and members of state legislatures. It reads, “I pledge that, as a member of the state legislature, I will cosponsor, vote for, and defend the resolution applying for an Article V convention for the sole purpose of enacting term limits on Congress.”

In the 1995 case, Thornton v. U.S. Term Limits, the Supreme Court of the United States opined that only a Constitutional Amendment could limit the terms of U.S. Senators and House Representatives. According to Nick Tomboulides, Chief Executive Officer of USTL, the best chance of imposing term limits on Congress is through an Article V Proposal Convention of state legislatures.

“The Constitution allows for amendments to be proposed by either 2/3 of Congress or 2/3 of the states. While we’d like for Congress to take the high road and propose term limits on itself, we know they are too self-interested to do that without external pressure.” said Tomboulides. “That is why it is important to get buy-in from state legislators,” he added. Once proposed, the amendment must be ratified by 38 states.”

Tomboulides noted, “More than 87% of Americans have rejected the career politician model and want to replace it with citizen leadership. The way to achieve that goal is through a congressional term limits amendment. Sonya knows this and is willing to work to make sure we reach our goal.”

According to the latest nationwide poll on term limits conducted by Pew Research, term limits enjoy wide bipartisan support. Pew’s analysis states, “An overwhelming majority of adults (87%) favor limiting the number of terms that members of Congress are allowed to serve. This includes a majority 56% who strongly favor this proposal, just 12% are opposed.”

* The Question: Do you support a national constitutional convention to enact term limits for Congress? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.


  32 Comments      


Catching up with the federal candidates

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Crain’s

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton says she’s raised just over $1 million in her campaign for the U.S. Senate.

The campaign didn’t release an exact amount or details on donors, which should be available in filings later this month.

The race to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in 2026 is already crowded. Stratton faces off against fellow Democratic U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a prodigious fundraiser who has amassed a war chest of more than $19 million, and Robin Kelly, who had about $2 million on hand at the end of the first quarter, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

* US Rep. Robin Kelly…

Many top leaders, advocates and champions of the state’s gun violence prevention movement today endorsed Robin Kelly for U.S. Senate. The group has founded gun violence prevention organizations, raised their voices, told their stories and led with passion on ending senseless gun violence in our communities.

“Any Illinois voter who cares about curbing gun violence in our state should know that Robin Kelly is the only choice for the U.S. Senate,” said Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, an activist who began the Wear Orange movement after losing her 15-year-old daughter Hadiya to gun violence. “Robin has proven her leadership in Congress and is the only candidate who will continue championing lifesaving gun violence prevention legislation in the Senate.” […]

Members of the gun violence prevention movement endorsing Kelly for Senate include:

    Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton
    Camiella Williams
    Corey Hardiman
    Delphine Cherry
    Martinez Sutton
    Cassandra Greer-Lee
    Elizabeth Gerald
    Tonya Burch
    Dawn Valenti
    Donald Williams
    LaShawn Littrice
    Carl Williams
    Pamela Bosley
    Trevon Bosley
    Maria Pike
    Pastor Brenda Mitchell

* Politico

Jason Friedman has raised more than $1 million since announcing two months ago that he’s running for the 7th District seat held by Congressman Danny Davis.

What’s interesting: Friedman, a businessman whose family runs the Friedman Properties real estate company, has built up his campaign coffers from individual donations — not his own, according to a statement from his campaign. Friedman has been working the phones and meeting with voters and community leaders since announcing his run April 17.

“I’m energized by the strong support we’ve received since launching our campaign and [am] eager to build on that momentum to deliver results for the 7th District,” he said in a statement.

Waiting game: Davis, who’s 83, told constituents during a weekend town hall that he’ll make a decision in a few weeks about whether he’ll seek re-election for a 16th term.

* The Daily Northwestern

Tucked away in a spacious eventroom in Skokie’s Sketchbook Brewing Company on Sunday afternoon, residents of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District shared drinks, laughs and conversations with eight prospective Democratic candidates who could rewrite the district’s political future for years to come. […]

Attendees from the district heard two-minute campaign speeches from eight candidates — including content creator Kat Abughazaleh, Skokie politician Bushra Amiwala (Kellogg ’25), Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, State Sen. Laura Fine, Evanston native Miracle Jenkins, Evanston advocate Bethany Johnson and Skokie attorney Howard Rosenblum. One contender who presented, State Sen. Mike Simmons, has not yet officially filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission as of Sunday night. […]

The younger candidates, Amiwala and Abughazaleh, who are both in their 20s, drew excitement from younger voters in the crowd, including 26-year-old Lincolnwood resident Mynk Richardson.

Richardson said she was inspired by the pair’s political ambitions despite being so young, and said her ideal Democratic candidate would present new ideas beyond the Democratic Party’s strategy of “playing it safe” in national politics.

* Jewish Insider

As he competes for Illinois’ open Senate seat, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) is hoping that the state’s sizable Jewish community, concentrated in the Chicago area, will help him chart a path to victory in the Democratic primary. […]

“I think Jewish Americans are just like everyone else, first of all, and they care about the full range of issues that all voters care about,” Krishnamoorthi said, when asked by Jewish Insider in a recent interview why the Jewish community should back him.

“However, I do think that they have a desire for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship,” Krishnamoorthi continued, “and I don’t think there’s anybody else with the track record in this race that I possess, showing strong support for that relationship, but also knowing why that relationship needs to continue to be strong on a bipartisan basis, and we need to take this out of politics.” […]

On a series of key votes on Middle East and antisemitism issues since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks in Israel, Krishnamoorthi has sometimes voted against legislation supported by Jewish and pro-Israel groups, but his record on those issues has been stronger than Kelly’s. On several occasions when the two have voted differently, Krishnamoorthi has sided with positions supported by leading Jewish and pro-Israel groups.

Krishnamoorthi was endorsed by AIPAC in his 2024 reelection race; Kelly was not.

* The Daily Northwestern

[Miracle Jenkins], an Evanston native, Democratic political organizer and 31-year-old father, joined the crowded Democratic primary to compete for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D-Evanston) open seat for 2026 in early June, announcing his candidacy via a June 10 YouTube video. The barbecue served as the campaign’s official in-person launch event.

His congressional campaign, “Miracle for the Future,” reaches every corner he’s lived in the 9th district, from his early childhood home in Chicago’s Uptown to his move to Evanston at age 10. […]

Rebecca Johnson, (SPS ’25) one of the campaign’s managers, said she first met Jenkins while working on Toni Preckwinkle’s Chicago mayoral campaign in 2019.

She pointed to his political prowess as a deputy political director for Schakowsky’s 2018 reelection campaign and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential campaign, as well as his own homegrown experience, as integral to his leadership.

“Who better than Miracle, who grew up here in two different parts of the district and saw how different (they) are from each other,” Johnson said. “He just wants to make it equal, not just for the 9th Congressional District, but for everybody.”

* More…

    * WSPY | Davis opts out of congressional run, stays in state race: 75th District State Representative Jed Davis says he’s running again for the Illinois Statehouse. The announcement means Davis won’t be pursuing a run for Congress in the 14th District. “Congress was a serious consideration, but my heart remains with the people of this district, so [I’m] running for reelection as State Representative,” Davis said. “As with all elections, the results rest in the people’s hands.”

  9 Comments      


More proof that the Tribune editorial board doesn’t read or trust its own newspaper

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Chicago Tribune

George Karzas kept his cards close to his chest. At Weston’s Coffee, where he often orders a blueberry muffin and drip coffee with room for cream, the baristas had no idea the longtime restaurant owner planned to close Gale Street Inn. Nor did his many customers in and around Jefferson Park.

“It’s too soon to talk,” Karzas said Friday from the bright red doorway of his restaurant at 4914 N. Milwaukee Ave. He has kept the door locked since Wednesday night.

Karzas announced on Instagram Thursday that Gale Street Inn, a neighborhood staple in operation since 1963, was permanently closed, a troubling trend among local restaurants, industry professionals say. He cited staffing shortages as the primary reason for the abrupt closure.

“Hiring and retaining quality staff has proven too tough for too long,” he wrote. “We are tired of sucking, we have standards you know. But overworking our existing crew is not the answer. There are simply too many of you and not enough of us.”

I loved Gale Street Inn, and I was last there the Friday before it closed. The legendary Hannah Meisel was our guest and our table had a great time. The food was superb, the service was excellent and the music elevated us all.

George is such a cool dude. Very into live music and a longtime Dead Head. The bearded man has some stories, lemme tell you. I’ll miss his restaurant and I’ll miss him.

* That brings us to the Chicago Tribune editorial board

We hardly need to tell you that many locally owned restaurants are the foci of their neighborhoods, which accounts for why there was such a howl of anguish in recent days when the cozy Gale Street Inn on Milwaukee Avenue in Jefferson Park announced its closure. Its famously genial operator, George Karzas, had owned and run the restaurant since 1994. Among his many other good works, he supported his local Jefferson Park theater, The Gift, storefront theaters and storefront restaurants sharing much of the same homegrown DNA in this city. At the Gale Street Inn, you always knew you were in Chicago.

The problem? The current headwinds are many in the restaurant business, including the well-documented rise in food costs. But top of mind of those in the hospitality industry in Chicago is the high cost of labor and the city’s shortsighted decision to get rid of the so-called tipped minimum wage following a campaign by an out-of-state activist group, One Fair Wage, which had worked its agenda on Mayor Brandon Johnson and enough of the aldermen in the City Council. Karzas’ decision to close the Gale Street Inn comes as the tipped minimum wage was set to increase again Tuesday, rising from $11.02 to $12.62 an hour as part of a phased-in approach that has been a progressive nightmare for restaurants.

Um, Mr. Karzas didn’t say the problem was high labor costs. Just the opposite. George said his problem was “Hiring and retaining quality staff” and that he hated “overworking our existing crew.”

That crew was fabulous, by the way. I never had a bad time at the Gale Street Inn.

Also, Karzas spent a bunch of cash during the past year or so turning that restaurant into a shining palace. If money was a problem, it sure didn’t show.

* Frankly, I’m not a fan of the One Fair Wage group and its agenda. They’ve so far failed at the Statehouse to expand the Chicago experiment statewide for good reason.

But my absolute biggest pet peeve is people who will super-impose their own pet peeves on whatever is in today’s news regardless of the reported facts, as the Trib’s edit board has done here.

Respect your own reporters, for crying out loud.

  19 Comments      


Today’s graphs: Mixed success for Pritzker

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Crain’s has a story entitled “As Pritzker seeks a third term, the numbers tell a mixed story of his record so far.” From that piece

  33 Comments      


Pritzker announces Christian Mitchell as LG pick (Updated)

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker announced that experienced government leader Christian Mitchell will join the ticket as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. Mitchell, a former three-term state representative and current First Lieutenant in the Illinois Air National Guard, served as Deputy Governor for over four years during which time he was a principal force behind the transformative $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital plan and the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. The campaign released a new video, Meet Christian Mitchell, highlighting the announcement.

“Christian Mitchell is a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Whether it’s transforming our clean energy future, rebuilding our infrastructure, or keeping our communities safe, Christian has been a force behind so much of our progress. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to continue delivering results for the people of Illinois.”

“There is no one who fights harder for working families than Governor JB Pritzker and I am deeply honored to be his choice for Lieutenant Governor,” said Christian Mitchell. “The Governor has led with courage and compassion, and together we’ve built a foundation that’s moving Illinois forward. I’m ready to build on that progress—lowering costs, expanding opportunity, and making sure every community has the resources and opportunities they deserve. This is about delivering real results for the people of Illinois, and I’m excited to get to work.”

Christian Mitchell began his career as a community organizer on Chicago’s South Side, before going on to serve as a state representative and the first African American executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois. As a Deputy Governor from the start of the Pritzker administration to 2023, Christian oversaw a portfolio that included infrastructure, energy, and public safety.

During his tenure, Christian led efforts on core administration priorities including passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which made Illinois a leader in clean energy. Christian was also a key force behind Rebuild Illinois, the largest capital plan in state history, and cannabis legalization with a nation leading social equity framework. Through the COVID-19 Pandemic, Christian oversaw the state’s medical supply chain, leading on everything from procuring supplies from overseas to ensuring hospitals and frontline workers had the tools they needed to save lives.

After overseeing the Illinois Department of Military Affairs as Deputy Governor, Christian commissioned and now serves as a First Lieutenant and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate in the Illinois Air National Guard. He also serves as Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago, where he oversees government relations, civic partnerships, and business diversity initiatives to drive equitable growth on the South Side and across the region.

* Launch video



…Adding… Governor Pritzker was asked about his LG pick this afternoon at an unrelated news conference

Reporter: Governor, you recently announced today that Christian Mitchell will be your running mate for as lieutenant governor. Why? Why is Christian Mitchell ready to step in as governor as required?

Pritzker: Well, let me start by saying that we have a great Lieutenant Governor right now, and she’s going to continue to serve as lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, for another 18 months. She’s been really a terrific partner, and [it’s] important to me to have somebody who understands government and who has a heart for the people of Illinois, wherever they live and whatever party they belong to.

And Christian Mitchell has demonstrated, I’ve worked with him since he was a state representative, since I was just a candidate for governor, and then he became my deputy governor. He also has worked at the University of Chicago as their community liaison. He is a lieutenant in the Air National Guard, and he is somebody that I have grown to trust.

I’ve seen him usher enormous legislation through the legislature, working with legislators to pass the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, to pass the infrastructure bill, $45 billion capital bill for the state. So he’s a guy who knows how to get big things done, and I’ve worked with him to get it done.

I’m excited for the people of Illinois to get to know him, and also for him to become one of their leaders.

Reporter: How many candidates did you consider and when did you arrive at [that decision?]

Pritzker: Oh, gosh, I mean, there are a number of qualified people that that I considered, and I don’t know if I could name the number. But I can say that we have, I said earlier in my remarks, a lot of really highly qualified people in government today in Illinois. I know that people are down on government in general, but I can tell you, I’ve worked with some really spectacular [people]. You’re seeing some here. And so, if you want to pick somebody who has real government experience, there are a number of people to choose from. There are people outside of government who are highly experienced as managers, as people who can lead. And so I considered people both inside and outside government.

Reporter: When did you make your decision?

Pritzker: It’s one of these things, when did I make the decision. made the decision as soon as I could. But you have to kind of evolve as you’re looking at candidates and contemplating it. I think it wasn’t an easy choice, because there really are some great people to choose from, but I guess the final decision was made maybe more than a week ago.

But I say ‘final,’ there were lots of things to do. Somebody who’s choosing to run as a candidate, [Mitchell] can’t continue, for example, working at the University of Chicago while he’s a candidate. And so that’s one of those things that you’ve got to kind of give a person time to work out

So just to give you a sense for it—but it wasn’t too terribly long ago.

Please pardon any transcription errors.

Discuss.

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Open thread

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Finding this video online is like digging up a super-cringe time capsule. Check out the hair and the outfits. Whew, boy. It’s one of those phases some of us would prefer not to remember, including the awkward Wolfman Jack cameo

I said, “You got my number?”
He said, “Yeah, I got it when you walked in the door”

What up by you?

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Feds want more than 4 1/2 years for ex-ComEd lobbyist convicted in Madigan conspiracy. Sun-Times

    - Federal prosecutors say a former lobbyist for ComEd should be sentenced to more than 4 ½ years in prison for his role in a conspiracy designed to illegally sway former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan — and for lying on the witness stand.
    - The recommendation for John Hooker, 76, comes more than two years after he and three others were convicted for their roles in the lengthy scheme, for which Madigan faces his own 7 ½-year prison sentence.
    - Now Hooker and three others face sentencing in the weeks to come. Hooker is set to go first, on July 14. Monday’s recommendation is the first indication of how the feds want U.S. District Judge Manish Shah to rule in the case.

* Related stories…

* The will be in Peoria at 2:30 pm to sign into law healthcare bills that lower prescription drug costs and expand healthcare access. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Advocates look at next steps after Illinois law requiring halal, kosher options at state-run facilities left out of budget: But hurdles remain as the legislation requires state funding before lawmakers can enact a 12-month implementation period. “We’re just waiting for the appropriation to be made to really implement the program,” said state Rep. Kevin John Olickal, the primary sponsor for the bill in the Illinois House. “This is what we have to work on over the summer.” Olickal, a Chicago Democrat, said he and others who supported the bill understood it was a hard ask to make in an already difficult budget year. But because the bill exists in statute, it’s just a matter of pushing its priority through to the legislature, he added.

* Crain’s | Stratton raises $1M in U.S. Senate bid: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton says she’s raised just over $1 million in her campaign for the U.S. Senate. The campaign didn’t release an exact amount or details on donors, which should be available in filings later this month. The race to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin in 2026 is already crowded. Stratton faces off against fellow Democrats U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a prodigious fundraiser who has amassed a war chest of more than $19 million, and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, who had about $2 million on hand at the end of the first quarter, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

*** Statewide ***

* WNIJ | Illinois State Climatologist wonders how cuts to weather services could play into climate change.: Today, WNIJ Host Jason Cregier and Illinois State Climatologist Dr. Trent Ford discuss what federal funding cuts to weather services could mean for dealing with climate change. Ford says it’s a question worth posing and adds “there’s been a lot of back and forth and what federal policies are proposing.” The challenge he says is figuring out where the federal government is going on the matter. Proposed cuts have included zeroing out a lot of the climate research the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration does.

* Tribune | In July 1: Tax hikes for gas, Zyn and betting. Out: Hotel mini shampoos: While Gov. JB Pritzker earlier this year ruled out across-the-board sales tax increases or another attempt to tax higher earners to cope with a tough financial year, several more tightly focused revenue hikes were included in the $55 billion budget passed by legislators in May and set to take effect July 1. As part of an annual increase tied to inflation, Illinois’ gas tax will increase by about 1 cent to just more than 48 cents per gallon. The tax on diesel fuel will also go up about 1 cent to just under 56 cents per gallon.

* Chicago Mag | Making Some “Illinoise”: Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 concept album about Illinois is indie folk, sure, but so much more: wonky time signatures, epic orchestral suites, vivid lyricism describing oft-forgotten figures in our state’s history, and iconically hokey cover art inviting listeners to “come on feel the Illinoise.” It’s a critical darling and fun for the whole family, especially if your family includes an Illinois history teacher. And if you’ve never driven down DuSable Lake Shore Drive at night blasting the anthemic earworm “Chicago,” I implore you to drop everything and do so now. I’ll wait.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | Eddie Perez announces run for Illinois State Senate 42nd District seat: Edgardo “Eddie” Perez, a U.S. Air Force veteran who currently works at the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, announced Monday that in the 2026 general election he will be running as a Republican for Illinois State Senate in the 42nd District. State Senate District 42 covers a large chuck of Aurora as well as parts of other towns along the Fox River from St. Charles to Yorkville. Currently serving as the state senator for the district is Linda Holmes, a Democrat who has held the seat since she was first elected in 2006.

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois to roll out direct admissions program for most state universities: Illinois students won’t need to fill out applications for most state universities to be admitted — if they have high enough grades. With his signature, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating the direct admissions program. Along with it, he approved bills that implement new state standards for programs offering college credits to high school students, and new requirements for financial aid application assistance.

* WGN | New laws aim to make higher education easier for Illinois students: “Today, we’re making it cheaper and easier to go to college,” Pritzker said. “Preventing headaches for parents and students and tearing down the hurdles for people to reach their full potential.” Peggy Heinrich, President of Elgin Community College, praised the second of four bills passed, which applies new standards to dual credit programs for high school students.

* KSDK | New law invites Illinois counties to join Indiana, but chances are ‘almost nonexistent,’ expert says: A new law takes effect in Indiana on Tuesday that invites counties in Illinois to join the Hoosier State. The counties include Madison, Calhoun and Clinton. While it’s an interesting discussion, many experts said the likelihood of this happening is slim to none. Christopher Duncan, Saint Louis University political science professor, said it would be pretty difficult because even though the Indiana governor signed the bill into law, it would still require approval from both state legislatures and Congress.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Chicago ended 2024 with a $161M deficit: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s already gaping budget hole will be even tougher to fill heading into next year as City Hall officials on Monday closed the book on the 2024 fiscal year, showing the city’s general fund was $161 million underwater. Major sources of revenues in the city’s general fund came in far lower than anticipated, most notably a $175 million pension payment that City Hall wanted Chicago Public Schools to pay back but didn’t, and a $165 million drop in personal property replacement taxes from the state. In all, general fund revenues in the $16.77 billion budget were $378 million lower than the city expected.

* Sun-Times | City Hall wrapped up 2024 with a zero balance in its operating checkbook: Chicago closed the books on 2024 with an unassigned balance of zero for the first time in recent memory, in part because the Chicago Public Schools failed to reimburse the city for a $175 million pension payment for non-teaching school employees. At the end of 2023, the unassigned balance not yet dedicated for a specific purpose was $226.6 million, even after Johnson followed his predecessor Lori Lightfoot’s lead by devoting $306.6 million to a “pension advance” that exceeded Chicago’s statutory requirement.

* Crain’s | Audit reveals Chicago blew through a key budget reserve in 2024: To cover that loss, the city’s so-called unassigned fund balance, which has been dipped into to cover emergency costs and help close budget gaps over the years, was completely wiped out and finished 2024 without a dollar in the account, city officials told reporters today. Johnson’s financial team sought to downplay the consequences of the move in a briefing with reporters ahead of the audit’s release.

* If you need it click here for background. Jeremy Gorner


* Tribune | Chicago Housing Authority gives another big payout to terminated executive: Another recently departed Chicago Housing Authority executive has received a hefty payout from the agency, marking the 10th exited senior leader to obtain a settlement in the last five years and topping off the agency’s payout expenditures at more than $868,000. Ann McKenzie, CHA’s former chief development officer, was terminated from her role Feb. 14, the agency disclosed in June through public records, and received roughly four and a half months of severance pay, according to her separation agreement. The Tribune first reported her departure in February. CHA did not provide an explanation for her termination, nor do public records show any history of disciplinary action.

* Block Club | ‘Loose Cannon’ Lifeguard Who Shot 2 Teens At Pool Previously Shot Dogs In Lakeview, Sources Say: Michaels told Block Club she was talking to two neighbors after taking out the trash when a man approached with a “weird” demeanor. Michaels said the dogs never approached the man and she doesn’t believe they were acting aggressive. “He was being really weird, so they just barked,” Michaels said of the shooter. “I was like ‘come on guys, let’s go inside,’ and he turns and he grabs his gun and starts shooting.”

* WTTW | What’s the Story Behind Chicago’s Piping Plovers?: There used to be a few thousand of them, spread across the entire Great Lakes, but then people took away a lot of the beaches where they lived — building houses, hotels, marinas and resorts. By 1986, there were only about a dozen piping plover pairs left in the Great Lakes, all of them nesting in Michigan. The future looked so bleak for our feathered friends that they were officially added to the Endangered Species list.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Northwestern University president to appear again before Congress in August: Northwestern University President Michael Schill is slated to appear for a second time before a congressional committee over alleged antisemitism on campus. Schill will participate in an interview with the House Committee on Education & Workforce on Aug. 5, according to a Northwestern spokesperson. Committee Chairman Tim Walberg, R-Mich., first sent a letter to Schill to testify in April, accusing Northwestern of failing to fulfill its commitment to protect Jewish students.

* State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke: Cook County has new tools in the fight for reproductive freedom: The Cook County state’s attorney’s office is responding to this threat head-on by creating the Choice Protection Unit (CPU). The CPU brings together seasoned attorneys, investigators and victim/witness specialists from every division of our office. In addition to their current caseloads, these public servants have volunteered to participate in trainings, collaborate with experts, and stay abreast of current legal issues and legislative initiatives so that when these crimes are committed in Cook County, we will be prepared to successfully prosecute them with the full force of our office. The CPU will also monitor and analyze the evolving legal landscape so that we can respond swiftly and effectively as new threats and tactics emerge.

* Daily Southtown | Blue Island distributes water sampling kits in effort to eliminate lead lines: Blue Island resident Sarah Haskell said she avoids letting her 1-year-old son drink tap water, as she is worried about contamination of lead in water lines. Instead, she keeps a Brita water filter on hand in her refrigerator. When Blue Island expanded its water sampling procedures mid-June, distributing lead and copper test kits to 60 randomly selected households as part of a project aiming to replace all water lead lines, Haskell said she was relieved.

* Daily Herald | Kelvin Roston Jr. pays tribute to soul great Donny Hathaway at Northlight Theatre: Kelvin Roston Jr. channels singer/songwriter, Chicago native and soul legend Donny Hathaway (“A Song for You,” “This Christmas”) in “Twisted Melodies,” a solo show that Roston created. It unfolds over one day in 1979, the year Hathaway — who was also known for his collaborations with Roberta Flack (“Where is the Love?” “The Closer I Get to You”) — died. Ron OJ Parson directs Northlight Theatre’s production. Note: This production includes themes some audiences may find challenging.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Westville library awarded grant to improve technology, internet accessibility: The Westville Public Library District was awarded a tech grant from the Illinois Secretary of State. It’s getting around $30,000 to help improve the library experience. State officials said the grant’s purpose is to buy things like new software and technology and increasing internet accessibility. The library’s director said he’s not sure what they’ll be spending their money on but the goal is to get the community involved.

* WCIA | ‘Sometimes we would cry’: Danville says goodbye to Bresee Tower: Now that the tower is gone, many are wondering: what’s next? Several people in Danville voiced their opinions, but Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said to be patient — because he’s hoping for something special. Breese Tower has been topping the city’s skyline for more than 100 years. Nearly two months ago construction crews started demolishing the building, which Williams said was a long time coming.

* WGLT | As energy prices rise, Ecology Action Center brings back a residential group buy solar program: EAC Energy Coordinator Michael Bay said they did partner with the state in recent years for the Illinois Shines program, but they were not able to partner with any other organization during that time. “But our partnership with Illinois Shines ended, I believe, at the end of last year, which gave us the opportunities to partner with MREA again and restart the program,” Bay said. “And we want to do it with them because it’s been a successful program … so we wanted to get started again.”

* BND | Madison County explosion leaves family of five injured and without a home: Samantha Romero, who lives directly across the street from the home and said she was awakened by the explosion, said her aunt and uncle had complained to Ameren Illinois about the smell of gas in the house. “This could have been prevented,” Romero said. “They had trouble smelling gas in the house. They kept complaining to the gas company. They came out and kept saying everything was OK.”

*** National ***

* NBC | Supreme Court turns away online censorship claim by RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine group against Meta: The justices left in place lower court rulings that tossed out the lawsuit, which claimed that Facebook, starting in 2019, colluded with the federal government to restrict access to its content. The issue came to a head during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Facebook removing the group’s page in 2022. […] Lower courts, including the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled in favor of Meta, saying there was no evidence of coordination with the government, meaning it was not a “state actor” bound by the First Amendment.

* The Hill | Focus turns to Murkowski as vote-a-rama stretches to 21 hours: In recent hours, the focus has turned to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), whose vote one senator described as a “coin flip.” Late Monday, a group of conservatives huddled with Thune as it became clear an amendment they were pushing to further reduce Medicaid spending did not have the votes to pass.

* Politico | Lisa Murkowski slams the brakes on the GOP megabill: The Alaska senator has been the subject of an intense whip effort by GOP leaders over the past couple of hours as they try to offer her reassurances on Medicaid and food assistance. Thune, Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso talked to Murkowski on the floor for roughly an hour overnight. Thune and Murkowski huddled briefly in his office, and they were mum on details when they emerged shortly before 4 a.m.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Tuesday, Jul 1, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times

As senators spent Monday debating President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax bill, Illinois Democrats, advocates and experts warned that the measure’s $1.2 trillion in cuts would cost more than 500,000 Illinoisans their health care coverage and put about 427,000 people at risk of losing food assistance. […]

In total, the Senate bill includes about $4 trillion in cuts and makes Trump’s 2017 tax rates permanent, while also adding new ones, including no taxes on tips. The bill would also provide $350 billion for border and national security, including for deportations.

But an analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that 11.8 million more Americans would become uninsured by 2034 if the bill passes. The package would also increase the deficit by nearly $3.3 trillion over the decade, the analysis found.

The Senate package’s largest cuts include $1.2 trillion to Medicaid and food stamps — making states pay a minimum of 5% and up to 25% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP] benefit costs. That would place an astonishing budget cost onto Illinois that could force lawmakers to cut benefits, or the number of recipients.

* Click here for the full list. KSDK’s Mark Maxwell


* Illinois Federation of Teachers…

Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) President Dan Montgomery has announced that he will not seek reelection this fall at the union’s convention, concluding 15 years of transformational leadership and decades of service to public education, the labor movement, and working families.

Since his election in 2010, Montgomery has been a tireless advocate for IFT members, public education, state services, and all Illinoisans. He was unanimously reelected by delegates in 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022, leading the 103,000-member union through a period of significant growth, increased activism, and bold advocacy. […]

A successor will be elected at the IFT convention in October.

*** Statewide ***

* WGN | Law banning little shampoo bottles in Illinois hotels goes into effect Tuesday: This doesn’t mean an Illinois hotel guest will be totally unable to get a small plastic shampoo bottle, for example. The law says a hotel may provide personal care products in small, single-use plastic bottles to a person at no cost, upon request, at a location other than a guest room. In other words, according to the law, if you go to the front desk and ask for a little shampoo bottle, you can still get one.

* Politico | The politics of Dobbs persists: The political action committee that for decades supported candidates who back abortion rights in Illinois — making the state a haven for reproductive choice — is taking its political playbook to red states, including Indiana and Arkansas, which virtually ban the procedure. “Since Roe fell, there are many PACs bubbling up in different states. I’ve been talking to new organizations, sharing our playbook, our questionnaires and ideas about where to start,” Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick tells Women Rule.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Guard | Gov. Pritzker Signs College Access and Affordability Bills into Law: Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), community college presidents, and legislators to sign bills into law that will support Illinois high school students pursuing higher education. Governor Pritzker signed four bills into law that help improve college access and affordability: HB 2967, HB 3096, HB 3097, and HB 3522. During his February State of the State Address, Governor Pritzker emphasized that support for college admissions would be a priority initiative during this year’s session.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Future of NASCAR’s downtown Chicago weekend is unclear going into the third year of contract: The future of NASCAR in Chicago is murky going into its third edition on the first weekend in July. The three-year contract between the motorsports organization and the city that was announced in 2022 has two mutual options, and their fate is unclear. Giese said there have been “good conversations” between NASCAR and the city, and there is time to work on the possibilities beyond the event. “So really right now the focus is on let’s execute a really great 2025,” Giese said. “We’ll continue to have the conversations with the city. But right now, honestly, the more consistent conversations are the planning conversations.”

* Sun-Times | A once-resplendent bandstand in Garfield Park is getting the $2 million restoration it deserves: The work includes restoring the marble cladding on the bandstand’s 1,600-square-foot cloverleaf-shaped base and also fixing up the mosaic panels along the structure’s parapet. And the bandstand’s most visible feature — an ornately-detailed copper dome that’s a showstopper, even in its long-dulled state — will be restored as well.

* Sun-Times | Park District lifeguard accused of shooting two teens is a ‘terrifying threat to the community,’ judge says: A Chicago Park District lifeguard displayed a “terrifying lack of judgment” when he shot two teenagers outside the Douglass Park pool Thursday night, a Cook County judge said Sunday. The lifeguard, 55-year-old Charles Leto of Lake View, was charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly killing 15-year-old Marjay Dotson and critically wounding 14-year-old Jeremy Herred. Leto also shot at a third teenager but did not hit him, authorities say. […] Leto then called police and said he was attacked by the boys and shot them in self-defense. But prosecutors said witnesses and surveillance footage do not indicate he was in any immediate danger.

* Tribune | Florida man with ties to Loretto Hospital indicted in massive $233 million COVID fraud scheme : Jamil Elkoussa, 35, who currently resides in Orlando, is the latest to be charged in a fraud scheme involving the small West Side safety-net hospital that became a lighting rod of controversy during the coronavirus pandemic for administering vaccinations to connected insiders and paying millions in contracts to companies with close ties to facility administrators. The indictment made public Monday charges Elkoussa with five counts of wire fraud and seeks forfeiture of a $4.9 million home in Miami, as well as properties in Alsip, Burr Ridge, Homer Glen and South Holland. A lawyer for Elkoussa could not immediately be reached.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Hospital staffer slams cuts at former Ascension hospitals as Illinois senators step up oversight: Complaints continue that cutbacks by Prime Healthcare, the company that took over several Ascension hospitals in Illinois in February, are moving too rapidly — and with limited input from clinicians — at some of these hospitals. Changes to services at Prime hospitals in Joliet, Aurora and Kankakee have been criticized by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, with the Illinois democrats’ seeking explanations for cutbacks and closures, and urging Prime to maintain current levels of care at all eight of its Illinois hospitals.

* Daily Herald | Republican state lawmaker won’t run for Congress in 14th District after all: Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville has one fewer potential Republican challenger to worry about in 2026. State Rep. Jed Davis of Newark on Monday announced he’ll seek reelection to the state House rather than run for Congress. “Illinois is worth the fight,” Davis said in a Facebook post. “I’m officially running for reelection as your State Representative because the job’s not finished. From helping local families to proposing real solutions — and standing firm against broken policies and politicians — our voices matter now more than ever.”

* Fox Chicago | Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program is back open — how to apply: The Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program has opened again. This program helps not only with down payments, but also closing costs and mortgage buydowns. The program provides subsidies of up to $25,000 or 5% of the home’s sale price, whichever is less. The assistance is provided as a forgivable second loan over a five-year term. Households with an annual income at or below 120% of the area’s median income are eligible.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Oswego trustees look at criteria for downtown grant program: The program has undergone revisions from involving facade improvement grants to include various other upgrades over the years. The grant program was last updated in 2018 to permit additional types of improvements. So far this year, $100,000 in grants have been awarded. “The overall intent is to enhance downtown real estate,” Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said in a report to trustees.

* Daily Herald | ‘To see this in my lifetime is huge’: Regional 911 facility set to debut in Libertyville: With construction of the $53.8 million Regional Operations and Communication Facility essentially complete, county officials opened the doors for a behind-the-scenes look Friday with nearly 300 in attendance. The facility was built for a new consolidated 911 agency called LakeComm and goes fully operational later this summer. Created in June 2024 to provide faster, more coordinated emergency responses, LakeComm now comprises 25 members representing 30 police and fire agencies in Lake County.

* Daily Herald | Mother-daughter duo unleashes dog-friendly market in Arlington Heights: They offer pet-related products from local vendors and commercial dog food alongside homemade smoked pet treats. Shchekin, a chef by trade, brings culinary expertise to her smoked creations. The event Sunday featured organizations devoted to pet rescue and dog training, as well as services such nail clipping and pet embroideries. Food for hungry pet owners included barbecue, lemonade and baked goods.

*** Downstate ***

* Capitol News Illinois | ‘Hidden gem’: Growing number of visitors discovering southern Illinois as travel destination: Carol Hoffman, executive director of the Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau, said the primary draws to southern Illinois are the outdoor recreation activities in Shawnee National Forest, including hiking, cycling, rock climbing and ziplining, as well as another Illinois surprise linked to the unusual terrain: vineyards and five wine trails. The bureau has appealed to riders of the Chicago Transit Authority with a recent signage campaign that invited potential travelers to “go where the bus won’t take you” and to “come see our skyscrapers.”

* IPM | Immigration advocates in Central Illinois face uncertainty, chaos following birthright citizenship ruling: Madelyn Cox-Guerra is a staff attorney with the Normal-based Immigration Project. She represents about 35 immigrant families across Central and Southern Illinois from her office in Champaign. Cox-Guerra said the court’s non-answer on the legality of birthright citizenship, which was enshrined in the 14th Amendment shortly after the Civil War, leaves a great deal of uncertainty. “[The Trump administration has] the option to start enforcing the executive order in whatever way that they can, which will at the very least cause confusion,” Cox-Guerra said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.

* WSIL | Marion Ministerial Alliance receives large food donation: The Marion Ministerial Alliance received a large donation of food over the weekend, thanks to a church organization based out of Utah. JR Russell, Executive Director with the Marion Ministerial Alliance, stated they received 9 pallets of food on June 28, part of a large donation which benefitted multiple area food pantries thanks to a distribution grant through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints out of Salt Lake City.

* WCIA | Gao Grotto holds Thunder on Vermilion boat race: Gao Grotto held its annual Thunder on the Vermilion boat race this weekend, bringing in boaters from all over the Midwest and as far as Long Island, New York. The money raised from the event helps to fund the organization’s two-week summer camp with AMBUCS — an organization dedicated to helping people with mobility and learning disabilities.

*** National ***

* WIRED | ICE Rolls Facial Recognition Tools Out to Officers’ Phones : Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is now using a mobile app called Mobile Fortify that allegedly allows agents to identify individuals by pointing a smartphone at their face or capturing contactless fingerprints, 404 Media reports. The app reportedly taps into government databases, including Customs and Border Protection’s Traveler Verification Service and a DHS biometric intelligence system, in an attempt to match facial images taken in the field against prior government-collected records. ICE says the tool is intended to help officers identify “unknown subjects,” but civil liberties advocates tell 404 Media that it may open the door to surveillance-driven profiling and wrongful arrests.

* AP | NOAA delays the cutoff of key satellite data for hurricane forecasting: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday it is delaying by one month the planned cutoff of satellite data that helps forecasters track hurricanes. Meteorologists and scientists warned of severe consequences last week when NOAA said, in the midst of this year’s hurricane season, that it would almost immediately discontinue key data collected by three weather satellites that the agency jointly runs with the Defense Department.

* Stereogum | AI-Generated Psych-Rock Band The Velvet Sundown Rack Up Hundreds Of Thousands Of Spotify Streams: A few weeks ago Timbaland unveiled the not-human artist TaTa, who was the first signee of his AI record label Stage Zero. Now there’s a new AI-generated act on the scene called the Velvet Sundown, and they have over 400,000 monthly listeners on Spotify after less than a month of existing. […] Neither the Velvet Sundown nor its four members (“vocalist and mellotron sorcerer Gabe Farrow, guitarist Lennie West, bassist-synth alchemist Milo Rains, and free-spirited percussionist Orion ‘Rio’ Del Mar”) had social media until yesterday (June 27) when they created an Instagram. The pictures of the “band” are very obviously and disturbingly AI-generated.

  14 Comments      


C’mon, man

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Not good

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inner circle worked with outside lobbyists who were not registered to lobby on behalf of the city in the Illinois General Assembly, a practice his office defended after repeated inquiries into the makeup of his intergovernmental affairs team in Springfield.

Email records and Springfield sources indicate that three lobbyists — Lakeisha Purchase, Frank Bass and Vincent Williams — coordinated with top Johnson officials during the most recent session. But they did not update their state registration to show the city among their lobbying clients before the Illinois General Assembly adjourned June 1.

In an interview on Friday, the mayor’s new lead Springfield IGA director, John Arena, argued those lobbyists did not need to register because their contracts with the city were still “pending.” In the meantime, Purchase was only “helping facilitate” lobbying, while Bass was coordinating with the city’s team in his capacity as a lobbyist for the Chicago Teachers Union and Williams as one for the Chicago Transit Authority, Arena said.

* From the statute

“Lobby” and “lobbying” means to communicate, including the soliciting of others to communicate, with an official as defined in subsection (c) for the ultimate purpose of influencing any executive, legislative, or administrative action at the State, municipal, county, or township government level. […]

Sec. 3. Persons required to register.
(a) Except as provided in Section 9, any natural person who, for compensation or otherwise, undertakes to lobby, or any person or entity who employs or compensates another person for the purposes of lobbying, shall register with the Secretary of State as provided in this Act

Always err on the side of caution. If someone might remotely be considered a lobbyist, then register that person.

Just fill out the freaking paperwork, for crying out loud.

* Scroll down through the Tribune story

“This is the most, I would say, emaciated I’ve seen a lobbying team for a mayor of the city of Chicago in Springfield,” said state Rep. Curtis Tarver, a Chicago Democrat and an assistant majority leader in the Illinois House. “They’ve not had a comprehensive agenda. It’s hodgepodge.”

Um, the city’s top Statehouse lobbyist John Arena was paid almost $11,000 to run Josef Michael Carr’s 2022 Democratic primary race against Rep. Tarver. Some hard feelings might perhaps remain, but Tarver is far from alone in his opinion.

  16 Comments      


Pritzker on community colleges, property taxes and the grocery tax

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The governor was asked today about his failed push to let community colleges offer four-year degrees

Pritzker: Let’s all remember that’s the goal of what I have proposed is to fill some specific types of positions that we don’t produce enough degree holders for in the state of Illinois. There are a number of those but it’s a limited number. We may have programs across the state that have degree opportunities for people but they may produce hundreds when we need thousands. And so just in those very specific niche areas, that’s what we’ve been focused on.

It’s not about opening 48 community colleges to offer four year degrees of every sort. It’s really in these niche areas, some parts of nursing, some parts of advanced manufacturing and so on where we need more people than we are currently producing.

So obviously, the universities want to take up as much of that opportunity as they can, but you have to remember the benefit of having programs like this. And again, these niche programs in community colleges it’s less expensive for people, and they will typically be people come from the surrounding area, because community colleges don’t typically offer dormitories or a place to live. And so you’re talking about people live in a local area.

So yes, I’m excited to continue on the pursuit of it. I want to remind you, for people who think, Oh, hey he proposed something that didn’t pass. I want to look at all the legislators behind me and ask them if everything that they propose in any given General Assembly is something that gets done in that General Assembly? Or do you sometimes have to work two, four, six years, maybe longer, to get something done?

And I would point out that my my deputy governor, Andy Manar, when he was a state senator for 10 years, proposed this, I think, more than 10 years ago, to try to get this done. And it’s been around for quite some time. So I’m going to continue to work at it. I don’t give up on something that’s a good idea.

Please pardon any transcription errors.

* Pritzker talked about property taxes on the campaign trail last week. From the Peoria Journal Star

Pritzker said during a campaign stop in East Peoria that property tax reform is big in his purview.

“We need to address the property tax problems that face people across Illinois,” Pritzker said Thursday. “That takes a lot of work because it’s not just a one-time solution, it’s something that requires us to increase investment in education, that is the biggest problem. You get your property tax bill, most of that is paying for education locally.”

Pritzker then blamed high property taxes on a lack of education investment in Illinois in years past.

“We were last in the nation when I became governor at funding education from the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said. “Now, we went from 24% funding to 40% funding. We’ve got a little ways to go to be the best in the country, but I’d like to just be average. We went from being last — being average would mean getting to 46%. So that’s a big deal, we’re going to keep working on that and that’s something that would require getting reelected.”

* Grocery tax

During a campaign announcement celebration in Springfield, Pritzker was asked how he squared with that fact that cities like Jacksonville reinstated the [1 percent grocery tax]. His response was that municipalities should have found other ways to make up funding.

“I think that the grocery tax is very, very regressive, and that’s why we took it away from the state, we no longer have a state grocery tax,” Pritzker said. “So, I’ve discouraged that – there are other ways for local governments to fund their needs.”

After the June 9 Jacksonville City Council meeting, Mayor Andy Ezard said keeping the tax going just made sense and that local grocery prices wouldn’t really change.

“I think the council realized that this tax has been in effect for over 30 years, and if we eliminated it – we do like eliminating taxes – but if we eliminate this one, it takes up about a half million dollars of our revenue,” Ezard said.

Discuss.

  12 Comments      


A look at the Republican gubernatorial candidates

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* On the day JB Pritzker announced his first reelection bid in July of 2021, three already announced Republican opponents issued responses: Darren Bailey, Paul Schimpf and Gary Rabine.

The declared Republican field so far this year

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in February. Lake Forest businessman and former 10th Congressional District candidate Joe Severino joined the GOP field in April. Phil Perez, a mechanic and member of the Posen Park District Commission, is also running.

More from those folks

Mendrick said Pritzker is offering Illinoisans more of the same and might not finish his term.

“For him, an election is like, ‘Hey, can I buy that election on aisle three because I want to buy a different election on aisle four in a couple years.’ It’s just fast food, pay-to-play politics,” Mendrick told The Center Square.

Severino has criticized other Republicans and said the GOP nominee must not be someone who has helped shield Democrats.

“We have to draw a distinction between the Republican agenda and ideologies and values versus what we’ve had for the last six-and-a-half years. I think when there’s a stark contrast rather than blurring the lines with these pseudo-Republicans, people will shake off the voter fatigue and show up at the ballot box and it will favor the Republicans,” Severino told The Center Square.

Other Republicans rumored to be considering a run include Illinois U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, and state Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City. […]

“The current administration hasn’t done a good job of being straightforward with the people of Illinois. I think that honesty is going to be the best policy in this campaign,” Perez told The Center Square.

Perez called the Pritzker administration’s taxing and spending “outrageous” and said his biggest priority is to get Illinois back on track.

* More from Sheriff Mendrick

“It’s disappointing where we are right now, I think, in Illinois. We’ve been basically taxed back into the Stone Age. I didn’t think it could get any worse till I hear they want to tax mileage on your car and put in a device to track you while they do it,” Mendrick said. […]

“It’s the definition of insanity electing someone like him again. Do you really think it’s going to be different the third term or do you think we’re going to have more of the same taxation, violation of law?” Mendrick asked.

Nice to see the sheriff is buying into deliberately false Facebook posts.

* Rep. Dan Ugaste has said he’s considering a bid…

Last week in East Peoria, Governor Pritzker stated that enacting property tax reforms is now a legislative priority as he intends to seek a third term in office. Yet, for the last seven years the Governor has been in office, he and the supermajority Democrats have done nothing to help Illinois residents with enacting any reforms to help lower sky-high and ever-increasing property tax rates.

The problems could not get much worse. Illinois has the second worst effective property tax rate in the nation, according to Rocket Mortgage. In addition, a study from SmartAsset named Peoria as the city with the highest property taxes in the nation relative to median home value.

“It is absolutely outrageous for the Governor and Democrat supermajority to now come out and say they want to lower property taxes in Illinois,” stated Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva). “After seven years of doing nothing, now we should trust that the Governor and his party’s supermajorities plan on addressing the problem? I’ve filed real legislation to provide relief, and I’ll drive to Springfield today if the Governor is ready to finally stand up for working families and join me.

“If the Governor is serious, then stop campaigning and start governing,” Rep. Ugaste continued. “Call a Special Session. Let’s vote. My bill, HB 9, which would have provided nearly $2.8 billion dollars in property tax relief this year alone, has been ready to go since last Session. Once fully implemented, some areas of the State could see a 50 percent reduction in their property tax levy. It is estimated this plan could save Illinois property taxpayers approximately $82 billion over the next 21 years.”

HB9 would take the difference between 25 percent of all state general funds appropriations and what’s spent on pensions and then use that money for the property tax relief fund. By my calculation, that would be $3.3 billion in the coming fiscal year. The bill does not specify how that new payment would be funded. But that’s a lot of cuts and/or tax hikes.

* Freedom Caucus…

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has made his bid for a third official, but the Illinois Freedom Caucus is urging Illinois voters to stop him from doing to the country what he has done to Illinois by stopping his re-election bid.

Under Governor Pritzker’s watch the budget has grown from $40.3 billion to a whopping $55 billion. He has consistently refused to exercise any fiscal restraint. He has spent hundreds of millions on illegal immigrants. Instead of getting tough on crime, he continues to target honest gun owners. The Illinois Freedom Caucus is issuing the following statement on JB Pritzker’s re-election announcement.

“By every measure, JB Pritzker’s tenure as Governor has been a complete disaster. Despite massive state spending, we have done nothing to address Illinois’ pension crisis, nor have we done anything to lower property taxes under his watch. Even when confronted with a massive budget hole, Governor Pritzker still signed into a law yet another record spending bill. The combination of high taxes and the Governor’s far-left policies has made Illinois a leader in the nation in outmigration. If Governor Pritzker’s leadership was so great – why is Illinois consistently a leader in outbound moves every year? We can’t allow Governor Pritzker’s presidential bid to get any momentum and the way to do that is to stop him in 2026. He has already set our state back financially and morally. For the good of the country, we must not give him a third term.”

Those spending growth claims are debunked here and here.

* Related…

  25 Comments      


RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments.

Retailers like Steve in Metro East enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.

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What Pritzker says he’s looking for in a running mate (Updated x2)

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The governor was asked about potential running mates today during an unrelated press conference

Pritzker: Mostly, there have been people who have reached out to me to let me know about people they want to advocate for. Certainly, over the last few months, since our great lieutenant governor, Juliana Stratton, decided and announced that she was going to run for United States Senate. There have been folks who hoped that I might run for re-election and choose a running mate, so that’s really all there have been. But terrific people recommended to me a number of just excellent candidates to choose from. […]

Pritzker: Again, you understand what my criteria are. I start out with the question: Is this person qualified to be governor of the state? Because that’s really the question that we’re asking when we choose a lieutenant governor, first. And then again, a question about: Has this person demonstrated that they care deeply, as much about people who live in areas that they don’t live in, or who have different views than they do, in parts of the state that they’re not from?

So those are, like I said, those are mostly the, at least the first part of vetting.

And then we go through for appointees in the administration. I mean, broadly, everybody from a cabinet secretary in the cabinet of my administration to people who serve on important boards and commissions. We do a vetting process for them, that you understand what those things are. I think we want to make sure that whoever it is has the qualifications that they say they do and things like that.

So those are very simple. But again, most of the people that were recommended to me, that I’ve thought of, are people who meet all of those standards to begin with. And the ones at least that are on my short list, meet all those standards.

…Adding… On if the Governor will serve a full term if re-elected

Reporter: How likely do you think that the person you select might actually have to step into the role of governor, say in the next two years?

Pritzker: I don’t know I feel like I’m in decent health. My doctor says so. So I hope that wouldn’t be a reason. And I don’t know, I whatever the odds are that a lieutenant governor, you could probably look back in the history of since 1818, when we became a state of Lieutenant Governors stepping in. So I don’t know what those odds are, but it’s happened a few times, but not too terribly often.

But I also think that that person becomes a prominent person in public life, like Juliana Stratton has and and whether they end up running for governor at some future date, rather than just rising into the position, or they end up running for other statewide office. I think being lieutenant governor is a really important position to hold, and they have duties that are quite important for people all across the state.

…Adding… The Illinois Latino Agenda…

Following Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement that he’s running for re-election while Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton pursues a bid for U.S. Senate, the Illinois Latino Agenda calls on Governor Pritzker to partner with a Latino running mate:

“As the state’s second largest racial or ethnic group and one of the most rapidly growing demographics, Latinos consistently contribute to Illinois’ economy through labor, homeownership, purchasing power and entrepreneurship. It’s essential that our state government understands and is accountable for including Latinos in its priorities – especially in the face of a federal government that’s actively working to eliminate and punish our presence.

“For all of those reasons, the Illinois Latino Agenda calls on Governor JB Pritzker to leverage this opportunity to select a Latino running mate for Lieutenant Governor as he pursues re-election. A statewide executive office that reflects the communities it serves, includes Latino leadership in decision-making roles, and elevates Latino voices is one that has greater trust from more communities and deepens future civic engagement.”

* Related…

    * Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker is running for reelection. Who will he pick as his No. 2?: “They’ve got to be somebody who can do the job — if something happens and they had to take over,” Pritzker said, describing his ideal running mate to reporters Thursday in Chicago. “And I think just as importantly, somebody who really has a heart for the people of the state of Illinois. That’s not in everybody, right? But you got to have somebody who actually cares about all parts of the state.”

  20 Comments      


Do better, be better

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column

“I ran for governor in 2018 to change our story,” Gov. JB Pritzker told a Chicago crowd on Thursday as he announced his bid for a third term. “I ran for governor in 2022 to keep telling our story. And I am running for governor in 2026 to protect our story.”

This general theme of protecting what Pritzker maintains is Illinois’ progress from damage by President Donald Trump will be the foundation of the governor’s reelection bid — at least for the foreseeable future.

The governor’s state office provided an example of this potential harm when it warned of a provision in the congressional budget proposal to shift billions of dollars in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program costs from the federal government to the states.

“For Illinois, that shift could mean taking on more than $1.2 billion in additional costs annually, placing a massive strain on Illinois’ budget and threatening funding for other essential services like education and healthcare,” the statement read.

The U.S. Senate’s parliamentarian had originally ruled against the SNAP provision in the chamber’s budget reconciliation bill, but the majority Republicans revised the language and it was approved Thursday.

That $1.2 billion will likely pale in comparison to expected Medicaid cuts. Illinois simply doesn’t have the recurring revenue needed to make up the difference.

“Earthquakes are coming,” Pritzker warned in his address about the coming months and years.

So, for now, it’s “Pritzker the Protector.”

But, eventually, it would be nice to see some fresh and new ideas.

The governor’s 2021 reelection announcement was all about looking back at his leadership during the pandemic. Four years later, his latest announcement was heavy on his accomplishments and had little about the future, except that it looks really bleak under Trump and he will do his best to shield the state from it.

The Trump references were so thick that you could conceivably call this the first kickoff speech of the 2028 presidential campaign.

“The workers of today and tomorrow choose Illinois because we built an iron wall around their freedoms — and because we told the fascist freak show fanatics to run their experiments on ending democracy somewhere else,” the governor said.

Except Pritzker is currently only running for reelection. Maybe try one election at a time. And while 2019 — his first year in office — was a whirlwind of activity, much more still needs to be done.

For example, the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign released a study this week showing the state has an existing housing shortage of 142,000 units and needs to build 227,000 new homes over the next five years “to keep pace with demand.”

The governor said housing costs too much during his speech but didn’t say what he’d do about it.

You may recall that Pritzker demanded action on the housing shortage during his State of the State address in February, saying his special task force on housing affordability had come up with some solutions and those should be enacted. But, after some progress, the bill stalled out.

One of the panel’s short-term ideas was to require the state’s pension funds to invest in housing development. But the provisions to require or incentivize local governments to remove barriers to new housing was a big sticking point.

Pritzker’s implementation record leaves much to be desired. Six years after legalizing cannabis, for instance, the original equity promises are nowhere near fulfilled. If they were, it would be a whole lot easier to convince the Illinois House to regulate the intoxicating hemp “gray market.”

And the governor was right when he said, “the answer starts with growing Illinois’ economy.” But economic growth as a whole has most definitely lagged here.

“Let me be clear,” Pritzker said. “There is no Mission Accomplished banner to stand under today. Yes, we have addressed so many of our old problems — but new ones always arise. History is an endless relay race. Our job is not to look for the finish line but to protect the baton as we run our assigned leg.”

Are we better off as a state than we were in 2018? Governmentally, yes. Of course. I would never want to revert to the state governments we had during the first 18 years of this century.

Could we as a state be much better? Absolutely. And it’s time to try. But that requires some concrete plans.

  63 Comments      


Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Across Illinois, big hospital systems and PBMs are abusing the 340B drug discount program – making massive profits while patients drown in medical bills. One whistleblower called it “laundering money.”

Here’s how the scam works: big hospitals buy discounted 340B drugs, bill patients full price, then split the difference with for-profit pharmacies and PBMs.

340B was meant to help Illinois communities in need. But there are no rules requiring hospitals and PBMs to pass savings on to patients. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers.

Meanwhile, tax-exempt hospitals cash in – and PBMs get a cut too.

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Open thread

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The heads, they talk

Hug me, squeeze me, love me, tease me

Keep it Illinois-centric please. Thanks.

  7 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: ‘Having Medicaid keeps me alive’: Illinois residents anxiously watch as Congress considers Medicaid cuts. Tribune

    - The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would slash the program, which provides health care coverage to people with low incomes, in order to help pay for tax cuts and border and national security. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans say the bill would cut waste, fraud and abuse from Medicaid, providing coverage only to those who truly need it.

    - But Democrats, health care leaders and patients say it would devastate those who rely on the program, and the hospitals that serve all patients. Across Illinois, 3.4 million people are on Medicaid — about one-fourth of the state’s population.

    - Though the bill was still in flux as of Friday afternoon, multiple proposals in recent weeks have included work requirements for some people who receive Medicaid, changes to rules surrounding so-called provider taxes, and have threatened coverage for more than 770,000 Illinois residents who receive Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of the program.

* Related stories…

* Governor Pritzker will sign college access and affordability bills into law at 9:30 am. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Route 66: The last (or first) 300 miles in Illinois: About 50 miles north, Pontiac also appears to have capitalized on its position along the route. Among its attractions is the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum. There, visitors can find a school bus-turned-land yacht and a Volkswagen van belonging to Bob Waldmire, whose family opened the Springfield, Illinois, institution Cozy Dog on Route 66 and claims to have invented the corn dog.

* Daily Herald | ‘Why risk it?’: Despite state ban, fireworks injure on average 150 each year in Illinois: While most fireworks are prohibited in Illinois, hospital emergency rooms statewide still treat on average 150 fireworks-related injuries each year. That’s according to Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office figures that also show on average 12 of those injuries each year result in amputation or dismemberment. And the majority will happen over the course of the next week.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker is running for reelection. Who will he pick as his No. 2? : Among those who likely top the list are Andy Manar, the former downstate state senator and Pritzker’s current deputy governor on budget issues; Christian Mitchell, a former state representative from Chicago and ex-deputy governor for Pritzker; state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, who was previously a lead budget negotiator in the House; and state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez of Cicero, chair of the Illinois Democratic Party.

* Evanston Now | Is Philly transit crisis a preview for us?: The funding crunch for mass transit in Philadelphia is the canary in the train tunnel, and what is happening right now is a sign of what could happen in across the Chicago region, including Evanston. Last Thursday, the board of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority approved a budget which starts chopping commuter rail, bus, subway and trolley service effective Aug. 24, with elimination of 32 bus routes and reduction of rail trips.

* Press Release | AG Raoul reaches $1 million settlement with temporary staffing agency for use of no-poach agreements, wage fixing: Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a settlement with Midway Staffing Inc. (Midway) that resolves allegations the temporary staffing agency entered into no-poach agreements and engaged in wage fixing with other staffing agencies. This settlement requires Midway to pay $1 million to compensate temporary workers impacted by the unlawful activity. Midway was the last remaining defendant in a lawsuit Raoul’s office filed against three staffing agencies and their client. The settlement with Midway means the litigation is now fully resolved, with the office recovering a total of $5.5 million from all four defendants.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson faces tough task with Chicago Housing Authority CEO search: Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has made housing a cornerstone of his policy agenda, must make an important decision in the coming weeks on a new leader for the embattled agency. Some residents and housing advocates, including CHA board member Francine Washington, did not like the way former CEO Tracey Scott conducted business and have told the Tribune they are eager to see someone who is more engaged with residents. The new CEO will be tasked with rebuilding residents’ trust, boosting staff morale and addressing safety and environmental concerns at its properties while shepherding more housing developments in a city where housing has become increasingly less affordable.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘pending’ Springfield lobbyist team draws ethics questions: Email records and Springfield sources indicate that three lobbyists — Lakeisha Purchase, Frank Bass and Vincent Williams — coordinated with top Johnson officials during the most recent session. But they did not update their state registration to show the city among their lobbying clients before the Illinois General Assembly adjourned June 1. In an interview on Friday, the mayor’s new lead Springfield IGA director, John Arena, argued those lobbyists did not need to register because their contracts with the city were still “pending.” In the meantime, Purchase was only “helping facilitate” lobbying, while Bass was coordinating with the city’s team in his capacity as a lobbyist for the Chicago Teachers Union and Williams as one for the Chicago Transit Authority, Arena said.

* Tribune | Last weekend’s heat wave shows gaps in Chicago’s network of cooling centers: According to the city, besides the splash pads, 152 cooling locations were open last weekend. But a Tribune analysis found all 79 public libraries were only open for four hours on Sunday. Five community colleges and 27 Park District field houses were closed at least one day during the heat wave. Five of the six community centers and all 21 senior centers were closed for the whole weekend. On Monday, all of the city cooling centers were open for regular business hours. When asked by the Tribune how many cooling centers do not have air conditioning, city officials from the mayor’s office, the Office for Emergency Management and Communications, the Department of Family and Support Services and the Department of Public Health said in a joint statement: “All facilities on the map have air conditioning.” But they did not specify which sites only had one air-conditioned room.

* Crain’s | Chicago investor buys Tribune Tower retail space: NARE has scooped up several properties in Chicago’s North Michigan Avenue and State Street retail corridors at steep markdowns. The strategy of buying those properties at a low basis has paid off, and the firm has been getting lots of interest from retailers who want a presence on the Magnificent Mile as downtown foot traffic recovers to pre-pandemic levels, Er said.

* Tribune | Amid celebration, Pride Parade calls for resistance to federal incursions on LGBTQ+ rights: This year’s theme was “United in Pride,” as the Pride Chicago organization emphasizes community solidarity in an uncertain political time for the LGBTQ+ population in America and celebrates 10 years of legalized same-sex marriage. Pride Month wraps up as the federal government has moved to restrict services and rights for many in the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier in June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors and allowed parents to opt their kids out of curriculum involving LGBTQ+ themes. The Trump administration will also end the 988 suicide hotline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ youths in mid-July.

* Sun-Times | Undaunted, Chicagoans put on a colorful display at 54th annual Pride Parade: Janae said they weren’t there just to party, but to show her daughter what love and acceptance can look like. “I want her to know that everything that’s going on here is normal and that hate is not an option,” Janae said. The mother-daughter pair were also at the parade in support of LGBTQ+ family members, including an uncle who died of AIDS in the ‘90s.

* Tribune | The struggle that produced Pride: Before Pride was about celebration, it was about protest. It was, and still is, about human dignity refusing to cower in the face of hateful opposition. It has taken on weightier relevance today, with the institutional silencing of LGBTQ history and the concerted targeting of transgender people and drag performers. Like that of many big cities, the history of Chicago features major mile markers in the movement for acceptance and enfranchisement. It was here where the first gay rights organization in the United States was founded, by Chicagoan Henry Gerber in 1924. But the most potent decades in the LGBTQ community’s fight in Chicago came in the 1970s and ’80s, with the early years of the AIDS crisis and the Stonewall riots in New York serving as major catalysts for the urgency of queer Americans to be seen as human. Advocacy, including from Mayor Harold Washington, and pressure from activists led the Chicago City Council to pass the Human Rights Ordinance in 1988 and include sexual orientation in prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation.

* Popular Mechanics | The Rodents of Chicago Are Evolving in Real Time, Scientists Say: While both chipmunks and voles have experienced changes to their skulls in response to urban navigation and hearing needs, chipmunks have also grown larger because of the availability of human food scraps (especially high-calorie processed foods).

* Sun-Times | City outlines safety protocols for Damen Silos demolition: City officials and contractors presented the proposed demolition plan during a community meeting Friday evening at Arturo Velasquez Westside Technical Institute. Residents are concerned about risks to air quality and health from demolition work. A permit for a teardown has not been issued.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Cook County tax board commissioner, staff face multiple fines from ethics board: Cook County’s Board of Ethics fined Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele and aides for a series of breaches this week, finding that she provided confidential information to the press about the Chicago Bears’ Arlington Heights property and wrongly allowed a staffer to attend a conference on county time. A top Steele aide was separately fined for attending Cubs games and traveling for personal trips on county time. Reached Friday, Steele said she “absolutely disagreed” with the findings but declined to comment further.

* Daily Herald | ‘Stand up for our hometowns’: Suburban mayors slam transit proposal: A coalition of 25 suburban mayors is beseeching lawmakers to think twice before approving a transit rescue plan they say is seriously flawed. “We are asking you … to stand up for our hometowns and your constituents in northeastern Illinois,” reads a letter spearheaded by Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig and signed by leaders across Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The Suburban Mayors Coalition for Fair Transit criticizes new taxes proposed in a bill approved by the state Senate to avert a $771 million shortfall facing Metra, Pace and the CTA in 2026.

* Daily Herald | Vape vending machines facing pushback from some suburbs: A fledgling Elmhurst-based company that distributes vending machines offering electronic cigarettes and vaping products is facing pushback from some suburbs. Among them are Hoffman Estates, which last week banned the machines from the village. “The sale of tobacco and tobacco-related products … is fairly regulated in terms of where it’s sold and point-of-sale locations,” Village Manager Eric Palm said. “(Village) staff just doesn’t feel that having these in establishments that could be more easily reached by minors and other people who shouldn’t be buying them is appropriate.”

* Tribune | Sharp drop in arrests, other long-term crime trends shown in new Cook County data dashboard: Throughout 2019, Chicago police officers made nearly 80,000 arrests before scaling them back significantly during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the following spring. Now five years later, that drop appears not to be just a COVID-era blip: In recent years, arrests have rebounded slightly, but annually police still are recording tens of thousands of fewer arrests than they did in 2019. The trend is among a number of long-term shifts in how the criminal justice system operates in Cook County, according to Loyola University researchers who in partnership with local officials produced a data project that seeks to shed light on how “shocks to the system” like the pandemic have reshaped how crime and violence are handled in Chicago.

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect factory’s neighbors win round in court: Cook County Judge Clare Quish ruled Thursday that the neighbors’ experts can tour the Prestige Feed Products facility at 431 Lakeview Court while it is operating. Quish also ruled the neighbors’ attorneys can take depositions of two witnesses who previously conducted testing and odor analysis at the site. Prestige had refused entry into the facility and the depositions, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said.

* Daily Southtown | Trial concludes in Calumet City document destruction lawsuit against Clerk Nyota Figgs: Cook County Judge Joel Chupack said he will present an update Aug. 4 on his deliberation on whether Figgs improperly destroyed two truck loads of documents shortly after Mayor Thaddeus Jones took office in 2021. Figgs and those supporting her have claimed the records lawsuit represents a targeted political attack from Jones, with whom she was previously involved in a romantic relationship. “The reason (the lawsuit) was brought has nothing to do with records were being destroyed,” James Kelly, attorney for Figgs, said Friday. However, the city contested that Figgs destroyed the documents “surreptitiously and without approval” during an audit, and requested Chupack hold her accountable by filing an injunction against unlawfully destroying records in the future.

* Daily Herald | ‘The life of an angel’: Plainfield monument dedicated to slain 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy: The monument at Van Horn Woods East Playground in Plainfield preserves the memory of Wadee, who was stabbed to death Oct. 14, 2023, in an anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim hate crime in Plainfield. […] Trisha Mathias, Wadee’s teacher at Bonnie McBeth Early Learning Center in Plainfield, shared aspects of Wadee’s personality: He always wore his snow boots to school, always chose the red ball on the playground, loved graham crackers and goldfish crackers, and “was obsessed” with the planets.

* Daily Herald | Elburn rejects proposal to allow golf carts on streets: The possibility of allowing golf carts on the streets of Elburn has been a topic of board discussion since November. Resident Melissa Bollivar brought to the village a petition with 582 signatures in favor of a village ordinance permitting it. Village Trustee Luis Santoyo said he didn’t think the village could determine that public safety would not be jeopardized without additional due diligence, such as traffic studies. That would cost money that is not in the village’s budget, officials said.

* Daily Herald | High bacteria levels close beaches in Lake, McHenry counties: The closings, some of which have been in place since Thursday, come as high temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 80s and low 90s throughout the Fourth of July holiday week ahead. Among the sites closed, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, are Lake in the Hills’ Indian Trail and Butch Hagele beaches; Crystal Lake’s Main Beach; Veterans Park Beach in Island Lake; Waukegan North and South beaches; North Pointe Marina Beach in Winthrop Harbor; and Moraine Park Dog Beach in Highland Park.

* Daily Herald | ‘People don’t know this’: Why MLK came to DuPage County in 1967: Almost four years after his “I Have a Dream” speech, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. arrived at a tent-in demonstration in DuPage County. King sat in front of a gaggle of microphones. Behind the civil rights leader, green tents were pitched on the grounds of a retreat house run by the Cenacle Sisters. Huge “trees shade the area along Batavia Road near Warrenville,” reported the Roselle Register newspaper. .[…] Around the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday and wanting to learn more about the history of the forest preserves, Gieser saw a photo online of King with a caption referring to the Cenacle property. He checked newspaper databases and read various accounts from the time to “definitely verify” the date of King’s visit: June 23, 1967.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Illinois Innocence Project pushes for DNA samples to enter state’s database in Slover case: The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has entered the courtroom in the Illinois Innocence Project’s effort to overturn the Slover family’s murder convictions. In early June, the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) filed a motion asking the Illinois State Police (ISP) to submit DNA profiles into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in hopes of identifying the true killer(s) of Karyn Hearn Slover. The IIP said newly discovered DNA evidence could exonerate Michael Slover Sr., Jeanette Slover, and Michael Slover Jr.

* WGLT | ‘Love and rainbows’: LGBTQIA+ community and allies push for equality at Bloomington protest: The “Stop the Assault on LGBTQ+ and Trans Rights” peaceful protest was sponsored by Bloomington-Normal 50501 and the Prairie Pride Coalition. Threats to gender-affirming healthcare, proposed budget cuts to HIV and AIDS research and treatment, the banning of transgender military servicemembers and cutbacks to DEI programs are a few examples of motivations for Saturday’s gathering, according to demonstrators.

* WCIA | Vermilion Co. poultry show takes place amid uncertainty: It wasn’t because they were too chicken to hold it: People didn’t know whether or not the fair’s poultry show would take place until a few weeks ago because of the widespread bird flu. When they found out that there would be one, the contestants were overjoyed.

* WGLT | Home Sweet Home launches $750,000 fundraising campaign for The Bridge shelter village: On June 24, HSHM closed on the purchase of a former Connect Transit lot at 104 E. Oakland Ave. near downtown Bloomington. The non-congregate shelter will have 48 private sleeping cabins, a central community building with on-site support and other accommodations. It is on track to open this winter. The first donation The Bridge has is a $100,000 commitment from Eastview Christian Church. Lead Pastor Brandon Grant expressed his excitement with the project.

*** National ***

* Crain’s | Vaccine experts reject new RFK Jr.-backed federal panel, urge use of past guidance: The Infectious Disease Society of America is telling its members they should use the vaccination schedule recommended by the previous iteration of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s vaccine advisory council because the new federal advisory group’s recommendations “can’t be trusted,” according to the group’s president, an immunization expert at Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children’s. IDSA President Dr. Tina Tan said this afternoon she expects a coalition of health care groups, including her organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, will soon provide further guidance, likely later this summer, on what vaccines should be administered and at what doses.

* Post-Tribune Environmental activists explain concerns with U.S. Steel deal: About one week after a partnership between U.S. Steel and a Japanese company was finalized, environmental activists called on the companies to address the health, climate and economic impacts of the deal. “It’s our conclusion that, whether in Japan or the United States, emissions from blast furnaces cannot be significantly mitigated,” said Roger Smith, Asia lead at SteelWatch. “The company should transition to a renewable energy-based approach that would achieve its net-zero target and fulfill its obligations as a leading global steelmaker.” Speakers at a press conference organized by the Sierra Club highlighted their concerns with blast furnaces, which Nippon Steel has previously said is a technology it plans to invest in through the deal.

* WaPo | This punctuation mark is semi-dead. People have thoughts: No piece of punctuation, though, stirs people up more than the humble semicolon. Too demure to be a colon but more assertive than a comma, the semicolon was introduced in 1494 by Venetian printer and publisher Aldus Manutius. What a useful little tool it has been in its primary role of inserting a graceful pause between two related independent clauses, as in: “RFK Jr. came to my house; he tore out the medicine cabinet with a crowbar.”

* Politico | Blackburn, Cruz find potential truce on state AI moratorium, child online safety: Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) are planning to pitch significant changes to a state AI moratorium in the Republican megabill that has split the conference and alarmed GOP governors. The pair, who have publicly championed opposing views on the potential ban, have reached a deal that would cut the proposed 10-year moratorium in half and make accommodations for internet protections, according to a draft amendment obtained by POLITICO.

* ARS Technica | SCOTUS upholds part of ACA that makes preventive care fully covered: The ruling means that tens of millions of Americans can continue getting a variety of preventive services for free under their plans. Those cost-free services include an array of screenings, such as cancer screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies, as well as screens for obesity, lead exposure in children, high blood pressure, diabetes, and some sexually transmitted diseases, to name a few. The free services also include recommended vaccines for children and adults, well-baby and well-child doctor visits, birth control, statins, PrEP HIV prevention drugs, and fluoride supplements and varnishes for children’s teeth.

* NPR | The Trump administration is building a national citizenship data system: The tool, which is being rolled out in phases, is designed to be used by state and local election officials to give them an easier way to ensure only citizens are voting. But it was developed rapidly without a public process, and some of those officials are already worrying about what else it could be used for. NPR is the first news organization to report the details of the new system. For decades, voting officials have noted that there was no national citizenship list to compare their state lists to, so to verify citizenship for their voters, they either needed to ask people to provide a birth certificate or a passport — something that could disenfranchise millions — or use a complex patchwork of disparate data sources.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Monday, Jun 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Reader comments closed for the weekend

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Turn it up

Writ in fire across the heaven, plain as black and white
Get prepared, there’s gonna be a party tonight

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WCIA

The Supreme Court issued its decision on President Donald Trump’s executive order trying to ban birthright citizenship, and some Illinois officials are criticizing that ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines the judiciary does not have the power to issue injunctions that affect everyone in the nation. […]

Ed Yohnka, the communications director of ACLU-IL, said the decision’s impact will create inefficiencies in federal courts.

“The court is suggesting that when people are challenging these unconstitutional orders by a president like the current president, that we have to do so in multiple jurisdictions across the country and consume lots of resources and lots of energy,” Yohnka said.

* WGLT

The electric automaker Rivian says it’s cutting over 100 manufacturing jobs to “improve operational efficiency” as it prepares to launch production of a new vehicle in Normal.

Rivian did not say exactly how many workers were laid off or what their duties were. They were salaried, not hourly, positions. The company said only that it represents about 1% of the total number of employees, which was 14,861 people as of Dec. 31. 1% of that would be around 148 workers.

“We have made the difficult decision to reduce a small number of our salaried manufacturing employees as part of an ongoing effort to improve operational efficiency for R2,” a Rivian spokesperson told WGLT. […]

Rivian has around 8,000 employees in Normal, where it makes electric trucks, vans and SUVs in a large manufacturing plant on the community’s west side. It’s McLean County’s second-largest employer, behind only State Farm.

* Politico

— In IL-08: Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund in his bid for Congress in the 8th District. The national organization works to elect LGBTQ+ people to public office.

— In IL-02: Adal Regis has been endorsed by David Axelrod, the political consultant and former adviser to President Barack Obama, according to a statement from Regis, who’s a policy expert.

— Ted Mason has been endorsed by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in his campaign for Cook County Commissioner in the 15th District. “Ted Mason is a hardworking, committed, and experienced public servant. From the time he was a staffer in my office through his tenure with Cook County, his dedication to serving the community has only strengthened,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.

*** Statewide ***

* Press Release | IDFPR Launches Another 18 License Types on New Licensing System: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced today that 18 more professions are now available for licensure via the Department’s new online licensing system, CORE (Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment). Today’s announcement marks the successful completion of CORE’s Phase 2.2, with all of Phase 2 set for completion in the coming weeks. The Department will announce when each part of Phase 2 is completed, including which professions are added to CORE.

* Illinois Leaks | 62 Counties, Clerks, and Treasures Named In Lawsuit Filed In Federal Court – Alleged Property Tax Sale Violations: We noted in a prior Shelby County article that Shelby County is one of 62 counties now being sued in federal court, thanks to the State of Illinois’ failing to address the illegal property tax sale laws in the state. Illinois is the only state in the United States that failed to correct the law after the Supreme Court’s ruling on property tax sales and seizures of property 2 years ago. It is our understanding from multiple county officials that the Attorney General is not going to assist individual counties in this lawsuit, so each is on their own. In some cases, this is going to put a real pinch on funds as not all State’s Attorneys are able to practice law in the Federal courts without certain prior authorizations. Hiring outside counsel to handle federal cases can get really expensive. While most county insurance covers these types of suits, there comes a point where insurance companies are going to raise rates or drop clients.

* WCIA | 46 deaths involving trains recorded in Illinois so far this year: The most recent two took place in Normal and Casey this past Tuesday. According to Operation Lifesaver, they’ve calculated 59 total deaths in the state involving trains last year. This year, there have already been 46. Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said it’s not uncommon, but the problem needs to be addressed. He said most of the time, these deaths and incidents occur because people are in a rush, and one organization whose mission is to spread rail safety awareness agrees that’s part of the issue.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Illinois bill requiring paid break time for nursing mothers awaits Pritzker’s signature: Illinois employers are currently required to provide reasonable time to nursing mothers during the work day, but that time is not required to be paid. This plan clarifies that employee time pumping breastmilk has to be paid and that employees should not be required to use paid leave during breaks. “Some people want us to dictate a number of minutes or something,” said Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville). “But when you have a very young baby, you nurse them more frequently during the day. You may need more time. It lessens possibly as the year goes by. So, the idea of getting to a definition of the specific number of minutes is probably impossible.”

* WAND | Safe gun storage bill arrives on governor’s desk despite Republican concerns: This legislation could require all guns to be put in a locked container if there are minors, at-risk people, or anyone ineligible to hold a FOID card nearby. Gun owners would be fined up to $1,000 if a minor or prohibited person gains access to a gun that is not safely stored. The fine could increase to $10,000 if the person kills someone with that firearm.

* Capitol News Illinois | National speculation helps ‘get more for the people of Illinois,’ Pritzker says: Pritzker was asked whether he would have run had Trump not been elected last year. “I think I would, but I have to say that in this moment, it feels like walking away is the wrong thing to do given who is in the White House and given how this administration is attacking people all across this country,” Pritzker said.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Molotov cocktails allegedly sparked fire in Austin that killed child, newspaper editor, alderperson says: West Side Ald. Emma Mitts (37th), whose ward includes the fire scene, flatly declared the fire an “arson.” Mitts told the Sun-Times it was triggered by “domestic violence” between a “young man and his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend.” “They had been arguing earlier and, the next thing you know, he was there at the building throwing a Molotov cocktail in the front, then one at the back door,” Mitts said.

* Crain’s | Nerds meet suits at Chicago quantum conference: Chicago is hosting a two-day coming-out party for quantum computing next month, featuring a high-profile roster of executives from industry and the Chicago corporate community. Those taking the stage include leaders from quantum companies that already have a presence in Chicago, such as PsiQuantum and IBM, as well as global technology heavyweights Google, Nvidia, Applied Materials and SK Group.

* Crain’s | Stockyards Cold brings modern refrigeration, and a dose of artistry, to Chicago’s former meatpacking district: The insulated warehouse will feature a 12-panel mural by Bolivian-born artist David Banegas on the building’s Ashland Avenue-facing wall depicting Chicago’s most iconic landmarks. The 100,000-square-foot cold storage space will be completed by late August, and if you walk past the site on 3815 S. Ashland Ave., you might catch Banegas painting the mural. The facility is designed to store food and other perishables in temperatures from -10 degree to 55 degrees and will be built on speculation, or spec, meaning it does not have a tenant or user lined up. Developer Karis Cold is actively marketing the building.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Sports Network removes episode of Bulls podcast — and won’t say why: An episode of “By The Horns” appeared in subscribers’ podcast libraries before it disappeared. CHSN confirmed pulling the show, which covered executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas’ contract extension. Both the network and team told the Sun-Times the Bulls had nothing to do with the episode’s removal. The Bulls did inquire with the network about the show’s format, such as whether it was going to be driven by opinion. The team was seeking information about the show, not questioning the show’s content. The Bulls monitor how they’re covered, and they were surprised to learn the episode had been removed because it wasn’t controversial.

* Block Club | Get Inked For A Good Cause At Chicago’s First-Ever ‘Tattoo Lady Fest’: Campione has now been inking Chicagoans and visitors for 11 years — seven of which have been as the shop owner of Good Omen Tattoo, 2009 W. Belmont Ave. To celebrate her many milestones in the business — and to uplift other talented women who tattoo — she’s hosting a first-of-its-kind convention called Tattoo Lady Fest this September. “Tattoo Lady Fest emerged from years of making connections with other women in tattooing,” Campione told Block Club. “I found power in the shared experience of navigating a male-dominated field.”

* Block Club | Black Yacht Weekend Attendees Call For Stricter Safety Measures After Chaotic And Dangerous Event: Last Saturday’s high winds and waves led a few companies to cancel their charters or remain docked. Some customers vented their frustration on social media while others, including high-profile influencers, expressed outrage over what they described as a lack of safety and organization. Hundreds of visitors were in town for Black Yacht Weekend, which followed the Juneteenth holiday. Now in its fifth year, the annual event draws young Black professionals and creatives from all over the country for a weekend of “unparalleled luxury” with ticketed events on land and water, from VIP yacht parties to rooftop extravaganzas. Those who don’t own boats typically rent one from private owners or charter companies, with groups paying in advance.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Evanston Now | Friendly face-off builds in state senate race: Rachel Ruttenberg and Patrick Hanley worked side-by-side as political organizers in their respective communities long before they were opponents, but next March will face off against each other to fill State Sen. Laura Fine’s seat in Springfield, as Fine looks to secure the Democratic nomination for a seat in the U.S. House. Both candidates recently sat down with Evanston Now to talk about their campaigns, policy positions and visions for their party, and while neither had anything bad to say about the other, they both do see daylight between them as they craft their pitch to voters.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Water rates to increase in Aurora starting in July: Aurora residents will likely see a slightly higher number on their water bill starting in July, after the City Council voted on Tuesday night to raise water rates by 6% for each of the next two years to account for operating and capital needs for the Aurora water and sewer system. For a household paying an average bi-monthly bill of $100.25, the rate increase would amount to about $6.60 more per bill in each of the next two years, according to the item voted on Tuesday. For seniors who qualify for the senior exemption, that increase would be an average of $1.64 per bill in each of the next two years, assuming, based on the city’s figures, that qualifying seniors use on average half the water that the average household uses.

* Naperville Sun | DuPage officials hoping user will emerge to renovate Oak Cottage in Naperville’s Greene Valley Forest Preserve: It was listed as one of the most endangered historic places in Illinois by preservationist organization Landmarks Illinois in 2023. That same year, the DuPage forest preserve district approved the Greene Valley Master Plan, which called for a study to document the house’s history and condition and create a timeline for partnering with a third party to propose a use and long-term maintenance strategy for the structure.

* Daily Herald | Aiming for success: Schaumburg teen becomes national champion in women’s shooting contest: Saanvi is no stranger to the shooting community. She began competing when she was 12, quickly making a name for herself as she claimed the Illinois state championships for 2022, 2023 and 2024. Saavni competes with Arlington International Airgun Club of Arlington Heights, where she is coached by Don Webber.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘Heartbreaking’: U of I Extension weighs in on potential SNAP cuts under ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: If the bill passes, U of I Extension said it would effectively mean the end for their SNAP-educational programs. For 30 years, these programs have been helping low-income communities in Illinois across 102 counties make better and healthier food choices. McCaffrey said the millions of dollars per year that come to Illinois would be going to zero, and that zero would mean no more SNAP education programs out of the University of Illinois Extension Office. These programs work with 1,800 community partners statewide, equipping more than a million people with food-related skills like stretching food money, reading nutrition labels and making healthy meals.

* IPM | How northern Illinois teachers are bringing indigenous stories into their classrooms for the first time: Donahoe is the history center’s executive director. That 180-year-old map shows the DeKalb County land stolen from Chief Shab-eh-nay which was returned to the Prairie Band Potawatomi just last year. This past school year, for the first time, Illinois schools were required to teach a unit on the experience and history of Native people in the state. So, when the news coincided with the launch of the state’s new indigenous curriculum requirements, Donahoe knew they had an opportunity to help teachers bring local history to their classroom. So, last summer, they hosted a multi-day training with teachers from every district in the county to show them how to teach with primary sources like the 1843 map. She says they also have old biographies about Shab-eh-nay and court records where the chief sues settlers for stealing his timber.

* WGLT | City of Bloomington will work to assuage massage therapist concerns over new ordinance: Bloomington’s city manager says the newly-passed massage business ordinance will do more than help shut down illicit businesses. “We’re also going to be helping the people within that establishment and there are groups out there that are willing to do that and want to do that, and so that’s going to be a great thing for the community,” Jeff Jurgens said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. Jurgens said it is heartwarming to see the community focus on helping people who are being exploited.

* WCIA | Decatur man who brought gun to daughter’s school, made threats gets 2 years probation: Evans was charged with intimidation by threatening physical harm, disorderly conduct and unlawful use of a weapon — all felony counts — as well as a misdemeanor charge of violating the Firearm Concealed Carry Act. In May, Evans reached a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon as well as the misdemeanor charge.

* WCIA | $180M Champaign Co. rape liability lawsuit settled out of court: That minor was 13 years old when she was sexually assaulted at the Champaign facility of The Pavilion Behavioral Health System in 2020. The victim’s mother, represented by St. Louis-based Simon Law, sued the following year and originally won $535 million in damages. The award was later reduced to $180 million on appeal and was settled out of court. Judge Bohm said in a prior court ruling that that the evidence was overwhelmingly against The Pavilion that their staff’s negligence allowed for the victim to be raped by another teenage patient.

* BND | Popular East St. Louis coach still doesn’t know if he’s been fired or not: “I just have no clue what’s going on,” Barry Malloyd said after leaving Wednesday’s East St. Louis School District 189 board meeting. He said he was told that the board would have a decision Wednesday if he would be fired from his job as the juvenile transition coordinator and athletic director at Mason Clark Middle School. As of Friday morning, nearly two days since that meeting adjourned — which was the second in as many days that involved discussion of his employment — Malloyd said he still hasn’t heard what the school board members decided.

* WSIL | Firework vendor shares concerns following Marion’s new ordinance on firework use: But new this year for Marion, consumer fireworks are no longer allowed. Now local firework vendors are worried about how that impacts their bottom line. Sky Thunder Fireworks says in order to follow the new ordinance, they had to set up shop outside of city limits. Kelly Whitecotton is a sales clerk for the store. “So we’re out in the countryside,” Whitecotton said.

*** National ***

* New Yorker | Did Lead Poisoning Create a Generation of Serial Killers?: Fraser thinks the master key is to be found in the fact that these serial killers disproportionately originated in the counties and milieu of her childhood. The area south and southwest of Seattle was home to massive ore-processing facilities, and she, her classmates, and her subjects were reared in their murky, particulate shadows. “Spare some string for the smelters and smoke plumes,” she writes of her crazy wall, “those insidious killers, shades of Hades.” The smelters caused a profusion of heavy metals in the region’s air and water, and toxins such as lead and arsenic were found in staggering concentrations in the blood of Tacoma’s postwar children. Some were merely dulled, or delinquent; a few became tabloid monsters. Bundy was the most famous figure in “a long line of outlandishly wanton necrophiliac killers who’ve lived, at one time or another, within the Tacoma smelter plume.” Fraser waxes in a self-consciously Lynchian register, with stygian and hallucinatory descriptions of the Pacific Northwest. In Tacoma, she writes, it was “as if someone had scratched through to the underworld and released a savage wave of sulfur.”

* San Francisco Chronicle | Disposable vapes may be more toxic than cigarettes, study finds: Using a lab device to simulate 500 to1,500 puffs per product, the UC Davis researchers found that metal concentrations increased with use. Leaded bronze components and degrading heating coils were identified as major sources of contamination. “When I first saw the lead concentrations, they were so high I thought our instrument was broken,” lead author Mark Salazar said in a statement.

* AP | Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s made promises about vaccines. Here’s what he’s done as health secretary: “I’m not going to substitute my judgment for science,” he said. Yet the Department of Health and Human Services under Kennedy has taken unprecedented steps to change how vaccines are evaluated, approved and recommended — sometimes in ways that run counter to established scientific consensus.

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Question of the day

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* It’s been kind of a grim day for some folks, so let’s try to lighten it up. From the Senate Democratic fundraiser last night at Navy Pier…

* The Question: Your own state political cocktail suggestions?

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Today’s must-read

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Peter Nickeas, Casey Toner and Tom Schuba at the Chicago Sun-Times

A young Chicago cop had racked up more than a dozen misconduct complaints by the time authorities say he inadvertently shot and killed his partner, Krystal Rivera, when they confronted two armed men inside an apartment filled with guns and drugs.

Since joining the Chicago Police Department in December 2021, Officer Carlos A. Baker has faced three suspensions and two reprimands, records show, one stemming from a complaint that he failed to arrest a home invader on his first shift working the street.

It was among five complaints he accrued as a probationary officer, when the department could have summarily fired him because he had few union protections.

During his probationary period, Baker also was accused of flashing a gun at a woman he’d met online while she was on a date with another man at a North Side bar. The woman later refused to cooperate with investigators, and Baker faced no discipline, records show.

Baker’s record of complaints is unusual among Chicago police officers. Only 5% of Chicago police had six or more misconduct complaints from 2018 through 2023, according to data collected by the Invisible Institute. […]

In April, the Illinois Answers Project and the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the team oversaw a botched police gun buyback at St. Sabina Church in December 2023. One weapon that had been turned in, a .45-caliber Glock 21 handgun, was later stolen from a room filled with cops at the tactical team office while the guns were being inventoried. The Glock was then used in a series of shootings. Police found it a year later on a 16-year-old boy. […]

Records released by the police show Rivera had been a key witness to the theft of the Glock. The records make clear that she did not do anything wrong and was “not accused of any misconduct.” They show Rivera diligently searched for the gun in her colleagues’ book bags after she learned it was missing.

The police department reopened the internal investigation of the gun’s theft after the Sun-Times and the Illinois Answers Project asked about the incident.

Go read the rest.

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Last year’s Administrative Procedure Act opinion appears to remain intact after today’s Supreme Court ruling (Updated x2)

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Click here for the ruling. Some background

In a highly anticipated ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court put a partial end to the use of nationwide injunctions from federal courts limiting the decisions of the executive branch.

The 6-3 ruling, written by Coney Barrett, stemmed from Trump’s push to end birthright citizenship, which dictates that everyone born in the U.S. is a citizen, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

But the decision could have much broader implications, as Trump has long claimed that the courts are overstepping their authority by handing down “nationwide” orders that have temporarily blocked some of his policies.

In her opinion, Coney Barrett wrote: “Some say that the universal injunction ‘give[s] the Judiciary a powerful tool to check the Executive Branch.’ … But federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them. When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.”

* From the ruling

The plaintiffs allege that the Executive Order violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, §1, and §201 of the Nationality Act of 1940. In each case, the District Court entered a “universal injunction”—an injunction barring executive officials from applying the Executive Order to anyone, not just the plaintiffs. And in each case, the Court of Appeals denied the Government’s request to stay the sweeping relief. The Government argues that the District Courts lacked equitable authority to impose universal relief and has filed three nearly identical emergency applications seeking partial stays to limit the preliminary injunctions to the plaintiffs in each case. The applications do not raise—and thus the Court does not address—the question whether the Executive Order violates the Citizenship Clause or Nationality Act. Instead, the issue the Court decides is whether, under the Judiciary Act of 1789, federal courts have equitable authority to issue universal injunctions.

And the 6-3 majority did, indeed, rule that no such authority exists.

* However, this is also in the majority ruling

Nothing we say today resolves the distinct question whether the Administrative Procedure Act authorizes federal courts to vacate federal agency action. See 5 U. S. C. §706(2) (authorizing courts to “hold unlawful and set aside agency action”).

* Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence

And in cases under the Administrative Procedure Act, plaintiffs may ask a court to preliminarily “set aside” a new agency rule. 5 U. S. C. §706(2); see, e.g., West Virginia v. EPA, 577 U. S. 1126 (2016); see also Corner Post, Inc. v. Board of Governors, 603 U. S. 799, 826–843 (2024)

* Why is this important? Because, as I explained to subscribers in April, the Administrative Procedure Act is at the core of most of the lawsuits filed by attorneys general against the Trump administration.

Some context from last year

In a major ruling, the Supreme Court on Friday cut back sharply on the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer and ruled that courts should rely on their own interpretion of ambiguous laws. The decision will likely have far-reaching effects across the country, from environmental regulation to healthcare costs.

By a vote of 6-3, the justices overruled their landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which gave rise to the doctrine known as the Chevron doctrine. Under that doctrine, if Congress has not directly addressed the question at the center of a dispute, a court was required to uphold the agency’s interpretation of the statute as long as it was reasonable. But in a 35-page ruling by Chief Justice John Roberts, the justices rejected that doctrine, calling it “fundamentally misguided.” […]

Chevron deference, Roberts explained in his opinion for the court on Friday, is inconsistent with the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that sets out the procedures that federal agencies must follow as well as instructions for courts to review actions by those agencies. The APA, Roberts noted, directs courts to “decide legal questions by applying their own judgment” and therefore “makes clear that agency interpretations of statutes — like agency interpretations of the Constitution — are not entitled to deference. Under the APA,” Roberts concluded, “it thus remains the responsibility of the court to decide whether the law means what the agency says.”

From that landmark 2024 opinion

And rather than safeguarding reliance interests, Chevron affirmatively destroys them by allowing agencies to change course even when Congress has given them no power to do so.

* NBC News picked up on the use of the APA against President Trump back in February

Lawyers challenging President Donald Trump’s aggressive use of executive power in the courts are turning to a familiar weapon in their armory: an obscure but routinely invoked federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act.

While lawsuits challenging such provocative plans as ending birthright citizenship and dismantling federal agencies raise weighty constitutional issues, they also claim Trump failed to follow the correct procedures as required under the wonky 1946 statute. […]

Known in abbreviated form as the APA, the law allows judges to throw out federal agency actions that are “arbitrary and capricious” on various grounds, including failing to articulate why the agencies are changing policy.

* Isabel and I went through Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s press releases and court filings at the time to see which legal actions invoked the Administrative Procedure Act. There was a lot

* But, as Justice Sotomayor’s dissent explains, the majority failed to see that the Administrative Procedure Act is at the core of the universal injunctions beginning in the third quarter of the 20th Century

The relative absence of universal injunctions against the United States before the late 20th century, moreover, reflects constitutional and procedural limitations on judicial power, not equitable ones. Until the enactment of the Amendments to the Administrative Procedure Act in 1976, sovereign immunity barred most suits against the Federal Government. Id., at 14–15 (citing G. Sisk, Litigation With the Federal Government §4.10(b), p. 339 (2016)). Officer suits against Cabinet officials before that point, moreover, could be brought only in Washington, D. C., due to limits on personal jurisdiction and venue that existed at the time. Brief for Legal Historians in No. 24A884 as Amici Curiae 15–16. The later emergence of universal injunctions against the United States followed the removal of those barriers and the expansion of federal actions and laws. The rise of universal injunctions therefore represents equity’s essential adaptation to modern governance.

Calvinball is essentially being alleged in this dissent.

…Adding… Governor JB Pritzker…

“Stripping birthright citizenship from people born in this country goes against rights guaranteed in the Constitution. We must stand against unconstitutional actions and stand up for the fundamental rights granted to people in the United States of America. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a dangerous sign that Donald Trump is further consolidating power and putting his own interest above the needs of the American people. As Trump and his allies continue to attack the Rule of Law and undermine the foundations of the United States Constitution, Illinois will stay true to who we are: we are the Land of Lincoln, and we will forcefully defend the freedoms and rights of our people.”

…Adding… Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion in the ongoing multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration’s executive order purporting to redefine birthright citizenship to exclude certain children born to non-citizen parents.

“Even after today’s decision, birthright citizenship – a rule that has governed our country since the end of the Civil War – remains the law in Illinois. President Trump’s attempt to strip American babies of citizenship is a flagrantly unconstitutional move that disregards the 14th Amendment and the principle of separation of powers upon which our government was founded.

“As a birthright citizen myself, this is a deeply personal issue for me. As our case continues, I will continue to fight alongside our coalition in challenging President Trump’s executive order and am confident that, under the guidance provided today by the U.S. Supreme Court, our arguments for complete relief will prevail.”

…Adding… Click here for the amended complaint

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Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Across Illinois, big hospital systems and PBMs are abusing the 340B drug discount program – making massive profits while patients drown in medical bills. One whistleblower called it “laundering money.”

Here’s how the scam works: big hospitals buy discounted 340B drugs, bill patients full price, then split the difference with for-profit pharmacies and PBMs.

340B was meant to help Illinois communities in need. But there are no rules requiring hospitals and PBMs to pass savings on to patients. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers.

Meanwhile, tax-exempt hospitals cash in – and PBMs get a cut too.

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* During spring session, the House failed to pass one of Governor Pritzker’s priorities that would restricted the use of cellphones in classrooms. IPM Newsroom

Under Senate Bill 2427, each school district would create their own policy for banning cell phones in class by the start of the 2026 school year.

“In conversations with educators from around the state, there is one thing most commonly cited as an impediment to classroom learning: cell phones,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker cited a study from the Pew Research Center that found 72 percent of high school teachers say cell phones are a major problem in their classrooms.

Pritzker said students would be allowed to use smartphones in the classroom in certain circumstances, like if a student monitors a medical condition with their phone.

* Earlier this month, the Tribune took a closer look at why the bill didn’t pass

A coalition of Illinois House lawmakers blocked the [cellphone ban] measure when it came to the House late in the session over concerns about unequal disciplinary impacts, according to bill sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg.

Concerns about enforcement disproportionately affecting Black and brown students became more pronounced as lawmakers reviewed the phone restriction alongside another bill limiting police from ticketing students for minor misbehavior, according to Mussman. Legislators were hesitant to pass a statewide school mandate while also debating a measure meant to scale back school discipline practices, she said.

Rep. Curtis Tarver, a Chicago Democrat and a member of the Black caucus, told the Tribune in February he worried about the “unintended consequences” of a phone ban, including inequitable enforcement. […]

In the end, negotiations around the measure came down to a “dance” between ensuring local school boards had control over their own policies while also protecting students from “inequitably applied” policies, Mussman said. Moreover, representatives were unsure how to implement guidance on “how a phone might be returned if it was confiscated, or what to do if anything was lost or broken,” she added.

* Even so, Chalkbeat Chicago’s Samantha Smylie reported this week that sponsors say the bill isn’t completely dead

State Sen. Cristina Castro, the chief sponsor of the bill, said in an interview with Chalkbeat that she did not hear strong opposition to the bill, but believes the language of the bill needed some “fine-tuning.” […]

Bryen Johnson, director of political activities for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, one of the largest unions in the state, said the union generally supports the idea of removing cellphones from classrooms so students can remain focused on their lessons. But the union did not file a witness slip in support of the bill because of unanswered questions, including one regarding liability. […]

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, a House sponsor of the bill and chair of the House’s education policy committee, said in an email to Chalkbeat that lawmakers brought up several concerns such as access to phones in an emergency situation, who would be responsible if a phone was stolen or broken, and enforcement of a policy and whether it would be disproportionately applied to students of color.

Mussman said negotiations over the bill will continue over the summer. Castro says that she and Mussman are committed to getting the bill over the finish line. The bill could return during the fall veto session.

Thoughts?

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Open thread

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* No song today because I want you to watch the absolute best sheep dog ever…


Nelson looks like Oscar when he was a little puppy.

* Please keep your comments Illinois-centric. Thanks.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker hints at possible running mate in reelection bid during East Peoria stop. WGLT

    - After speaking to a crowd of supporters at the Workforce Sustainability Center at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, the two-term Democratic governor told a group of reporters who may be under consideration for his next choice for a running mate.

    - “There are some qualified people across the state. There’s one right behind me,” Pritzker said, a nod to state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat who serves as Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House and who introduced the governor at the rally.

    - “When you win, you gotta represent everybody and I know Jehan Gordon-Booth has done that in her job as state representative,” Pritzker said. “Who would not want Jehan Gordon-Booth as a leader in this state?”

* Related stories…

* The governor is wrapping up his statewide tour today with a 10:30 am stop at SWIC’s Manufacturing Training Academy in Belleville, followed by a 2 pm visit to IBEW Local 702 in West Frankfort.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* A City That Works | It’s time to start enforcing the rules on the CTA: Unsurprisingly, the CTA and City of Chicago’s approach to-date on this issue has been woeful. The CTA has spent more than $100M on unarmed security guards, who appear to be instructed not to confront bad behavior, and generally seem to stand around on their phones. And while the CTA is also paying for CPD overtime, sworn CPD officers on the Public Transportation Section are down by almost a third from 188 in May 2020 to 132 in May 2025. Communications are also woefully inadequate. There is still not a way to discreetly alert CTA or CPD personnel about an issue. In a fraught situation on a train, riders are expected to put themselves at risk by either calling 911 or pressing an emergency button and speaking to an operator via loudspeaker. Neither is a particularly appealing prospect while being trapped in a small metal can with someone who appears to be a threat to others.

* WBUR | Reverse Course: Life after the levee breach in Dogtooth Bend, Illinois: In 2016, the Mississippi River punched a hole in the Len Small levee, built to protect farmland along an S-shaped curve in the river known as Dogtooth Bend. That hole was never repaired. Here & Now’s Chris Bentley reports on how some farmers in the area have had to give up their land. And, John Ruskey calls the Mississippi River “a creative force” that sculpts the landscape and rejuvenates the people who experience it up close. But climate change is making that force stronger and more destructive. Bentley took a canoe ride with Ruskey and reports on the future of the river.

* NPR Illinois | Nursing home lobbying group director says possible cut to Medicaid is “deeply troubling”: Ron Nunziato is the senior director of policy for the Healthcare Council of Illinois. It’s a lobbying group whose members represent about 70 percent of the Medicaid occupied beds in the state. He said the uncertainty of how much federal funding the state will receive for Medicaid puts nursing home operators in a bind. “We don’t know what DC will do, and we don’t know how that will impact the state,” Nunziato said. “If they (Congress makes) cuts to Medicaid, the state could look at all Medicaid providers and make a cut to them,” he said. “They could take more from one pot than they do another. And so, it’s deeply troubling to us in this industry.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* CBS Chicago | AIDS Garden Chicago honors trailblazer and former Illinois Rep. Greg Harris: With just days left in Pride Month, AIDS Garden Chicago took the time Thursday to honor former Illinois state representative and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Greg Harris. On Thursday afternoon, a plaque dedicated to Harris was unveiled at the entrance to the garden, located near the south end of Belmont Harbor. The space memorializes the early days of Chicago’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.

* Tribune | Apparently fake clemency letter for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover sent to Gov. JB Pritzker: At first glance, the petition, which was stamped as received by the governor’s office on June 16, might seem to be a legitimate plea from Hoover himself, using similar language about atonement and redemption that the imprisoned gang leader has used in numerous previous requests for parole and clemency from the courts. But a closer inspection revealed some telltale signs that the document, first obtained by the Tribune through a public records request, is likely a fake. For one, it was purportedly sent June 5 from the “supermax” prison in Florence, Colorado, where Hoover, 74, had been housed for the past three decades. But Hoover had in fact been released from that facility days prior due to Trump’s clearing of his federal sentence on May 29.

* WEBQ | Windhorst Announces Re-election Run for 117th House District Seat: Windhorst has risen through the ranks of House Republican leadership to be selected House Republican Floor Leader, leading debate and holding liberal Democrats accountable for radical leftist legislation. “I have voted against legislation that restricts 2nd Amendment Rights, dangerous legislation that ends cash bail and punishes police officers, all measures that expand taxpayer-funded abortion services, and I’ve fought to end Illinois’ Sanctuary State law that has cost taxpayers billions,” Windhorst said. “Liberal Democrats have gone too far in pushing our state and country’s politics to the left, and I’m fighting back.”

*** Chicago ***

* The Triibe | Who’s behind those texts slamming Mayor Johnson and some progressive alders for their ‘snap curfew’ vote?: The texts are being sent out by the Urban Center PAC, a political action committee launched in 2024 by former Chicago Public Schools CEO and failed mayoral candidate Paul Vallas. Juan Rangel, a former Latiné charter school operator, leads the Urban Center PAC. He’s also the CEO of The Urban Center nonprofit.

* Tribune | Interim CPS chief Macquline King addresses first school board meeting, cites $730 million deficit as top priority: “Families, principals and teachers are counting on us to open schools in August with confidence and clarity,” King said. “I am committed to maintaining momentum and ensuring a smooth start to the school year.” King — who stepped into the position earlier this month — inherits a district long-underfunded by the state and plagued by years of financial woes. She previously served as the city’s senior director of educational policy.

* Sun-Times | Chicago cop who inadvertently shot and killed his partner has a lengthy disciplinary record in a short career: Since joining the Chicago Police Department in December 2021, Officer Carlos A. Baker has faced three suspensions and two reprimands, records show, one stemming from a complaint that he failed to arrest a home invader on his first shift working the street. […] During his probationary period, Baker also was accused of flashing a gun at a woman he’d met online while she was on a date with another man at a North Side bar. The woman later refused to cooperate with investigators, and Baker faced no discipline, records show.

* WTTW | Trump Administration Restores $1M in Frozen Anti-Terrorism Funds to Chicago, City Officials Announce:
But it is more likely that President Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel’s war with Iran prompted a reconsideration of the decision to freeze the funds, Richardson Lowry said. A bulletin issued Monday by the Department of Homeland Security warned “the ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States” and “the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks.” Perhaps that warning “compelled them to revisit the notion of holding back funds that lend themselves to protecting citizenry throughout the United States,” Richardson Lowry said.

* Inside Climate News |How Do You Escape a Heat Wave When You Have Nowhere to Go?: Trivedi was one of a dozen Chicagoans seeking refuge at the Garfield Community Service Center, a resource hub doubling as one of the city’s designated cooling areas as the atmospheric heat dome encasing much of the country this week drove temperatures dangerously high. But the center would close at 5 that afternoon. Staffers there try to coordinate shelter beds for those who need them, but demand has been high. “You need to wait all the day and you’re not sure the beds are available or not available,” Trivedi said. Often, he ends up sleeping outside. He hoped he’d have more luck that night.

* Block Club | South Side Alderman’s Push To Rename West Chatham Park Backfires: ‘Mistakes Happen’: The process of renaming a South Side Park after Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose — a suggestion that’s rankled some neighbors — appears to have unraveled before it even began. Ald. William Hall (6th), who initiated the renaming process, said he made a “clerical error” and has withdrawn his request to the Chicago Park District. […] “There was an error, and guess what? We’re human. And guess what? Mistakes happen,” Hall said at the meeting. “So in my interpretation of what I needed to do, I pushed the wrong button, and clearly it made little waves that it should not have made. But it’s good to know that we’re engaged.”

* Crain’s | New York firm buys distressed Wacker Drive tower at massive discount: A venture of Great Neck, N.Y.-based Kohan Retail Investment Group paid close to $45 million last week for the 65-story office tower at 311 S. Wacker Drive, according to sources familiar with the deal. The sale price for the 1.3 million-square-foot building is a staggering discount from the $302 million it traded for in 2014 to an affiliate of Chicago-based Zeller Realty Group and Chinese investor Cindat Capital Management.

* Crain’s | Indicted ex-Loretto exec pushes his health ventures — while facing a federal arrest warrant: Today, a press release purporting to be from Ahmed commented on “President Donald J. Trump’s recent remarks about conditions in Chicago,” saying Ahmed agreed there are “increasing concerns around public safety, homelessness, and the effectiveness of city-level policies.”The release also had Ahmed weighing in on sanctuary city policies and a call for “long-term, data-driven solutions and increased transparency in local decision-making.” It touts Ahmed’s involvement with reopening medical facilities and supporting job training and housing.

* Tribune | At Albizu High School, migrant grads confront a future shaped by US policy: Federal immigration crackdowns have cast an even longer shadow over their plans. Despite the staff at their high school encouraging them to carry themselves with dignity, their path after graduation remains unclear. Amid it all, Juan and his friends from Albizu — George Pérez Pedraza, also from Mexico, and Jhonnalber “Jupiter” Mejías-Monteverde, from Venezuela — have found comfort in each other. Over the past few months, they’ve shared calls over heartbreak, celebrated birthdays at the beach on Lake Michigan and dreamt of forming a band.

* Tribune | Chicago closes streets early to fix buckling pavement ahead of NASCAR race: On Wednesday evening, the city shut down Balbo Drive from Columbus Drive to Michigan Avenue, which was originally scheduled to close Friday. It also closed Columbus from Jackson Drive to Roosevelt Road — five days ahead of schedule — to allow work crews to repair the pavement buckle. The rest of the course is “holding up fine” and the street closings ahead of the July Fourth weekend race event will remain on schedule, a NASCAR spokesperson said Thursday.

* WGN | No fireworks in Chicago for Fourth of July holiday: Madeline Long, director of communication for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, told WGN News last year that “as has been the case for several years, the City does not host fireworks for the July 4th holiday.” WGN News recently compiled a list of Fourth of July fireworks displays and festivities spanning the Chicagoland area. Readers may view the entire list by clicking here.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Injustice Watch | Family sues Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart over ‘brutal’ jail death: The 73-page suit filed last week in the Northern District of Illinois by the stepfather of Cory Ulmer, who was 41 when he died, accuses Dart of having a “pattern and practice of covering up or turning a blind eye to the use of excessive force.” An additional 30 county employees are named defendants in the lawsuit.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kaneland School District files lawsuit against Sugar Grove over Crown development’s TIF district: According to an original proposal, 10% of the TIF funds were to go to the village for any improvements it needs to make in the area, but, in August, then-Sugar Grove Village President Jennifer Konen said Crown had agreed to give another 10% of the funds to be distributed among the other taxing bodies, of which Kaneland is expected to get $26 million. The original TIF agreement also included payments from TIF district funds to offset the cost of schooling for students living in the new housing at the development.

* ABC Chicago | South suburban property owner finally gets house back, says squatters lived in his home for months: “They left it an absolute mess,” Goodman said. “They’ve destroyed the house. It needs at least $25,000.” Goodman is glad that the family who moved into his property is gone, but he is not celebrating. “Why? Because now I need money to fix the house, and it’s going to take several months for me to put it on the market,” Goodman said.

* Shaw Local | Despite delays, Morrison hospital’s $14M expansion stays on budget and on track: Work on a $14 million two-story addition to Morrison Community Hospital continues despite slight delays. The project was expected to finish in January 2026, but Morrison Community Hospital CEO Pam Pfister said this week that utility work delays have pushed the completion date to May 2026.

* Crain’s | NU sued over suicide of scientist targeted in federal China probe: The estate of a Northwestern University professor who died last year is suing the school, blaming it in part for her decision to take her life after she was evicted from her lab and hospitalized following a government investigation of her and other Chinese American scientists. Jane Wu was a tenured faculty member at NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine in neurology, molecular biology and genetics. She and other scientists of Chinese descent were targeted by a Justice Department investigation known as the China Initiative during the first Trump administration that looked into undisclosed ties to Beijing.

* Daily Southtown | Art becomes part of the nature mission at Will County forest preserves: Throughout the year, the district’s visitors centers host exhibits of work by artists local and national, connecting people to nature in ways they may not have expected. “It’s another way of introducing our preserves and nature centers,” said Heather Van Zyl, facility supervisor for Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township. “There are visitors and community members who sometimes find their way to us for the first time because of an artist or an exhibition,” she explained. “They say, ‘Now that I know you’re here, I see all these trails and all these exhibits. I’m going to bring my family.’ … It can be a really great introduction.”

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | ‘Outpouring of support’ for Humane Society in Normal after A/C breaks during heat wave: The organization said they now have enough fans and other supplies after donations poured in from Veterans Maintenance Solutions, R.P. Lumber Company, Home Depot, Meijer and individual community members. They urged those still wanting to help to make a monetary donation in the event that their air conditioning unit needs to be replaced.

* 25News Now | Peoria Mayor Rita Ali delivers 2025 State of the City Address: She said Peoria is in a strong financial position, where of its almost $275 million budget, the city has $136 million in reserves and more than $49 million in the general fund. “We continue to pay down our general obligation debt,” Ali said. “Fortunately, we don’t have the excessive financial shortfalls that many cities are currently experiencing.”

* WVIK | Illinois Housing Development Authority awards Aledo ten years of tax credits to fund housing project: Economic Growth Corporation President and CEO Brian Hollenback discusses the tax credits and what the century-old school redevelopment into housing will bring to the city of Aledo.

* Illinois Times | City Council has a tiff over TIFs: The Springfield City Council engaged in a heated debate Tuesday over grants for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. Frustration mounted as supporters of the ordinances questioned why their fellow council members sought further discussion on this initiative but not others, suggesting that it came down to the demographics of those who would benefit from the money. TIF districts can be established by cities in areas that have been identified as economically stagnant or unlikely to attract private investment. TIFs are generally intended to revitalize those areas by funding public and private redevelopment projects and attracting private investment.

* 25News Now | Residents can text their city government through service coming to Pekin: The service, called “TextMyGov,” allows residents to send text messages to their local government and receive automated assistance 24/7. This will allow citizens to engage more with their city’s government and will help residents find information and report issues via text message. Residents will be able to access information using keywords such as “AGENDA” or “GARBAGE” and to report issues using keywords like “TREE DOWN” or “POTHOLE.”

* Illinois Times | Route 66: Monetizing the mother road: An exhibit of famed Route 66 nomad hippie artist Bob Waldmire’s work will open June 28 at the Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space and remain on display through December 2026. Then a quarter-mile stretch of original Route 66 concrete road at Carpenter Park will be uncovered and transformed into a trail with wayside exhibits, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for July 11. On the 100th birthday itself, a big bash will happen at Route 66 Motorheads Bar and Grill, with visits from what Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau director Scott Dahl promises as “high-end” entertainment acts and other, yet-to-be-named dignitaries.

* 25News Now | Peoria Blues & Heritage Music Festival announces second round of artists: Taj Farrant, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr., Maurice John Vaughn with Freddie Dixon & John Watkins, FrankBang and Brandon Santini join the lineup, including Ruthie Foster. Rock legend Gov’t Mule, blues rocker ZZ Ward, and Tommy Castro & the Painkillers. The music festival is Aug. 29-30 along the Peoria Riverfront. The festival will feature late-night events at Kenny’s Westside Pub, local food, craft beer and art vendors.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Trump administration is preparing to challenge budget law, U.S. officials say: In both internal communications and interviews, more than two dozen current and former employees across multiple agencies said the administration appears to be readying to push the boundaries of the law meant to prevent the president from unilaterally overturning spending decisions made by Congress. Key White House aides have long argued that the law is an unconstitutional limit on presidential power and suggested that they will seek court rulings to overturn it, which could allow the White House to determine which spending to carry out.

* Wired | ‘They’re Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls: A WIRED investigation into 911 calls from 10 of the nation’s largest immigration detention centers found that serious medical incidents are rising at many of the sites. The data, obtained through public records requests, show that at least 60 percent of the centers analyzed had reported serious pregnancy complications, suicide attempts, or sexual assault allegations. Since January, these 10 facilities have collectively placed nearly 400 emergency calls. Nearly 50 of those have involved potential cardiac episodes, 26 referenced seizures, and 17 reported head injuries. Seven calls described suicide attempts or self-harm, including overdoses and hangings. Six others involved allegations of sexual abuse—including at least one case logged as “staff on detainee.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Jun 27, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WCIA

A professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said the state is behind when it comes to affordable housing.

A study co-authored by labor professor Robert Bruno estimated the state is short more than 220,000 homes right now. He said Illinois would need to build 227,000 homes in the next five years to close the gap. That’s double the current rate.

Bruno said there are two main factors causing the shortage.

“You have on one hand a double digit increase in in the cost of a of a single family home, while at the same time, for a number of reasons, you see suppressed construction of those new family homes,” Bruno said.

* Shaw Local

Four-term state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said he is exploring a possible run for Illinois governor, even as Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday morning he would seek a third term. […]

For the moment, Ugaste said he is trying to decide whether there is a pathway for him to run for governor.

“I need enough political support throughout the state and enough financial support to get elected,” Ugaste said. “Him running isn’t going to deter me.”

* Illinois Department of Employment Security…

The unemployment rate decreased in all twelve metro areas for the year ending May 2025, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in four metropolitan areas, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth: Champaign (4 consecutive months); Chicago (11 consecutive months); Elgin (9 consecutive months); Springfield (19 consecutive months). […]

The metro areas which posted the largest over-the- year decreases in total nonfarm jobs were the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island MSA (IL Section) (-2.8%, -2,500), the Kankakee MSA (- 1.8%, -800), the Bloomington MSA (-1.7%, -1,600), and the Decatur MSA (-1.7%, -800). The metro areas which had the largest over-the- year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+3.0%, +3,500), the Chicago Metro Division (+0.5%, +17,400), the Elgin Metro Division (+0.3%, +1,000), and the Springfield MSA (+0.3%, +300). Industries that saw job growth in the majority of the twelve metro areas included: Private Education and Health Services (ten areas); Mining and Construction and Financial Activities (seven areas each).

The metro areas with the largest unemployment rate decreases were the Champaign-Urbana MSA (-1.0 point to 3.2%), the Elgin Metropolitan Division (-0.9 point to 3.6%), and the Lake County Metro Division (-0.9 point to 3.6%). The Chicago Metro Division reported a decrease of -0.2 point to 4.9%.

*** Pritzker Re-Election Campaign Roundup ***

* ABC Chicago | Gov. Pritzker announces re-election campaign for 3rd term: ‘Keep Illinois moving forward’: He is the first Illinois governor since the late former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson to seek a third consecutive term. The governor spoke at Chicago’s Grand Crossing Park Field House on the South Side. It’s the same location where he announces his first run for governor in April 2017.

* Sun-Times | Gov. JB Pritzker announces run for 3rd term to protect Illinois from ‘chaos and craziness’ of Trump: Pritzker isn’t expected to announce a running mate during his initial campaign tour, which includes more rallies later Thursday in Rockford, Peoria and Springfield, plus two additional downstate appearances on Friday.

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker announces reelection campaign: The state GOP issued a statement saying Pritzker should be “fired not re-hired.” “He’s prioritized illegal immigrants over Illinois families, hiked taxes, and rammed through the largest, most bloated budget in state history,” ILGOP Chairman Kathy Salvi said in a statement. The governor’s political future has been the topic of significant speculation, especially since he was shortlisted for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate search last summer in her campaign for the White House. That and his vocal and frequent condemnations of President Donald Trump have fueled speculation of a presidential run in 2028.

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker makes it official at South Side rally: He’s running for a third term to be Illinois’ chief executive: In the campaign video, Pritzker appears in the small town of Chestnut, which is the geographic center of the state, to make his case that Illinois is the middle of the national battle over politics and government. “These days, Illinois is standing at the center of the fight: The fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense,” Pritzker said, focusing on Trump before pivoting to what Pritzker describes as his successes as governor since he first took office in 2019, including balanced budgets, state credit upgrades and hiking the minimum wage.

* NBC Chicago | ‘Ready for the fight’: Pritzker announces run for third term as Illinois governor: NBC News found Pritzker walking along Chicago’s lakefront just hours before the video was released Thursday. When asked about his upcoming announcement, the governor responded by jokingly asking, “What’s going on?” He said he was walking to “clear his head.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Proposal calling for annual report on prison hospice, palliative care awaits Pritzker’s signature: Over 1,000 Illinois prisoners are 65 or older and a growing number of those people are in need of end-of-life care and support services. The Illinois Department of Corrections does not have a formal hospice program, as end-of-life care is provided on a prison by prison basis. Sponsors and advocates said this has led to inconsistent care for prisoners diagnosed with terminal illnesses or who are expected to reach the end of their life.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Illinois lawmakers failed to pass a school cellphone ban – for now: State Sen. Cristina Castro, the chief sponsor of the bill, said in an interview with Chalkbeat that she did not hear strong opposition to the bill, but believes the language of the bill needed some “fine-tuning.” Teachers unions, administrator groups, and state lawmakers had expressed concerns about schools’ ability to enforce cellphone restrictions and what schools would do about cell phone access in emergency situations such as an active shooter scenario.

*** Chicago ***

* NBC Chicago | Universal is bringing a new year-round horror experience to Chicago, city announces: The new venue will mark the second location for the popular Universal Horror Unleashed brand, following one other location in Las Vegas, and a first for Universal in the Midwest. Universal Horror Unleashed: Chicago will transform a vacant commercial building, located across from the new Bally’s Casino at 700 W. Chicago Ave., “into a world-class horror attraction and entertainment destination.”

* Crain’s | With old plan dead, city reopens Loop site to developers: Chicago planning officials are back on the hunt for a developer to breathe new life into a city-owned site in the southeast corner of the Loop after plans for a $102 million, 20-story apartment building fell through. […] The solicitation comes roughly four years after the city selected a 207-unit, all-affordable high-rise residential plan from nonprofit developer Community Builders as the winner of a green-building competition to redevelop the site. Dubbed Assemble Chicago, the project included a Rush University health clinic and a YMCA location as anchor retail tenants. But it didn’t land the necessary financing to kick it off as interest rates spiked and banks tightened up lending for new ground-up development.

* Sun-Times | Water Tower Place owner pitches mall consolidation, lists upper floors for sale: MetLife engaged JLL about a year ago in an advisory role, Kirschbraun said, as the owner explored the option of consolidating mall space. If such a move were to happen, its retail space would shrink to the mall’s first three floors, according to a property brochure from JLL. “We’re open to anything that supports the rest of the complex,” Kirschbraun said.

* WBEZ | Andersonville’s iconic pizzeria Great Lake has quietly returned, with more than pie: It’s understandable. The husband-and-wife duo learned what viral meant before viral was a thing, in 2009, after GQ writer Alan Richman told everyone the mortadella-topped pizza with earthy, bready crust at their tiny Andersonville shop with uncompromising standards was the best in the country. Then came the rest of the national media, the lines snaking down Balmoral Avenue, celebrities like Beyonce and Jay-Z, and frustrating three-hour waits for pizza (for everyone else).

* Sun-Times | Damen Silos should be a concert venue, groups say: So far, property owner Michael Tadin Jr. hasn’t budged on plans to tear down the historic structures near South Damen Avenue along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Nor has he been swayed to sell the property. Preservationists and a community organization say the buildings should be saved and restored. They could be a backdrop for public park space that would be used as permanent music festival grounds, they argue.

* Chicago Mag | How to Coexist With Coyotes: The odds are that some of these pups won’t survive for long. “Our research indicates that coyotes of all ages in the Chicago area generally have roughly a 60 percent chance of surviving each year, even juveniles in their first year,” wildlife ecology professor Stanley D. Gehrt reports in the 2024 book Coyotes Among Us: Secrets of the City’s Top Predator (written with journalist Kerry Luft). “Still, the survival rates of juvenile coyotes in Cook County are approximately five times higher than the 13 percent survival rate reported for rural juvenile coyotes.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago Pride Parade 2025: Route map, street closings, how to get there, reader tips: The parade begins at 11 a.m. at West Sheridan Road and North Broadway — viewing begins at West Grace Street and North Broadway. It continues south along North Broadway, then to North Halsted Street and east along West Belmont Avenue to North Broadway. Finally south to West Diversey Parkway, ending at the corner of North Sheridan Road and West Diversey Parkway.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Air conditioning restored to some units at Park Forest apartment complex: Park Forest spokesperson Joshua Vinson said Autumn Ridge apartment management reported fixing the air conditioning at two of the complex’s four buildings and that they were on track to restore air in the rest of the building by Friday. “They give us an update, so this is what they’re saying,” Vinson said, noting the village is still working to determine who owns the 119 E. Sycamore St. apartments.

* Daily Herald | Rolling Meadows buys strip mall space to expand social services: The city council this week inked a contract to purchase more than 5,300 square feet of long-vacant office space on the second and third floors of the shopping center at 2214 Algonquin Road, plus the first floor entry area, staircase and elevator used to access the upper floors. The location — in the center of a building that’s home to a number of shops — is highly visible and will be more accessible to residents in need of social services, city officials say.

* Daily Herald | Trump store owner agrees to leave Huntley location after effort to evict her: Just before the store’s eviction trial was set to begin on Wednesday, the store owner, her landlord and their lawyers agreed to a settlement. Among the terms of the agreement are that store owner Lisa Fleischmann vacates the premises by 6 p.m. July 17 and that she pays the landlord’s attorney fees and court costs, which she has done, court records show. Fleischmann said she picked the move-out date and hopes to be in a new location by late September or October. She also would like to start selling merchandise online.

* Press Release | Medill becomes the new home for the Illinois Journalism Education Association: The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications has become the new institutional home for the Illinois Journalism Education Association (IJEA), after a unanimous vote of support by IJEA’s board. IJEA is a nonprofit organization that works with teachers and advisers across Illinois to promote high standards in scholastic media. “We’re excited to take on this role and to work closely with the dedicated board, students and advisers who are members of this storied organization,” said Medill’s Dean Charles Whitaker. “We look forward to continuing to strengthen and grow scholastic journalism and publishing here in Illinois.”

*** Downstate ***

* KFVS | “Y’all Rock Carbondale” to welcome public to camper showcase: The showcase will feature performances from bands that will be created during the 2025 Rock Camp. The camp will take place at the Eurma C. Hayes Center from July 7-11. 55 campers ranging from ages 3-12 will attend Rock Camp. During the camps, they will learn an instrument and participate in workshops.

* WSIL | SIU helps aspiring pilots with disabilities take flight: Southern Illinois University is making strides in aviation accessibility for aspiring pilots with disabilities. The university is hosting the 2025 class of Able Flight, marking its second year in partnership with the nonprofit program. Since May, students have been engaged in intensive flight training, thanks to scholarships from Able Flight. They are working towards earning Sport Pilot certificates, which allow them to operate aircraft without physical disability barriers.

* BND | AC goes out at metro-east animal shelter, so adoptions fees are being waived: “We have more than 80 animals in the facility, so identifying the ones that need immediate help is a little difficult with our staff,” Henke said. Both cat and dog rooms have been affected by the broken air conditioning. More than 12 rooms need new air conditioners, and with each costing more than $5,000, retrofitting the facility is too expensive.

*** National ***

* AP | Key Medicaid provision in President Donald Trump’s bill is found to violate Senate rules. The GOP is scrambling: Guidance from the parliamentarian is rarely ignored and Republican leaders are now forced to consider difficult options. Republicans were counting on big cuts to Medicaid and other programs to offset trillions of dollars in Trump tax breaks, their top priority. Additionally, the Senate’s chief arbiter of its often complicated rules had advised against various GOP provisions barring certain immigrants from health care programs. Republicans scrambled Thursday to respond, with some calling for challenging, or firing, the nonpartisan parliamentarian, who has been on the job since 2012. Democrats said the decisions would devastate GOP plans. “We have contingency plans,” said Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota.

* AP | States can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rules: “This is yet another shameful ruling that inserts the government directly between a patient and their doctor—just like Dobbs three years ago and Skrmetti last week. Intimate, personal decisions about health care shouldn’t require sign off from extremist politicians,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in a statement in response to the high court’s decision. “Each and every action taken by anti-choice extremists threatens the life of someone you know. Eventually, the tides must turn—and we must protect health care for all.”

* ProPublica | Fossil Fuel Interests Are Working to Kill Solar in One Ohio County. The Hometown Newspaper Is Helping.: Someone sent text messages to residents urging them to “stop the solar invasion” and elect two county commission candidates who opposed the solar farm. And one day this past March, residents received an unfamiliar newspaper that contained only articles attacking Frasier Solar, a large project that would replace hundreds of acres of corn and soybeans with the equivalent of 630 football fields of solar panels.

* The Atlantic | The End of Publishing as We Know It: According to one comprehensive study, Google’s AI Overviews—a feature that summarizes web pages above the site’s usual search results—has already reduced traffic to outside websites by more than 34 percent. The CEO of DotDash Meredith, which publishes People, Better Homes & Gardens, and Food & Wine, recently said the company is preparing for a possible “Google Zero” scenario. Some have speculated that traffic drops resulting from chatbots were part of the reason outlets such as Business Insider and the Daily Dot have recently had layoffs. “Business Insider was built for an internet that doesn’t exist anymore,” one former staffer recently told the media reporter Oliver Darcy.

  7 Comments      


Speech focused around building on past accomplishments rather than bold new plans

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From today’s press conference following Gov. Pritzker’s announcement…

Reporter: But from your speech, too, it also sounded like protecting legacy…

Pritzker: Well, sure, balancing the budget every year, that’s something we want to keep doing. Making sure that we’re moving our fiscal situation in the right direction, protecting people’s individual rights, like reproductive rights, LGBT rights. Those are all things that are part of a legacy that I think that we need to protect.

* He also talked about the country at large a lot. From his speech…

Our nation sits on the precipice of an economy that will be reshaped over the next few years by the innovations of artificial intelligence. And while there will be many ways in which AI makes us better and healthier and more efficient as a society – it will also require us to reform education to meet the future of work.

In that context we must create an American economy whose sole purpose is not to make a small amount of very rich people richer but rather one that provides good, stable middle class jobs that pay enough to afford to buy a house, raise a family, and live a fulfilling life.

We must reckon with the fact that everything is too damned expensive. From groceries to concert tickets to mortgages to cars to healthcare, we have created a world where one job isn’t enough to raise kids, one salary not enough to own a home and one lifetime of work not enough to earn retirement. And the answer does not lie in tariffs that tax workers, budgets that gut Medicaid, and DOGE bros that strip research funding from our universities.

Instead, the answer starts with growing Illinois’ economy – with relentlessly pursuing the industries and jobs of the future. We must continue the work started by my administration to attract and grow businesses.

That takes continual investment in

    * world class airports and railroads
    * peerless institutions of higher learning
    * protected fresh water
    * abundant clean energy
    * well designed urban landscapes
    * and nutrient rich rural farmland.

But nothing is more important to grow our economy than the quality of our people, and we must protect that because we have a workforce that is second to none.

* Isabel asked what his big new ideas are…

Isabel: Your original campaign slogan was ‘Think Big.’ What are your big ideas for the remainder of this term and your third term?

Pritzker: Well, there are an awful lot of things we’ve got to still accomplish, right? We still need to get to universal preschool. We’re on our way. It’ll happen probably in 2027, but importantly, we have unfinished business, so we’ve got to keep moving forward. That’s one example. We’ve got to keep moving toward credit upgrades in our state, and we’ve got to make sure that we’re continuing to fund K-12 education. I want to say one important thing that gets overlooked often. When I took office, Illinois, eighth graders were 15th in the country in reading scores. We’re now second in the country. I want to be number one. We were 22nd in the country eighth grade math scores when I took office. We’re now number four in the country. I want to be number one. So again, the big things we’ve got to accomplish are, on behalf of the people of Illinois, the direction that we’re taking and keeping you along

Discuss.

  42 Comments      


RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments.

Retailers like Eva in Galesburg enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

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Pritzker reelection announcement react

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Again, click here to read the governor’s remarks as prepared for delivery and click here to watch the video. From Leader McCombie…

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement in response to Governor JB Pritzker announcing his intent to run for a third term:

“The third term Pritzker slump won’t be any better than seasons one and two. We know what to expect - agency mismanagement, regressive taxation, and record spending. Illinois families need a governor for all people who understands true bipartisanship and growing our economy.”

That came from her state account, by the way. Checking on why.

This post will be updated.

…Adding… RGA…

The Republican Governors Association (RGA) today released the following statement in response to JB Pritzker announcing his campaign for a third term as Illinois Governor:

“People are fleeing Illinois by the hundreds of thousands and Illinois families continue to suffer the consequences of JB Pritzker’s abject record of failure at home while he spends his time on a national vanity project trying to further his own political career. Opportunities for working Illinois families are in the garbage, criminal illegal immigrants are protected over law-abiding citizens, and Pritzker’s tax hikes are destroying family budgets,” said RGA Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton. “Pritzker’s reign in Illinois has left families trapped in an economic disaster, and taxpayers are the ones left to shoulder the burden. It’s time to bring common sense to Illinois and end Pritzker’s feast on Illinois’ working families.”

* DGA…

DGA Chair Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly released the following statement on Gov. JB Pritzker running for reelection as governor of Illinois:

“Gov. JB Pritzker is an effective leader who has delivered strong results for Illinois throughout his time as governor. He turned a fiscal disaster into a balanced budget — overseeing a remarkable nine credit rating upgrades — championed economic development and attracted thousands of new good-paying jobs, expanded access to affordable health care, and made historic investments in education and infrastructure. Moreover, as politicians in Washington push an extreme and harmful agenda, Gov. Pritzker has been a staunch defender of reproductive freedom and our democracy. Illinoisans can trust him to keep standing up for their rights as he keeps the state moving forward.

“The DGA looks forward to supporting Gov. Pritzker as he continues to deliver the steady leadership that Illinoisians deserve.”

* ILGOP…

ILGOP Chairman Kathy Salvi released the following statement following Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s decision to run for a third-term as governor:
“JB Pritzker’s first two terms have been nothing short of a total failure. He’s prioritized illegal immigrants over Illinois families, hiked taxes, and rammed through the largest, most bloated budget in state history. He has used and abused the fine people of Illinois, allowing heavy handed government to meddle in the lives and safety of ordinary Illinoisans. These last nearly eight years under his governance merits firing not rehiring. While businesses and families flee, Pritzker sees Illinois as nothing more than a stepping stone for the White House.

“One thing is clear — the only way our state will have actual representation and relief is by voting Republican.”

What the media should ask JB: Will you commit to serving another four years if you win re-election? Or can we expect you to jet across the country running for president while putting Illinois on the backburner.

  24 Comments      


Rate Pritzker’s re-election launch video (Updated with Pritzker’s prepared remarks)

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Here you go

* Press release…

Governor JB Pritzker announced his re-election campaign, pledging to continue to get big things done for working families and keep moving Illinois forward. The announcement comes with the release of a new video “Keep Illinois Moving Forward,” where the Governor makes the choice clear between our historic progress here in Illinois and the chaos in Washington – direct from the center of Illinois in Chestnut.

“These days, Illinois is standing at the center of the fight: the fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We don’t just talk about problems. In Illinois, we solve them. Because we know government ought to stand up for working families and be a force for good, not a weapon of revenge.

“I’m running for re-election to protect our progress and continue solving the problems we face. I love this state, and it’s the honor of my life to serve as your Governor – to help lead through the most challenging of times and celebrate the most joyful ones together. I’m ready for the fight ahead. So, whether you’re at the center of Illinois, or anywhere else, join me, let’s keep Illinois moving forward.”

Governor Pritzker’s announcement comes on the heels of signing his seventh balanced budget, ushering in an era of fiscal stability in Illinois that has led to nine credit upgrades and the elimination of nearly $17 billion in unpaid bills. This success has allowed Illinois to invest in core priorities including tax relief for working families, record funding for early childhood education, K-12 schools, and higher education financial aid, and healthcare affordability.

With newfound fiscal stability, the Governor has made transformative investments in infrastructure and secured major economic development wins for the state. Illinois is now a leader in the industries of the future like quantum and electric vehicle manufacturing, creating tens of thousands of jobs and bringing billions in investments to our communities.

Thanks to the Governor’s leadership, Illinois remains a symbol of hope and freedom as we face down Donald Trump’s attacks, with abortion rights and civil rights enshrined into law and protections for our LGBTQ and immigrant communities stronger than ever before. Keeping Illinoisans safe remains the Governor’s top priority and with a ban on assault weapons, bump stocks, and ghost guns and historic investments in violence prevention, communities are safer and more prosperous.

Through it all, the Governor has never lost sight of the promise he made in his first campaign – to put Springfield back on the side of working families. In passing a $15 minimum wage, mandating paid leave, and enshrining worker protections into law, the Governor has made clear he will always fight for the working people of Illinois.

…Adding… Click here to read the governor’s prepared remarks. Click here to watch it live. [Fixed link.]

  46 Comments      


Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Across Illinois, big hospital systems and PBMs are abusing the 340B drug discount program – making massive profits while patients drown in medical bills. One whistleblower called it “laundering money.”

Here’s how the scam works: big hospitals buy discounted 340B drugs, bill patients full price, then split the difference with for-profit pharmacies and PBMs.

340B was meant to help Illinois communities in need. But there are no rules requiring hospitals and PBMs to pass savings on to patients. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers.

Meanwhile, tax-exempt hospitals cash in – and PBMs get a cut too.

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Open thread

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Smile Politely

Prior to the release of her new album How Are You Lately?, Smile Politely had the chance to catch up with Peoria-based songstress Emily How. How Are You Lately? is How’s first long play album featuring 11 songs, with “Normalcy,” “Zombie Song,” and “Undertow” released as the album’s singles.

How wrote every song on the album, while they were recorded, mixed, and produced by Jacob Hill. How shared that Hill also plays guitar, keys, and banjo on the album. Alongside How and Hill, the current band lineup also includes Matt Filarski on drums and Bowie Adams on bass.

* “Normalcy”

* Please keep your chat Illinois-centric. Thanks.

  8 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Jun 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois Democratic lawmakers ask RFK Jr. to stop sharing Medicaid data with Trump deportation officials. Sun-Times

    - Lawmakers in the letter cite a CMS audit announced last month that would increase “federal oversight” of state Medicaid agencies to ensure federal funds were not being used to provide health coverage to those who lack legal status.
    - But the Democrats claim CMS “inappropriately and potentially unlawfully” used the audit to obtain personal data and shared it with Homeland Security.
    - Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office is “closely monitoring this matter and evaluating our options,” according to spokesperson Jamey Dunn-Thomason.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Subscribers know much more. WQRL | Vercellino to challenge incumbent Windhorst for 117th House District: Vercellino, of West Frankfort, became the first Republican elected as County Treasurer since the 1950s and beat a sitting Democrat for the office in 2018. Since then, Vercellino has worked with Democrat and Republican boards alike to get county finances back on track to better position Franklin County for decades to come. Vercellino says he’s a proven leader who’s ready to bring his leadership abilities to a bigger stage. Vercellino says since 2017 he has seen an exponentially growing grassroots base of people willing to step up to help make Illinois a better place to live, work, and grow.

* Illinois Times | The college crisis: When University of Illinois Springfield recently was designated Illinois’ top regional state university, it was a dose of good news on a campus that has seen its enrollment drop by more than 800 students during the last decade. UIS is reviewing programs and pondering whether they continue to serve student needs, Chancellor Janet Gooch told Illinois Times. It’s a situation almost all of the state’s regional institutions find themselves in.

* STL Post Dispatch | Pope Leo XIV among 1 in 4 Illinoisans with unclaimed property: The amount the pope is in line to receive should he make a claim? $8.65, which equals about 7.45 euros. “I am happy to send $8.65 to the world’s most famous White Sox fan,” Frerichs said in a statement. “My office is truly committed to returning everyone’s missing money, no matter how long it takes or what elevated title they have taken.”

*** Statewide ***

* ABC Chicago | Illinois seeking to counter information from RFK Jr’s new vaccine panel doctors call untrustworthy: The head of the Illinois Department of Public Health told the ABC7 I-Team among the conversations underway are how to potentially stand up interstate vaccination programs. Those plans revealed as physicians and others were protesting Wednesday as the new advisory committee on immunization practices at the CDC met for the first time after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members and seated an entirely new board, with some vaccine skeptics like himself, to determine national vaccine policy.

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois’ soil conservation funding stagnates amid recent high-profile dust storms: On May 16, Chicago saw its first major dust storm since the Dust Bowl, which stretched from Texas to New York in the early 1930s and deposited 300 million tons of soil across the nation – 12 million tons of which settled in the Chicago region, according to the Bill of Rights Institute. The storm in May dropped visibility in the city to near zero as wind gusts blew over 60 mph at times, according to the National Weather Service. Taylor said the atmospheric environment that day was more characteristic of the dry environments in the High Plains or Southwest U.S., not the Midwest. As rain began to fall near Bloomington, it quickly evaporated and cooled the atmosphere, creating strong pockets of wind that began to move North. And as winds sped up, the storm began to pick up and move dry and loose soil from fields it passed over, which created the dust storm.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Attorney General Raoul joins lawsuit challenging Trump’s termination of federal grants: Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced this week he has joined another multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to withhold billions of dollars in federal funds that had previously been approved for states and other grantees. The complaint, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, challenges several actions the administration has taken since Trump returned to office Jan. 20 that involved terminating federal grants that had previously been approved by various agencies.

* Tribune | Recent political violence in the United States has local elected officials concerned about the causes: State Rep. Bob Morgan (D-58) said he was “shocked and shaken” when he heard about the shootings, noting he was familiar with Hortman, but had not met her. Morgan mentioned he quickly contacted local law enforcement to see if there were any threats against anyone locally. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have had to go down this path and consider our own safety and safety of our colleagues,” Morgan said.

* McHenry County Blog | Pastor Corey Brooks Declines $200,000 in Legislative Pork for Project H.O.O.D.: In his speech endorsing Jim Oberweis to replace Florida Congressman Bryon Donalds Chicago Pastor Corey Brooks stated that his Project H.O.O.D. would not accept government money. […] asked him about the $200,000 that was included in the pork-filled state budget. He remained true to his Florida statement; he said he had turned it down.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools budget for 2025-26 school year delayed: Chicago Public Schools’ budget for the 2025-26 school year, normally released in June, is delayed until at least late July, prompting uncertainty and anxiety for principals and schools — and potentially setting them up for cuts right before the fall. The district’s new fiscal year starts on July 1 and schools received their budgets for the coming school year in May, based on the assumption that the district would have just a $229 million deficit to close. Those school-level budgets were mostly flat, district officials said, though some schools already experienced some cuts.

* Sun-Times | CPS school board to consider green schools pilot program: The proposal would use the cash-strapped district’s limited resources to invest in energy-efficient projects that proponents say could save money in the long run. If approved, the resolution would establish a healthy green schools pilot program at Chicago Public Schools with the goal of investing in at least 12 clean energy projects at neighborhood schools by the end of the 2025-26 school year. Those projects could include rooftop solar, heat pumps or geothermal systems that use stable underground temperatures for heating and cooling buildings.

* Sun-Times | Funeral home gets Chicago’s lucrative $4.4M body removal contract: Current and former Chicago police officers question whether a single funeral home has the capacity to handle the citywide business. Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st), who has served the city as both a police officer and a firefighter, said he doesn’t “know if it’s possible.” […] The new contract includes a penalty for delayed transport of bodies. If the contractor fails to arrive at the scene within 75 minutes of the initial call-out by 911 dispatchers, the fee of $172 per body will be cut in half.

* Block Club | Mosaic House, A New Coworking And Childcare Center, Wants To Help NW Side Moms Build Community: The coworking center is opening July 14 on the border of the Dunning and Montclare neighborhoods. The space, 7129 W. Belmont Ave., will feature structured child care in the back with a spacious work area in the front. Mosaic House plans to host events like resume-building sessions, peer support groups, wellness workshops, panels on motherhood and yoga classes.

* WBEZ | Many Chicagoans likely to wait decades for dangerous lead pipes to be replaced: Now a senior policy advocate for the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council,Perry is part of a coalition that fought for stricter rules to force cities like Chicago to remove their toxic lead pipes faster. Last year, advocates celebrated a big win: The Biden-era U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated that all water systems across the country begin replacing their lead service lines by 2027. Under the new rule, Chicago would have about 20 years to replace its estimated 412,000 lead service lines, giving the city its most accelerated timeline yet for dealing with the public health crisis. Lead is especially harmful to children with developing brains and can cause a number of serious health conditions in adults. But Chicago is set to fall 30 years behind that timeline, according to the city’s replacement plan, submitted to the Illinois EPA in April and obtained through a public records request. It aims to complete 8,300 replacements annually for 50 years, wrapping up in 2076.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus mourns loss of member in fatal hit-and-run in Lake View: Siddall joined the chorus in 2018 and “quickly became a vibrant and vital part of our community,” said Kevin Corbett, Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus managing director. “A gifted performer, Brendan lit up the stage in several performances, sharing their talent and energy with joy and authenticity,” Corbett said in a statement. Siddall served as the president of the chorus’ membership council.

* WBEZ | How Chicago drag designers are pushing the boundaries of fashion: “If you want something more eccentric, you might go to Eda Birthing or Mats,” said Chicago drag queen Miss Toto. “If you want pageantry, you’re going to Utica or Joshuan Aponte. It’s like you have the whole spectrum of what you could possibly get in Chicago. In a lot of other cities, you might not be able to even find someone to sew you one thing, but in Chicago you can find someone to sew anything.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Shaw Local | Grocery tax here to stay in DeKalb: – When the state grocery tax lifts on Illinoisans in January, DeKalb purchases will continue to be taxed locally, the DeKalb City Council voted this week. The grocery tax, as passed in a pair of 5-2-1 votes, will take effect locally Jan. 1, the day the state grocery tax expires.

* Sun-Times | Northwestern University undertaking a variety of cost-cutting measures amid financial pressure: On June 10, Northwestern University sent an email to staff and faculty announcing it would implement cost-cutting measures, including a hiring freeze and “decreases in the total number of staff positions.” It also said staff would not get bonuses next year, that the university was switching health insurance companies and there would be changes to the tuition benefits program, which provides employees with financial assistance toward the cost of courses.

* Daily Herald | Skokie attorney joins race for Schakowsky’s congressional seat: Democrat Howard Rosenblum has joined the race in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, which includes parts of Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. “This is a campaign to restore the foundations of our democracy,” Rosenblum said in a news release. “I know how important equality under the law and full opportunity through civil rights is. My legal experience fighting back is exactly what we need in Washington right now.”

* Daily Southtown | Oak Lawn $13 million Polaris flood control project to begin this fall: Oak Lawn is moving forward with plans to build a detention basin for stormwater storage in the fields near Polaris Intermediate School after over a year-long delay. Village Board voted Tuesday to approve an agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to split the cost of the estimated $13 million plan to alleviate flooding during major storms. More than 6,600 feet of storm sewers also will be replaced with larger pipes, ranging from 30 inches to 5 feet in diameter.

* Shaw Local | ‘Reeks of a power grab’: Crystal Lake park board’s spate of controversial moves sparks public outcry: Recent actions by the Crystal Lake Park District board, with three newly elected members, have caused tension in the community, with many residents speaking out against a series of swift changes. Dozens of residents attended a park board meeting last week, with the crowd overflowing into two other rooms to view the meeting on TV screens. Some spoke in favor of the recent board actions, but many more criticized how the board speedily passed agenda items such as the removal of the diversity, equity and inclusion policy, claiming the board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Other issues prompting criticism include the hiring of a previous board member as the new park district attorney for a substantially higher price than the previous attorney and replacing the members of a volunteer lake advisory committee with a lakeside homeowners association.

* Daily Herald | ‘People rely on us’: Don’t fret, household hazardous waste collection to resume in July: “The program is continuing,” said Pete Adrian, recycling coordinator. “There’s no crisis here by any means.” The agency is permitted to hold a certain amount of materials, such as pesticides, motor oil, household cleaners and gasoline but relies on state funding to have them removed for recycling. “There’s a volume of material we have to move out of the facility to make space for the next batch coming in,” Adrian said.

*** Downstate ***

* The Telegraph | Manure trucks block anti-Trump protest at Macoupin County Courthouse: A weekly anti-Donald Trump protest held outside the Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville was undeterred Tuesday when protesters showed up to find trucks and trailers containing manure parked where they normally protest. “They have trucks of manure in line of where we usually protest,” protestor Toni Leahy said. “It definitely stinks on the sensory level, not just on the idea of it.” […] Instead, they proceeded to “flip the script” by making impromptu signs, one of which said, “Trump’s policies stink.”

* WCIA | Evidence of former Iroquois Co. Health Admin’s gambling will be allowed in court: Schippert, the former Administrator of the Iroquois County Public Health District, is facing 33 felony counts, including theft of government property, forgery and official misconduct. She previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office alleges that between May 31, 2020, and July 15, 2022, Schippert filed fraudulent timesheets, all while time-stamped video footage showed Schippert at various gaming parlors for at least 759 hours — 260 of which were during regular business hours.

* WAND | Parents could owe hundreds in fines for kids who commit crimes under new Tolono ordinance: First-time penalties include a $250 fine. A second offense within 12 months of the first doubles to $500. A third offense within 12 months of the first offense is $750 with each incident following an additional $750.

* WGLT | Deriva Energy proposes 300-megawatt solar farm in eastern McLean County: Deriva said the project represents about $563 million in direct and indirect investments in McLean County in jobs, construction output, tax benefits and earnings. The company estimates the project would generate $65.6 million in property tax revenue over the solar farm’s 40-year lifetime. The bulk of that money would to the Tri-Valley school district in Downs [$45.3 million]. The project is on track to begin construction in mid-2027 and start operation in late 2028.

* WQAD | Karen Kinney retiring as Rock Island County clerk: Rock Island County Clerk Karen Kinney announced she will not seek another term in office after 26 years of service. She said in a statement that she believes that the time has come to allow new leadership to guide her office. “I am deeply grateful for the trust and support of my colleagues, the County Board, and the residents of Rock Island County. Together, we have navigated challenges, celebrated milestones, and worked diligently to serve the public with integrity and dedication,” Kinney said in a press release announcing her decision.

* WCIA | New affordable student housing could be coming to Urbana: A new housing option could be coming to Urbana. It’s designed for students to spend their time on campus while staying somewhere affordable. Holton Bagley, the business owner who is trying to bring it to campus, said it’ll be the first one in Urbana. It’s in an old fraternity house with more than 20 rooms. But before it can open, the city has to give it the green light.

* WCIA | Carle Illinois College of Medicine students, professor helping breast cancer patients with new prostheses: 3D printing and scanning can be used for a variety of reasons. At the University of Illinois, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, a team of researchers is using it to help breast cancer patients. Dr. Victor Stams, a Carle Health plastic surgeon and professor at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, is working alongside his team of medical students to create custom-fit breast prostheses.

* WCIA | Central Illinois HVAC repair companies swamped with demand: “I would say right now the most important thing we’re seeing is a lack of maintenance from a home ownership perspective,” said general manager Jeff Kenyon. “Maintenance is very important, it’s kind of like changing oil in your car. A lot of dirty filters, a lot of capacitors, just simple breakdowns.” Changing your filters and rinsing your unit’s coils helps maintain airflow in your unit and avoids exhaustion of the unit.

*** National ***

* The Atlantic | Why Do Billionaires Go Crazy?: David Frum is joined by the author and editor Tina Brown for a conversation about the disorienting effects of extreme wealth. They discuss how billionaires often become detached from reality, how philanthropy is used to consolidate image and influence, and how Brown’s personal experience with Donald Trump shaped her understanding of his ego and evolution.

* Philadelphia Inquirer | Two more patients say they faced questions around citizenship at hospitals in Philly and Abington: Both said they wondered why that information was being sought. Both are U.S. citizens, but feared the potential impact on those already wary of seeking treatment because they may be undocumented or have uncertain immigration status. At least five other people in the region responded to earlier Inquirer reporting on the issue by posting on social media that they too had been asked about their citizenship while seeking attention at area hospitals.

* NPR | Former DOGE engineer says federal waste and fraud were ‘relatively nonexistent’: A former employee of the Department of Government Efficiency says that he found that the federal waste, fraud and abuse that his agency was supposed to uncover were “relatively nonexistent” during his short time embedded within the Department of Veterans Affairs. “I personally was pretty surprised, actually, at how efficient the government was,” Sahil Lavingia told NPR’s Juana Summers.

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