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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* NBC Chicago…
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a new online licensing system this fall, the first phase in a plan to modernize the management and licensing process for service providers across the state. The system improvements are part of efforts to make doing business easier and more efficient for Illinois service providers, the department said in a statement. […] The first professions to be licensed under the new system are clinical psychologists, music therapists and nail technicians. * WTTW | Watchdog Uncovers at Least $7.2M in PPP Loan Fraud by Illinois State Employees: Employees from 13 different state agencies are involved in the fraud and have illegally taken these federal public funds, according to the OEIG, which is charged with investigating allegations of misconduct within state government. As of April, more than 60% of those implicated to date worked for the Illinois Department of Human Services, which operates mental health hospitals and developmental centers across the state. * Mike Matejka | Pritzker not the first Illinois governor to defy the president’s wishes: In 1894, Democratic Gov. John Peter Altgeld (1847-1902) challenged Democratic President Grover Cleveland. Altgeld served from 1893-1897 and was a national figure in the Progressive reform movement. […] In 1892, he defeated Bloomington Republican Gov. Joseph Fifer. Altgeld initiated reforms that included public education funding, prison reform, child labor and factory inspection laws. He supported public education, and each university received a new building, the Gothic Revival “castles.” Cook Hall at Illinois State University is one of those. * University of Illinois System | November Illinois Flash Index fell slightly from previous months: The Illinois Flash Index for November fell marginally to 102 from its reading last month of 102.2, remaining in a narrow range over the previous five months. However, any index reading above 100 indicates growth. “It is still too early for the index to register the impacts, if any, of the November election,” said Fred Giertz, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. * WBEZ | Former Chicago Mayor’s Office staffers are removed from the city’s do-not-hire list amid press office fallout: Both Meza and Rodriguez were placed on the list as of their termination in August 2023 after staffers in the mayor’s press office raised issues of diminishing job responsibilities under former Communications Director Ronnie Reese and hostility for previously working under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot that contributed to “a very sexist attitude.” Former staffers also recounted being yelled at by senior leadership. “I am relieved that my colleagues and I are removed from the ineligible for rehire list. My hope is that the city moves forward with a more just and clear procedure when placing individuals on the list,” Meza, the former deputy director of digital strategy under Lightfoot and Johnson, said Monday.
* WTTW | How Mayor Brandon Johnson Lost Control of the Debate Over Chicago’s 2025 Budget: As City Council members return to City Hall on Monday to wrap up budget hearings after a weeklong Thanksgiving break, there is no clear path to a deal with just 29 days left before the deadline to avoid an unprecedented shutdown of city government. […] Fifteen alderpeople, who frequently oppose the mayor’s initiatives, sent him a letter identifying $568 million in cuts designed to roll back spending to 2020 levels, adjusted for inflation. None of those cuts would come from the Chicago Police Department, which accounts for nearly 46% of Chicago’s discretionary spending.  * Crain’s | New delay, rewrite for renters’ right of first refusal in gentrification zones: The aldermanic sponsors of a new anti-gentrification ordinance are calling for a delay until March for their plan to give renters in fast-gentrifying neighborhoods the right to buy their building instead of letting it get sold to outside investors. The delay, which Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) will introduce at a City Council meeting today, comes along with a proposal to insert language into the ordinance with the aim of “continuing to promote homeownership for tenants while at the same time being fair to sellers,” he told Crain’s. * Sun-Times | Art Institute steps up efforts to learn the origins of everything in its collection: Schuhmacher’s hiring comes at a time when the museum has been embroiled in a legal dispute over the ownership of “Russian War Prisoner,” a 1916 watercolor by celebrated Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has accused the museum of demonstrating “willful blindness” to evidence showing the work was snatched by the Nazis before World War II. But in a court filing earlier this year, the Art Institute defended its purchase, saying prosecutors’ allegations were “factually unsupported and wrong.” * Sun-Times | Heat is on Bears GM Ryan Poles to get this hire right: Even then, Eberflus seemed like an unusual, suspicious choice. No. 1, he was one of the coaches the Bears had initially interviewed before hiring Poles. No. 2, he was hired less than 48 hours after Poles himself was hired. It seemed odd that a first-time GM with the opportunity of a lifetime would find such a critical hire not only so quickly but at Halas Hall of all places. * WBBM | Bears President Kevin Warren: Head coach position ‘will be the most coveted job in the NFL’: If so, the Bears will have a lot of names to sort through to replace the departed Matt Eberflus. And yes, interim coach Thomas Brown will be on that list. Warren says the Bears are looking for someone who is tough, who is bright, who is demanding, who is creative, who has high standards, and who is ‘decisive’. He also says that Poles, the GM, will be the ‘point person’ on the search. Though, Warren says he and Poles will be working closely together. * Sun-Times | Bears president Kevin Warren admits Matt Eberflus’ Friday news conference was regrettable: “When Coach Eberflus had his press conference, we had not made a final decision,” he said. “If there’s one thing we stand for is family and integrity and doing it the right way. “In retrospect, could we have done it better? Absolutely. I’ll be the first one to raise my hand. Yes. But during his press conference and even a couple hours later, we had not reached a decision. * Tribune | Chicago Bears have had 18 head coaches. Here’s a look at how past coaches fared — and when they left the franchise: The Chicago Bears have had 18 head coaches in the franchise’s 100-plus-year history. Some of the previous 17 were significantly more successful than others, but either way, the Bears had not ever fired a coach mid-season — until Matt Eberflus. Here’s a look at how Bears coaches fared and what the circumstances were when they left the franchise. * Tribune | Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele attends meeting remotely after DUI arrest: Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele phoned it in Monday for her first meeting following her arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, joining the proceedings remotely “due to illness.” She did not address the incident during the meeting, only congratulating fellow commissioner Larry Rogers on his re-election shortly after he was sworn in. Steele, one of three members of the quasi-judicial body that hears property tax appeals, has not commented on her Nov. 10 arrest. A Democrat who has also worked on assessments in Indiana, Steele was first elected to the board in 2022. * Shaw Local | Former Lauzen employee slams his expertise, treatment of her: Candida Cain, formerly the Director of Financial Operations, began working for Lauzen in May 2023, after a 17-year employee in the same position, Carrollyn Brady, resigned. […] On May 9, Cain said, “Treasurer Lauzen’s lack of computer skills was evident when he could not approve a $24 million online transfer to Byline Bank.” “He could not log on to a computer or download apps to his phone, which led to the bank allowing me to handle the approval in his place,” Cain said. * Crain’s | Chicago developer buys revamped Motorola Mobility campus: A joint venture of the Chicago developer and Chicago-based JDI Realty paid $35 million last week for the 1 million-square-foot Innovation Park Lake County campus at 1910 Innovation Way in Libertyville, according to sources familiar with the deal. The venture acquired the 83-acre property from an affiliate of Rockville, Md.-based Beco Management, which bought the former cell phone plant from Motorola Mobility a decade ago for $9.5 million and spent close to $40 million revamping it as a multi-tenant office and research hub. * Daily Herald | After legal fight over odors, Prestige Feed Products plans to move out of Mount Prospect within 6 months: Neighbors in both Mount Prospect and Des Plaines have complained of a “burnt cheese” smell emanating from the plant during operational hours. Those complaints spawned protests outside the facility by neighbors and ultimately a lawsuit. There’s no word yet where Prestige is planning to relocate. * Shaw Local | Future Joliet residential recovery complex would allow spouses of women: “We are targeting women and their children,” Marco Murillo, senior director of real estate development for VOA Illinois told the Plan Commission at its Nov. 21 meeting. “In certain instances when the mother is married, we are allowing them to live with their partners.” […] The complex will include 48 apartments divided between two buildings, one of which will include offices for support services for residents. * Daily Herald | DuPage County moves closer toward transportation complex plan on fairground site: The project, estimated to cost between $73 million and $82 million, includes 4.5 acres of green space and a new public restroom facility on the fairgrounds. County board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog, who also heads the board’s transportation committee, stressed a good road system is critical to the county’s economic success. She noted the county’s division of transportation takes care of 220 miles of county highways and 92 miles of multiuse trails. It also maintains 650 vehicles in the countywide fleet and is responsible for snow removal on county roads. * BND | City fixes made flooding, sewage problems worse for some, Cahokia Heights residents say: Work by the city of Cahokia Heights to address floodwater and sewage that regularly spills into homes from failing infrastructure has not solved the problems and in some cases has made them worse, residents argue in their latest court filing in the ongoing fight with officials over repairs. Heavy rain infiltrates the sewers and forces them to overflow. “Every time it rains, we brace ourselves for disaster,” resident Yvette Lyles stated in a news release about the court filing Wednesday. “It’s not just water — it’s sewage. It’s sickness. It’s hopelessness.” * WGLT | New members sworn in as Democrats take majority control of McLean County Board: Previously Republicans and Democrats each held 10 seats on the board. Now, Democrats have a 12-to-8 majority. Democrats now occupy both the chair and vice-chair roles on the board. The vice chair will be Jim Rogal, who will also head up the Legislative and Justice committees. As expected, the board chair will be longest-serving Democrat Elizabeth Johnston. Both were nominated unopposed and voted in unanimously. * KFVS | Sheriff’s patrol units using “cruise mode lighting” to deter crime, better visibility: According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, patrol units will be using “cruise mode lighting” from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. to help deter crime and to be more visible. […] “Cruise mode lighting” makes it possible for our Deputies to be more visible and increase the likelihood that we will deter crime before it occurs”, stated Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich in a Facebook post. * QC Times | How many tobacco shops is too many? Moline rejects license request: Beyond just requiring a license for tobacco products, Moline’s ordinance includes “tobacco accessories,” which includes things such as pipes and cigarette rolling papers. The ordinance also caps the number of tobacco dealers’ licenses at 48, which can be raised or lowered by the city council. In practice this means that new stores seeking a license are approved or denied by the city council on a case-by-case basis. * WCIA | Champaign offers free downtown parking to support local businesses this month: According to the Public Works Department, from now through Dec. 31, up to two hours of free parking will be available in the Hill Street Parking Deck. For people needing longer than two hours of parking, hourly visitors will receive a two-hour discount off their parking fee. * WICS | No evidence of Venezuelan gang activity, say Springfield police amid social media rumors: The Springfield Police Department has released a statement regarding Venezuelan gang rumors in Springfield. “We are aware of recent social media rumors circulating concerning potential threats involving Venezuelan gangs. The Springfield Police Department did not generate this information and has no evidence to support claims of gang-related activity involving Venezuelan migrants. The Springfield Police Department has recently made arrests of individuals in a retail theft incident and is working with law enforcement partners on two ATM thefts in Springfield. There is no information indicating these incidents are related.” * WPSD | I-24 ‘Ohio River’ Bridge inspection causes lane closures: The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to restrict the Interstate 24 “Ohio River” Bridge starting Monday, Dec. 2, to inspect it. The project takes over two weeks, weather permitting, to facilitate the inspection. According to IDOT, the lane closure starts at 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, and ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6. The second closure is the following week, beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, and ending at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13. * Daily Journal | Bradley to buy mall: $6.5M sale within 60 days: At Monday’s Bradley Village Board meeting, the board approved a resolution authorizing the $6.5-million purchase of 43 acres on nine parcels which make up the struggling mall property currently owned by Namdar Realty Group of Great Neck, N.Y. If all goes as planned during the next 30 to 60 days, Bradley will go over the parcel in detail to make sure there are no major issues. The property could be in possession of the village by mid to late January, at the latest. * Daily Journal | Pizza in Pembroke? New biz seeks trend reversal: “We are used to our people leaving town for something like this,” said Hopkins Park Mayor Mark Hodge. “Now people are coming here. People are coming to Pembroke for this product. … It’s been a long time coming to reverse the tide.” While Hodge cannot be certain, he is confident enough to state this is more than likely the first pizza restaurant to ever have called Pembroke Township home. * Nieman Lab | Core copyright violation claim moves ahead in The Intercept’s lawsuit against OpenAI: Judge Jed Rakoff said he’d hear the claim that OpenAI removed authorship information when it allegedly fed The Intercept’s articles into the training data sets it used to build ChatGPT. Doing so could be a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a 1998 law that, among other protections, makes it illegal to remove the author name, usage terms, or title from a digital work. * Daily Energy Insider | U.S. needs massive transmission roll-out, but Trump administration support is uncertain, experts say: Newly released estimates projecting a need for 35 GW of new interregional transmission capacity across North America likely underestimate just how much transmission the U.S. needs to build, experts said Monday during a panel hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid. But the Trump administration’s position on transmission expansion remains unclear. […] “I think the thing to reinforce is the numbers we are talking about here for the data centers are bigger than anything we have seen,” Robert Taylor, vice president for transmission new markets at Invenergy, agreed. “The processes we have, have not answered questions that big before.” * WaPo | X is Elon’s world. Threads is a mess. Is Bluesky any better?: That similarity to pre-Musk Twitter is what seems to have given it the edge over other competitors. Mastodon is too complicated. Threads, owned by Meta, throttles political speech and seems to boost strange tales of woe, leading Substacker Max Read to call it “The gas-leak social network” because “Everyone on the platform, including you, seems to be suffering some kind of minor brain damage.” (Posts that popped up on this reporter’s recent log-in to Threads included a post from a total stranger commemorating the 14th anniversary of their leg amputation, and another stranger inquiring what the human equivalent of dog food would be, because they were sick of cooking every single day.)
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Caption contest!
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Online sweepstakes: Looks like a casino, talks like a casino, walks like a casino, but not regulated like a casino
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* A sample of this online sweepstakes gambling…
* Charles Gillespie, CEO of Gambling.com Group, made his case for regulating online gambling in July…
* Covers website in July…
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Friday hearing set for Sean Grayson release conditions, as state’s attorney plans appeal to top court
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R…
Click here to read the Appellate Court ruling. * Associated Press last week…
* SJ-R early this morning…
* WICS has a full statement from Milhiser…
* The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice…
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Art, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Illinois voter turnout was 70.42 percent, but registered voters were down a quarter million from peak four years ago
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for the official vote totals book. Illinois State Board of Elections…
* I checked with the state board, and these are the presidential election numbers for the past twenty years…
2020: 8,364,099 registered voters, 6,098,729 ballots cast, 72.92% turnout 2016: 8,029,847 registered, 5,666,118 ballots, 70.56% turnout 2012: 7,520,722 registered, 5,279,752 ballots, 70.2% turnout 2008: 7,789,500 registered, 5,577,509 ballots, 71.60% turnout 2004: 7,499,488 registered, 5,350,493 ballots, 71.34% turnout Kamala Harris received 409,052 fewer votes than Joe Biden in 2020. Part of that could very well be due to this year’s lower voter registration numbers and the lower turnout percentage. Donald Trump received just 2,188 more statewide votes this year than four years ago. If you look at 2016, which had very similar overall numbers, Harris received 27,866 fewer votes this year than Hillary Clinton, while Donald Trump received 303,064 more votes this year than he got then. One other big difference was that third party presidential candidates received almost 300,000 votes in 2016, compared to just a bit over 40,000 votes this year (and about 115K in 2020). * “Illinois Presidential Election Turnout Highest to Lowest, 1976-2024″…  * Back to the board’s press release…
* More numbers… 
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* SB3959’s synopsis…
The bill, introduced in May 2024, has yet to move out of Senate Assignments. * The Tribune…
Thoughts?
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Roundup: Madigan corruption trial
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* The Sun-Times last week…
* Tribune…
* ABC Chicago…
* More…
* Fox Chicago | Judge in Larry Hoover case also presiding over Madigan corruption trial: The same judge whom Larry Hoover’s attorneys are trying to disqualify from considering his re-sentencing is presiding over Michael Madigan’s corruption trial. Former alderman Danny Solis testified for a shortened fourth day before the trial breaks for an extended Thanksgiving recess.
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Open thread
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller We are back up and running! Thank you for sticking with us through this predicament. * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Under bail reform, more domestic violence defendants ordered held pending trial in Cook County. Sun-Times…
- In the first year of bail reform, prosecutors filed petitions for detention in 16% of the 13,326 domestic violence cases. - About two of every five of those requests were granted, meaning 875 individuals or 6.6% of those charged with domestic violence were ordered to be detained pending trial. * Related stories… ∙ Amanda Pyron: We need Illinois to step up in the fight against gender-based violence ∙ CBS: Advocates want Illinois judge reassigned after releasing man who police say later killed his wife ∙ WICS: Domestic violence incidents increase during winter months * SJ-R | ‘A travesty:’ People react to deputy in Massey shooting being freed from jail: Massey family supporters plan to protest outside of the Sangamon County Complex Monday morning when Grayson, charged with first-degree murder in the July 6 fatal shooting of Massey inside of her home, has a status hearing. Circuit Court Presiding Judge Ryan Cadagin, who twice ordered Grayson to be detained under the Pre-Trial Fairness Act, and attorneys for the state and for Grayson are expected to work out a date for a hearing to consider conditions of his pre-trial release. * SJ-R | Illinois Innocence Project founder sees students’ lives ‘changed by this work’: Larry Golden points out that the Illinois Innocence Project (IIP) at the University of Illinois Springfield uses undergraduate students in researching and reviewing cases, making it the only innocence project in the nation to do so. “The young people who are coming in, their lives are being changed (by this work) and they’re telling us (that) right now,” said Golden, a professor emeritus at UIS and the founding director of IIP in 2001, who is still involved in classes being taught at UIS. “We’re seeing the results of the seeds that got planted.” * Sun-Times | Inside Matt Eberflus’ firing: As losses mounted and message fizzled, Bears couldn’t take it anymore: The final game of former coach Matt Eberflus’ brief tenure ended haphazardly Thursday as he botched clock management in a 23-20 loss to the Lions, and the fallout wasn’t much smoother. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was visibly angry after Eberflus’ failure to call timeout cost the team a chance to at least tie the game, but remained diplomatic afterward by saying only that he didn’t believe it was his decision as an inexperienced player and he leaves those calls up to Eberflus. * Tribune | Batteries are a missing piece in Illinois’ clean energy transition. Engineers and lawmakers are racing to add them to the power grid: Sen. Bill Cunningham plans to push forward a bill to significantly increase the battery capacity on Illinois’ electric grid. He considers it a necessary complement to the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which set a 2045 goal to shutter fossil fuel plants and expand renewable energy but did not include significant provisions for energy storage. “Without battery, I think many (coal and natural gas) plants will remain open,” he said. * Center Square | Trump’s Illinois gain a rejection of Democrat status quo, Republican says: For Illinois Republicans, there was no ground gained in either the congressional delegation or the state legislature. But, state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, said the results are not an endorsement of the status quo, but rather evidence of an electoral map rigged by Democrats. “Donald Trump, who did not do any work or advertising in this state, took 44% of the vote. That’s a far cry from the three districts that are represented in Congress and certainly a far crime from the one-third of the legislature that is represented by Republicans,” Spain said. * WMCL | JAMES F. “JIM” REA: James F. “Jim” Rea, passed away peacefully on November 25, 2024, at 87, surrounded by his loving family, He was born on September 7, 1937, to Marion and Lucy Rea in the small town of Mulkeytown, IL, where he spent his formative years. […] Over a span of 22 years, Jim served in both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate, working for the betterment of southern Illinois. His influence and dedication were evident through his active involvement in numerous organizations, including a distinguished membership in the Masonic Lodge for over 50 years, the Lions Club, the Shriners, and many others. Perhaps most notably, he took great pride in his contributions to CASA of Franklin County, advocating for the welfare of children. * Crain’s | What we’ve learned after 5 years of legal weed: When Illinois legislators legalized recreational marijuana in 2019, thousands applied to get in on the action. What some saw as a short path to riches has turned into a slog. Sales have been hampered by competition, both legal and illegal. Inflation took off, squeezing customers’ wallets and pushing up costs for operators. What little capital there was early on has largely dried up. Even the giant multistate operators that got in early have hunkered down, trimming jobs to conserve cash. * Sun-Times | The rise in rifle use in Illinois deer hunting: “In 2023, in the regular firearm season, hunters reported that approximately 19% of the deer taken were killed with rifles,” emailed Dan Skinner, forest wildlife program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “But when we looked at just the youth season, that number was much higher – closer to 34%. This is not surprising, given many centerfire rifle proponents are quick to tout their lighter recoil when compared to slug guns, so it seems predictable that youth hunters would adopt rifles at a rate higher than the overall average. * Tribune | Many Illinois health systems provide gender-affirming care. What happens when Donald Trump becomes president?: Many Chicago-area hospital systems and health care organizations provide gender-affirming care, and a number provide such care to patients under age 18. It’s unclear how those hospitals and providers would survive, or whether they would continue to provide that care, if Trump pulled their Medicare or Medicaid dollars — major sources of funding for most hospitals and health care providers. “Hospitals and clinics will have to basically assess what they can and can’t do in light of an immediate reduction of funds,” said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, deputy director of Equality Illinois, which advocates for equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. “We’re concerned about what that means because most hospitals and clinics can’t operate without federal funding.” * Tribune | What does the Trump administration have in store for Chicago families? Many are concerned about child care costs, paid family leave: Trump’s campaign included few policy specifics on these issues, though advocates point to key moments in the weeks leading up to the election for clues about what could be in store: Vice President-elect JD Vance suggested in an interview that the child tax credit could be raised. He has also said parents could lean on grandparents and family members for care, drawing consternation from advocates. Trump, when asked about child care policies in September, gave a rambling answer that veered off into discussion of tariffs. * Block Club | Man Charged In West Ridge Hate Crime Shooting Found Dead At Cook County Jail, Sheriff Says: Around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, sheriff’s office staff was conducting routine security checks when they found Abdallahi unresponsive due to an apparent suicide by hanging in his cell, the office said Sunday. Staff conducted life-saving measures before Abdallahi was taken by paramedics to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago’s Board of Education presses schools chief to settle teachers contract ‘in the coming days’: Board members wrote to Martinez to speed up the negotiations the same day the union sent the board a letter asking them to put pressure on district administrators to settle. The talks have been underway since April. […] Some aldermen and board members elected earlier this month have called on the current board members not to take any consequential actions until the new hybrid 21-member board is seated in January. But the board rejected the plea to “sit on our hands” in its letter to Martinez. * Tribune | US Senate inquiry into Chicago’s housing of migrants at airports likely to heat up after Republican election wins: A nearly year-old U.S. Senate GOP inquiry into Chicago’s housing of migrants at O’Hare and Midway airports may become more than a political annoyance for Mayor Brandon Johnson next year as Republicans take control of the federal government with an eye on tightening rules about public spending for noncitizens. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the ranking Republican member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, months ago escalated an investigation Republicans on the committee had opened about Chicago’s policy of having migrants sleep at the airports while they waited for shelter beds. * Tribune | Plans to close Humboldt Park homeless encampments spark criticism from outreach workers and advocates: A group of 20 outreach workers and nonprofit leaders have since signed on to a joint letter criticizing the plans as potentially harmful to the homeless community, which was sent on Monday to Fuentes and Chicago’s chief homelessness officer, Sendy Soto, by Shiloh Capone, executive director of the homeless outreach nonprofit Street Samaritans. The letter detailed concerns regarding the “expedited timeline” of the planned encampment closure, the lack of sufficient “housing pathways” for residents and the potential for criminal enforcement of the sweep.
* Block Club | Overnight Winter Parking Ban Starts Sunday, But No Cars Towed: Instead of towing cars parked on streets that include the parking ban, city workers issued warnings and flyers with information regarding the law, said Mimi Simon, spokesperson for the Department of Streets and Sanitation. The warnings were given instead of tows because the start of the parking ban — annually on Dec. 1 — fell on a holiday weekend, Simon said in a statement. The ban will be enforced Sunday night and beyond. * Sun-Times | “You Don’t Know Chi” — but now you can: Real history isn’t about absolutes. It is never black or white, but shades of meaning, depths of complexity. Not one cause but a dozen. Which is one reason I’m such a fan of Chicago’s TikTok historian, Shermann “Dilla” Thomas. He goes places. He can be giving a tour of Bronzeville and suddenly start talking about the Marx Brothers, who lived there over a century ago. His Chicago is never the simple child’s drawing of cliches and deep dish pizza that outsiders like to offer, but a rich, varied tapestry of people and places, achievement and heartbreak. * Tribune | Black cowboys and cowgirls carry on traditions brought to northwest Indiana, Greater Chicago from the South: Today, modern Black cowboys such as White — along with Jack Douglas, Kent Walker and others — hold onto the history of rodeo and horsemanship in the Chicago region. They have taken it upon themselves to instill this aspect of Black American culture in their families and communities. Chicagoan Tommy O’ Penson Jr., 24, was taught by legendary Chicago cowboy Murdock, who is known as “The man with no first name” and who founded the Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Club in 1989. * Crain’s | $19M Ken Griffin condo is just the latest project in JB Pritzker’s real estate empire: The Pritzkers, who earlier this month paid Citadel chief Griffin $19 million for the top two floors and rooftop pool at No. 9 Walton, have not released any information on how or when they will renovate the 15,000 square feet of interior space on floors 37 and 38. […] The couple’s net worth, reported at $3.7 billion, and their best-known past project, the historical Astor Street mansion the couple bought in 2007 and renovated for far more than the purchase price, suggest they’ll be big spenders. * Tribune | For ex-Stateville inmates, prison transfers mean disruption, separation from families: The state Capital Development Board last week announced it was starting to seek teams to oversee the construction for new prisons as part of the plan to rebuild Stateville and Logan. The state previously said the facilities would be two new multi-security-level prisons of 1,500 cells each, one for men and one for women. Latoya Hughes, acting director at IDOC, in a statement said the announcement last week was a “crucial step forward in the Department’s mission to profoundly shift its approach to justice in Illinois.” * Bloomberg | EV Maker Lion Wins Temporary Creditor Relief, Halts US Factory: Electric bus manufacturer Lion Electric Co. is temporarily laying off about 400 workers and halting operations at its [Joliet,] Illinois factory to save cash after receiving a short-term lifeline from its lenders. The Saint-Jerome, Quebec-based company made the announcement after a Saturday deadline to meet its obligations to key creditors passed. The extensions until Dec. 16 apply to a credit agreement with a syndicate of lenders and a loan provided by the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec and Finalta Capital Inc., Lion said in a statement Sunday. * ABC Chicago | O’Neill Burke to be sworn in as Cook County state’s attorney Monday: She will take over the office from Kim Foxx, who did not seek re-election. Burke said updating training for prosecutors and police, prosecuting gun crimes, and addressing the root cause of crime are her top priorities. * The Pantagraph | McLean County official accused of ‘unethical conduct’ related to auditor referendum: Trevor Sierra, who until recently served as an assistant prosecutor for the county, alleged in a letter to county officeholders that McLean County Administrator Cassy Taylor asked employees to donate to a political action committee in support of the referendum. He acknowledged that he was among the employees who contributed money. “After the County Board adopted a referendum to eliminate the office of McLean County Auditor, Ms. Taylor used her position as County Administrator to orchestrate political activities intended to promote the passage of the referendum,” he wrote in the letter, which was obtained by The Pantagraph. * Journal & Topics | Del Mar Running For Reelection As Highway Commissioner On ‘Blended’ Slate: Aaron Del Mar wears several hats — Palatine Township Republican committeeman, Illinois Republican Party co-chairman, and Palatine Township highway commissioner. In his run for reelection as highway commissioner, it was learned this week that Del Mar will run on a slate that includes one Democrat, one independent, and six Republicans in the April 1, 2025 election. “As the Republican committeeman for Palatine Township, I am proud to announce our strategic decision to run a blended, nonpartisan slate in the upcoming township elections,” Del Mar said. “This slate includes not only dedicated Republicans, but also a Democrat and an independent. Our aim is simple yet profound: to ensure continued effective local governance for all residents of Palatine Township while maintaining our 6-2 Republican supermajority in Cook County, a traditionally Democratic stronghold.” * Daily Herald | Batavia council may lower proposed tax hike: The last time Batavia residents saw an increase in their city property tax bill was in 2017 to fund storm sewer projects and several new staff positions. The total original estimated 2024 property tax levy was $11,310,000, a 21.49% increase over 2023. This would amount to a 7-cent tax increase per $100 of equalized assessed value, or a tax increase of about $67 a year on the city portion of the tax bill for the owner of a $300,000 home. Several council members have argued against the tax increase at recent meetings, and at the committee-of-the-whole meeting Tuesday, recommended reducing the levy increase to $500,000 and using $3 million of reserves to cover the deficit. * Daily Herald | Helping where they can: Elgin’s Centro de Informacion assists newcomers: An organization that “empowers the Latino and immigrant community to integrate effectively,” Centro de Informacion is one of five recipients of the Daily Herald/Robert R. McCormick Foundation Neighbors in Need fundraising campaign, now in its fourth year. As part of the partnership, the McCormick Foundation contributes 50 cents for every dollar readers donate to the fund, with proceeds distributed equally to the five charities. * Tribune Homeless people and advocates brace for Peoria’s new public sleeping ban: “If they remove me from here, I will put my tent right in front of them,” said Samara, 26. “If someone comes into your home, that’s what you would do, fighting for your home.” Samara and her neighbors are facing warnings, fines and possible jail time after Peoria became the largest city in Illinois to penalize public camping on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this summer that allowed municipalities to enforce bans on people sleeping outdoors. * The Southern | Williamson County Sheriff’s Office solves multi-county communications wire theft case: The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man allegedly invovled in the theft and criminal damage of more than $100,000 worth of communication wire. The thefts disrupted phone and internet services for thousands of customers across multiple counties. The WCSO investigators apprehended the suspect. * PJ Star | ‘Forever strained’? Latest casino battle tests Peoria, East Peoria relationship: A disagreement over the future of casino operations in the Peoria area has threatened to damage the relationship between the cities of Peoria and East Peoria. Despite what has been considered a strong partnership, the possibility of a lucrative land-based casino opening in Peoria has created tension on both sides of the Illinois River. Plans for a new casino are still over a year away from being introduced, but in Peoria, politicians and attorneys have already gotten involved in a municipal battle where millions of dollars are on the line. * PJ Star | ‘David vs Goliath’: How East Peoria won the riverboat casino battle three decades ago: Early in 1989, lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly signaled plans to legalize riverboat gambling in Illinois, a financial move designed to raise tax dollars locally and at the state level. […] Peoria city councilmember Gary Sandberg said in June of 1989, “If you stand for what’s probably right, then people will have to drive a little farther to do what’s wrong,” in regard to a riverboat ending up on the other side of the river. * WCIA | Ford Co. negotiating transportation partnership with Iroquois, Livingston: WCIA’s partners at the Ford County Chronicle reported that the counties want to begin negotiating a mutually acceptable intergovernmental agreement for providing public transportation to rural residents. The Ford County Board voted 8-0 in a special meeting on Nov. 27 to approve a resolution formally stating its intent to move ahead with the negotiating process for the proposed tri-county partnership. * WCIA | Adams Street businesses prepare for first Small Business Saturday, holiday shopping season after summer fire: “Ever since the fire, foot traffic has gone down quite a bit,” Krissy Prellwitz, the co-owner of Itty Bitty Fashion Trunk, said. The store has had their doors open for seven years on Adams Street not too far from where the fire happened. “There was a lot of support right after the fire and people were wanting to come and support the businesses that were still here,” Prellwitz said. “But as time goes on, people kind of forget and we’re just hoping that this holiday season, everyone can come out and support like they have in years past.” * WSIL | Southern Illinois Manufacturing Academy opens with ribbon cutting in Mt. Vernon: Two years ago, the academy was able to secure $5 million in federal funding which helped with construction on the facility. “We formed partnerships along the way,” Rend Lake College President Terry Wilkerson said. “Rend Lake College extended our hand to work with Kaskaskia College and with Southeastern, and they decided to partner up. We had the confidence to work together and move our region forward.” * AP | How to sum up 2024? The Oxford University Press word of the year is ‘brain rot’: While it may seem a modern phenomenon, the first recorded use of “brain rot” was by Henry David Thoreau in his 1854 ode to the natural world, “Walden.” Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said that in its modern sense, “’brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life, and how we are using our free time.” * Sun-Times | As World AIDS Day approaches, pioneering activist Rae Lewis-Thornton reflects on groundbreaking Essence cover: “I never thought that I would live 30 years after the article,” said Lewis-Thornton, now 62. “And I was sick enough that I should have died.” Observed Dec. 1, World AIDS Day raises awareness about the illness and commemorates millions of lives lost. […] Forced to live on her own at 17, Lewis-Thornton gradually built a better life for herself. She attended Southern Illinois University, where she conducted an absentee ballot drive during former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s campaign. She would go on to become a political organizer for Rev. Jackson and former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Dec 2, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * This version just blew me away and I’ve been listening to it over and over… I’ll come and hold you
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * State Week recapped the end of veto session…
* ABC Chicago…
* If you follow me on Bluesky you may have seen this last night…  * WCIA | IL Deer Donation Program evolving to fight hunger: As a response to increasing food prices and food pantries’ difficulties obtaining meat, the University of Illinois and key partners launched the Illinois Deer Donation Program in 2022. This mission initially covered 12 counties and has combated food insecurity by pairing hunters in East Central Illinois with meat processors and food pantries. * Crain’s | Howard Brown to pay $1.3 million to laid-off workers: The settlement, negotiated between Howard Brown and Region 13 of the National Labor Relations Board, marks the end to a nearly two-year dispute between the health care provider and the Illinois Nurses Association, the union that filed complaints with the NLRB over the workforce reduction and other labor issues.
* Block Club | New Emmett Till Exhibit At Chicago History Museum Shows Another Side To Lynching Victim: Exhibition curator Charles E. Bethea, the museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Director of Curatorial Affairs & Collections, said the curation of the exhibit came about after the closing of “Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968” at the museum at 1601 N. Clark St. in March. “It dawned on me that if we had taken down King and replaced it with something else that wasn’t African-American related, then we would literally not have any narratives within the Chicago History Museum around African-American spirits specifically related to Chicago history,” Bethea said. * Block Club | Walgreens Parking Nightmare: Avondale Shoppers Get $170 Boot Even Though They Went Inside: Natalie tried to explain they went into the store to pick up prescriptions, even showing the parking officer the receipt, but felt intimidated and belittled, they said. “I’m not in a great financial situation and I’m relying on a lot of other people in my life to help me meet my needs,” Natalie said. “I really didn’t budget for spending $170 today because I walked away from a parking lot for five minutes.” * WBEZ | What’s the oldest family-owned business in Chicago?: The title of oldest family-owned business in the city could go to a tobacco shop in the Loop, originally called the E. Hoffman Co. when it started in 1857. In addition to a downtown store, German immigrant Edward Hoffman also manufactured pipe tobacco and cigars on the South Side. Hoffman needed help, but he didn’t have any children he could rely on, so he persuaded his nephew, Iwan Ries, to come from Germany and run the retail location for him. In 1891, Hoffman turned over ownership to Ries, who renamed the business. * Sun-Times | The Bears’ offense — and Caleb Williams’ growth — is in Thomas Brown’s hands: Coordinator Thomas Brown gathered his offense Monday, less than 24 hours after the Bears’ gut-punch loss to the Packers, and delivered a message in his signature direct style. “There are no attaboys in this game,” he said. “We play the game to win. We came up short.” There was room for kudos for Brown, though, after he emerged from yet another chaotic week at Halas Hall to design an offensive attack that, for the first time in a month, made sense. * Crain’s | Cook County chips in $15M to help ‘vulnerable’ homeowners with tax bills: A $15 million piece of the budget that Cook County commissioners approved yesterday is designated as a give-back to senior homeowners and others who are struggling with fast-rising property tax bills. The pilot Homeowner Relief Fund, scheduled to launch in spring 2025, will give one-time payments of up to $1,000 to senior homeowners, moderate-income homeowners in gentrifying areas and others. * CRAIN’s | Arlington Heights offices touted as industrial redevelopment play: Colliers plays up several factors that make One North Arlington a good industrial conversion candidate, including that the property is already zoned for it. The building is designated for “research, development and light manufacturing” use by the village of Arlington Heights, which the brokerage dubs a “development friendly municipality.” * Crain’s | Despite finance, staffing headaches, County Health’s new chief sees path for growth: CCH, the seventh-largest health system in the Chicago area by revenue, operates Stroger and Provident hospitals, as well as its own Medicaid and Medicare Advantage health plans. It cares for 200,000 patients a year. CCH also has a fundamental mission to address some of the area’s largest health and economic disparities. Like other health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, CCH jumped into action but was often serving the poorest and sickest patients. And later, when a migrant surge brought thousands of new people to the area, it was CCH that made sure they were given checkups, vaccines and other medical attention. * People’s World | In Peoria, like many other Illinois towns, being homeless is now a crime: Now, the city’s unhoused population could face jail time of up to 180 days for the “crime” of having no home. This is despite the fact that, as the director of the Homes for All Continuum of Care, Kate Green, stressed there is not enough shelter space even if people wanted to use it. * Daily Journal | Study shows economic impact of deteriorating bridges in rural Illinois: The study showed for every dollar invested in Illinois bridge maintenance results in nearly $5 in benefits for all roadway users, and bridge investments in the state will provide approximately 52,640 jobs, a labor income of $2.83 billion, and an added economic value of $5.63 billion over the next 30 years. * WCBU | Tazewell County Health Department’s new Pekin campus ‘a perfect solution to our needs’: An emotional Amy Fox, health department director, thanked everyone involved in the renovation project, which included repairing flood damage, and said to a crowd that gathered in the building lobby, “Now we can do what we want to do here. Reach our clients. Our first client here was here at 9 o’clock Monday morning.” * IPM | Danville school district says superintendent will return to on-site work following alleged racist threats: At a meeting on Wednesday, Danville School Board President Randal Ashton read a statement from the group. “We will be working with her on her return to on-site work, and we will not be commenting any further on this, as this is a personnel matter and there is still an open FBI investigation,” he said. * SJ-R | ‘A deep and sacred trust has been violated’: Catholic priest from Taylorville resigns: A Taylorville Catholic priest who was in an acknowledged sexual relationship with a seminarian from the Springfield Catholic Diocese has submitted his resignation. Springfield Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, in a letter to parishioners of St. Mary’s Church, acknowledged that the Rev. Piotr Kosk faces a church investigation into his behavior as well as possible financial misconduct. Paprocki said he could petition the Vatican to have Kosk removed from the priesthood. * AP | Supreme Court allows multibillion-dollar class action lawsuit to proceed against Meta: Investors allege that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users’ personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump’s first successful Republican presidential campaign in 2016. Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two significant price drops in the price of the company’s shares in 2018, after the public learned about the extent of the privacy scandal, the investors say.
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The Waukegan City Clerk was railroaded
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Lake County News-Sun…
Let’s drill down a bit. * From Judge Patricia Fix’s ruling, with highlighting by me…
You gotta be kidding me. * Ah, but there’s more…
* Except, there was no definition of “good standing” in the ordinance…
None of those businesses had any of those “serious infractions” Long mentioned. Unreal. * Back to Judge Fix…
So, Kilkelly was indicted based on the imagination of the investigator who also served as the lone grand jury witness? The Illinois State Police and the Lake County State’s Attorney need to answer for this.
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Whatever happened, the city has a $40 million budget hole it didn’t disclose until now
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The mayor’s people were telling city council members and at least some reporters this week that the Illinois Retail Merchants Association had blown a $40 million hole in the city budget. IRMA sent out a press release countering that argument…
* Fran Spielman explains…
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Manar gives state agencies budget guidance: Cut, cut, cut
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Deputy Gov. Andy Manar sent a memo to all state agency directors yesterday. I’ve highlighted some important passages…
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Roundup: Ex-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis testifies in Madigan corruption trial
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WGN…
* WTTW…
* Tribune…
* Sun-Times…
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Open thread
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Bill to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers clears General Assembly. Capitol News Illinois…
- The bill aims to stop Illinois organizations from paying subminimum wage to workers with disabilities will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. -Under the bill, Illinois has through 2029 to abolish the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities. * Related stories…
∙ WAND: House Republicans, Democrats argue over scheduled January lame duck session * Sun-Times | Defamation suit can proceed against Sun-Times over Trump Tower stories, Illinois Supreme Court rules: In a 6-0 decision with one justice taking no part, the state’s top court ruled the suit filed by ex-Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board Executive Director Mauro Glorioso wasn’t lodged against the Sun-Times “solely based on defendant’s exercise of political rights.” Glorioso is suing the newspaper over a 2020 article about an anonymous complaint that accused him of improperly pushing for a property tax break on Donald Trump’s namesake riverfront tower. * WBEZ | Hole in Johnson’s budget grows to $340 million thanks to cellphone tax snafu in Springfield: Illinois Retail Merchants Association President Rob Karr said there were technical problems that must be fixed in the legal language the city drafted. Although the higher tax rate would have applied to all pre-paid phone products, the now-failed legislation would have “treated those similarly-situated phone products differently,” Karr said. One category was “tangible personal property” with a sales tax. The other was not tangible and fell under an excise tax. “They drew this weird dividing line between these two sets of properties. … There were concerns about that. … The city was told to come back down and engage everyone to get it done correctly. They didn’t get it done correctly,” Karr said. * Citizen’s Utility Board | ICC grants Aqua Illinois $11.6 million rate-hike: The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Thursday cut Aqua Illinois’ rate-hike request by about 40 percent, granting the water utility an $11.6 million increase. CUB called the ICC’s Final Order a step toward reining in a utility that was the subject of intense criticism for high rates and poor water quality from customers who attended ICC public forums requested by AARP Illinois over the summer. But CUB said more needed to be done: The next step is to work for reforms in Springfield. * Starvedrock Media | Newly-Elected Murri Briel Discusses Her Plans as New State Rep in Springfield: One topic was Briel’s view of the future of education in a district that not only includes Northern Illinois University, but also a number of community colleges. Briel said she’s concerned about the load that would be put on the state if the U.S. Department of Education is broken up or dissolved. * NPR Illinois | Making sense of the state house, Mawa Iqbal shares what it’s like in the fast-paced environment of the Illinois State Capitol: Mawa Iqbal is the state house reporter for WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio. She spoke to Community Voices about what it’s like working in the state capitol, the challenges of reporting on social justice and the importance of media literacy. * Tribune. | CPS: At a $10B impasse with CTU, ‘fact-finding’ hearings set for December in effort to resolve contract impasse: Leaders from the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools announced differing perspectives Thursday in what has become a very public teachers contract negotiation dispute, with the fate of district’s leader on the line. Facing mounting demands from CTU to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement, CPS told reporters they don’t have the revenue to meet many of the union’s asks. * Tribune | Creation of quantum computer research park on South Works site wins Chicago Plan Commission approval: The vote came after hours of impassioned testimony from dozens of community residents. Many said the project represents an opportunity to bring billions of investment dollars and new businesses to a region that has suffered decades of isolation and disinvestment. Others said the massive development, first announced by Gov. JB Pritzker this past summer, is moving at a breakneck pace and needs to slow down, allowing environmental activists and community advocates the chance to secure a written agreement with the developers on wildlife protection, job creation and affordable housing. * Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove DePaul student speaks out about antisemitic campus attack * ABC Chicago | IL comptroller among those calling for Cook County judge to resign after suspected killer’s release: “I think there is a need to evaluate how we find ourselves here again,” Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said. “I don’t even trust him with a parking ticket, nor should anyone else at this point. I think the honest thing for Judge Thomas Nowinski to do is to resign,” Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said. * Daily Southtown | Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz to face former labor leader affiliated with Park District: Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz faces a reelection challenge from a former labor leader affiliated with the Park District’s project at the former state mental health center. Running with Glotz on the One Tinley Park ticket are Village Clerk Nancy O’Connor and trustees William Brady, Dennis Mahoney and Colleen Sullivan. * Daily Herald | Former Ford Heights Mayor Annie Coulter among 4 challengers to interim Mayor Freddie Wilson: rustees Tyreese Andrews and Germaine Hooks are running for reelection, while trustees Douglas Jones, Elliott Harper and Johnny Griffin will not be on the ballot. Hooks and Jones were appointed to two vacancies on the board last month created after former Mayor Charles Griffin and Trustee Jimmy Viverette were forced to resign. Griffin was convicted of embezzling between $10,000 and $100,000 from the village and Viverette was found by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to have previously been convicted of a felony, disqualifying them from holding office. * WCIA | Springfield, Champaign-Urbana have largest October job increases among IL metro areas: Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in six areas, increased in six and was unchanged in two. The metro areas that saw the largest over-the-year percentage increases in total nonfarm jobs were the Springfield MSA (+1.9%, +2,000) and the Champaign-Urbana MSA (+1.7%, +2,100). * WREX | Rochelle’s Kitchen Table has served its final meal after eight years: Kitchen Table, a unique establishment in Rochelle, has become a lifeline for hundreds in the community, offering meals with no prices on a ‘pay what you can basis’. But now, the organization has made the difficult decision to serve its final meal. “It would allow people to still come out and feed their families and pay what they could afford to pay. So to me, it was perfect,” said Carolyn Brown, founder of Kitchen Table. * Sun-Times | What’s next for Rahm Emanuel?: U.S. Ambassador to Japan and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is in the mix for Democratic National Committee chair — and if there are vacancies — governor and senator. He told the Sun-Times he is weighing his options about the next “best way to serve.” Emanuel texted me: “First come home second talk and listen to folks at home about best way to serve and build what we care about.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Nov 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Governor Pritzker…
* Illinois Department of Employment Security…
* Crain’s | Illinois hydrogen project gets initial federal funding: The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen has inked a contract with the Department of Energy for $22.2 million to start planning a Midwest hydrogen hub. The multi-state hydrogen project called MachH2 could involve up to a $1 billion investment over a dozen years and create more than 12,000 jobs. The goal is to demonstrate how hydrogen fuel cells might work at commercial scale. Illinois plays a central role in the regional project, which also includes Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. * Block Club | Woman Dead After Judge Declines To Jail Her Alleged Abuser: ‘The System Failed Her’ : Amanda Pyron, president of The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence, called for Nowinski to be reassigned from the domestic violence division and to no longer preside over any domestic violence cases. “Judge Nowinski’s failure to protect the community has now resulted in two tragic, preventable murders,” Pyron said in a statement. “When survivors go to the courts for protection, that protection must be effective. Judge Nowinski has failed in that duty, and allowing him to continue to hear domestic violence cases sends the wrong message to survivors across Chicagoland.”
* Block Club | ‘Pretty Impressive’: More Than 50% Of Voters Cast Ballots In Chicago’s First School Board Election: Out of a total 1,498,873 registered voters, 801,878 cast ballots for the city’s 10 school board districts, according to Max Bever, spokesperson for the Chicago Board of Elections. That means 53 percent of the city’s registered voters showed up and picked candidates for school board races. According to one estimate from the National School Boards Association, just 5-10 percent of registered voters vote in school board races. * Tribune | Lake Michigan water levels drop to lowest in years amid warmth and lack of rain: “It’s a complicated picture,” said Lauren Fry, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory A few inches might not seem like a lot, but Fry said “it’s noteworthy” that October was the first time since 2014 that the monthly average was below the long-term average for any month. The lake’s all-time record low was in January 2013. * Borderless | Sensitive Migrant Data Mishandled, Former Chicago Shelter Contractors Allege: In a complaint submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this month, two former Favorite Healthcare Staffing case managers contracted by Favorite alleged that Chicago’s shelters violated health information privacy laws by allowing shelter staff to access and download sensitive information on their own personal devices. The complaint notes that Favorite, the staffing company the City of Chicago hired to manage the migrant shelters, did not require data to be encrypted and allowed employees and independent contractors to share medical and other personal information over insecure communication channels. * Crain’s | Johnson’s proposed alcohol tax hike likely dead amid pushback from Chicago’s hospitality industry: The proposal would raise the tax on beer 10 cents to $0.39 per gallon and the tax on spirits almost $1 to $3.62 per gallon. Other alcoholic beverages would also see taxes rise. At the liquor store, that would look like a 3-cent increase on a bottle of wine, a 6-cent increase on a six-pack of beer and a 19-cent increase on a bottle of liquor, according to the mayor’s office. The increase would result in an estimated $10.6 million in annual revenue.
* WBEZ | Cook County Board unanimously approves nearly $10 billion budget for 2025: Democratic Commissioner Bridget Degnen spearheaded the effort to amend the budget to provide $2 million in grants to community organizations that provide wraparound reproductive health services. These organizations help cover the cost of everything from hotel stays and travel to medical bills for people seeking abortions. * Coalition to End Money Bond | Cook County Board approves sunsetting the sheriff’s electronic monitoring program: After years of community pressure, Cook County will begin the process of sunsetting the Sheriff’s electronic monitoring program. Today, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed a budget amendment that will reduce funding for the Sheriff’s electronic monitoring program and increase funding for the Office of the Chief Judge in preparation for unifying the county’s duplicative pretrial electronic monitoring programs. The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice celebrates this historic announcement. For years, our coalition has called for the dismantling of the Sheriff’s electronic monitoring program, which expanded mass incarceration and harmed tens of thousands of people subjected to pretrial surveillance as well as their families. * Sun-Times | Crystal Lake man pleads guilty in Jan. 6 case: Giacchetti was part of a group of rioters who made their way into the U.S. Senate Gallery, where he yelled “Where’d you go?” — as senators had evacuated the building — and “Treason” using the same bullhorn, authorities said. After leaving the gallery, he allegedly confronted journalists, broke Associated Press-owned equipment and pushed over a camera on a tripod, striking a reporter. * Daily Herald | Wheeling Township to decide on funding for mental health board: Wheeling Township Supervisor Kathy Penner is recommending the township board approve the Wheeling Township Community Mental Health Board’s request of $809,550 for the upcoming fiscal year beginning March 1, 2025. Penner made the recommendation at Tuesday’s township board meeting. The mental health board made the request at its Nov. 13 meeting. The township board will vote on the recommendation in December. She said the township would use funds from available township fund balances, instead of increasing property taxes for township residents. * WBEZ | West Suburban hospital abruptly cuts ties with midwives and family medicine doctors: Citing the risk of losing liability insurance, West Suburban Medical Center will no longer allow midwives and family medicine physicians to deliver babies at the hospital, abruptly severing ties with a popular group of providers effective next week. The sudden announcement on Monday prompted anger from the midwives and family medicine providers at PCC Community Wellness Center, who have delivered at West Suburban in Oak Park for at least 20 years. The hospital and these providers have become a destination for pregnant people who want a more holistic birth with little medical intervention. PCC mostly treats low-income Black and Latino patients on the West Side, but women from across the region have sought out PCC’s midwifery care.
* WIFR | University of Illinois Chicago-Rockford adds nursing program for non-RNs: Referred to as a direct-entry program, the Master of Science in Nursing Program for non-RNs is designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in a different subject and want to become a registered nurse. Students will take six semesters of hybrid courses, with on-campus requirements and clinical site placements. * WTVO | Historic Winnebago landmark is saved from demolition: The Winnebago County Forest Preserve Board voted against tearing the historic landmark down on Wednesday. An early settler built the home using 400-million-year-old limestone on land that is now considered the Severson Dells Forest Preserve. The aging home is facing major repairs to keep it standing, but one supporter said the building was built to last. * Riverbender | Former Southern Illinois Police Chief Facing Federal Charges, Accused of Public Corruption: A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the former Wayne City police chief with selling forfeited items confiscated by the department for his personal benefit. Anson Fenton, 46, of Belle Rive, is facing one count of misapplication of property from federally funded programs and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. * Columbia Journalism Review | Journalists Are Leaving X for Bluesky. Will They Stay There?: While X hit a yearly traffic peak on Election Day, that was followed by the highest exit numbers since Musk acquired the platform, then known as Twitter, in 2022: over a hundred and fifteen thousand users in the US deactivated their accounts the day after the election, according to The Independent. The exodus has translated, at least in part, into a surge of new users joining Bluesky, a social network launched by Jack Dorsey in 2019, while he was still the chief executive of Twitter.
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HGOPs whacked for opposing lame duck session
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon have both told their chambers to be prepared to return January 2-7 for a lame duck session. As you will recall, Gov. Pritzker and the two Democratic legislative leaders have talked about “Trump-proofing” the state, starting in lame duck session. In response, here’s House GOP Leader McCombie…
* I asked Speaker Welch’s spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll for a response…
Discuss.
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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Report: IDOC’s prison drug test found to be ‘wrong 91 percent of the time’
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Associated Press…
As I told you in September, the Illinois Department of Corrections uses Sirchie to test items for drugs. * Back to the AP story…
As we’ve told you before, various reports have shown that moving to electronically scanned prison mail has actually resulted in increased drug overdoses. * And yet, the drumbeat here continues to electronically scan mail. I’m kinda wondering if a private company is behind this push… * WBEZ | Here’s why some lawmakers want to ban paper mail going into Illinois prisons: Drug-soaked paper is making its way into Illinois prisons, causing overdoses and staff safety concerns. But banning it could pose legal issues. * The Southern Illinoisan | Friess, Windhorst sponsor Illinois House bill to make prison mail electronic: “Instead, we’ve seen a letter from several representatives of the majority party stating that mail services should continue despite clear evidence that this is how dangerous substances are entering our facilities,” Friess said. “While we all value the connections that physical mail provides, it’s hard to ignore the very real risk to safety that comes with it right now.” * Center Square | IL Department of Corrections quiet after lawmakers address drug-infused mail: John Howard Association Executive Director Jennifer Vollen-Katz said understanding where the contraband is coming from and what kind of contraband is getting into the prison is the first step. Vollen-Katz called the banning of physical mail a “knee-jerk reaction.” “Mail is one of the ways contraband comes in but it’s not the only one,” said Vollen-Katz. “It could be staff, it could be through vendors who work on contracts with IDOC, it could be visitors. There’s a lot of different ways contraband could get into prisons. Understanding what’s getting in and how is really critical information to solving the problem.” I have tried and tried to get a response out of IDOC without success. Its silence is absolutely ridiculous.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session update (Updated x2)
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Illinois Supreme Court rules state SLAPP law doesn’t automatically protect traditional journalism (Updated)
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Some good background is here and here on Glorioso v. Sun-Times Media Holdings. The state statute in question is here. The Sandholm case referenced below is here. * Illinois Supreme Court Justice David Overstreet wrote the opinion, with all justices concurring except Justice Rochford, who took no part in the decision…
That’s just ridiculous reasoning. Facts can clearly have as much or more bearing on governance and elections than opinion. But the top court bought it…
* More…
The Illinois General Assembly needs to add the news media to the SLAPP Act post-haste…
Hyman is exactly right. But there’s nothing to be done about it now except change the law. * It’s important to note that even if the news media was explicitly included in the statute, that still might not have saved the Sun-Times because of another aspect of the court’s reasoning…
In my opinion, this case should never have been brought to the Supreme Court. What a mess. …Adding… I talked to one of the lead lobbyists on the original SLAPP bill, who said there was no perceived need to mention news media in the language at the time, “because - until this decision today - no court had ever drawn a distinction regarding who was doing the speaking. Speech is speech. It didn’t matter if the speaker was part of the news media or not.”
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‘This is how I reward my good soldiers’: Madigan ally testifies he was rewarded with do-nothing consulting contract
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tribune…
* Sun-Times…
* Moody is back on the stand this morning…
* More…
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Illinois Supreme Court rules that Jussie Smollett’s second prosecution ‘is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant’s conviction’
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is ubiquitous, so use the Google. Definition of Nolle Prosequi according to the Law Dictionary…
* And now on to People v. Smollett. Illinois Supreme Court’s Justice Rochford with the opinion concurred by four justices, with two others (Chief Justice Theis and Justice Cunningham) not participating…
* Conclusion…
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Dignity In Pay (HB 793): It Is Time To Ensure Fair Pay For Illinoisans With Disabilities
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois has an opportunity to advance the promises of the Americans with Disabilities Act by passing the Dignity in Pay Act (HB 793): legislation that would end the practice of paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage by 2030. This legislation represents years of discussion among the broader disability community and I am pleased to make clear that the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, as the largest Illinois association of disability and mental health service providers, supports Dignity in Pay. Nearly 20 states across America have voted to end the practice of paying less than minimum wage to working age adults with disabilities. This issue cuts across partisan politics, which is why states such as Washington, Texas, Maryland, and South Carolina have ensured fair pay for an hour of work, regardless of disability status. Back in May, the Illinois House of Representatives passed this legislation with 78 bipartisan yes votes. IARF believes it is time to invest in the future of persons with disabilities by passing Dignity in Pay in the Illinois Senate so we can continue shared goals of creating job opportunities for people with disabilities. Josh Evans
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It’s just a bill (Updated)
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WGEM…
…Adding… HB793 passed the Senate 43-11. It will be sent to the governor. * Tribune…
* Rep. Cyril Nichols introduced HB5917 this morning…
* 25News Now…
* Sen. Mike Simmons…
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Open thread
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: ‘A danger to the people of Illinois’: Calls mount for lawmaker to step down over alleged racist comments. FOX 32…
-Feigenholtz denies the allegations, calling them baseless, and says she is working to rebuild trust with her community. -CAIR has urged Senate President Don Harmon to strip Feigenholtz of committee leadership roles if she refuses to step down. * Related stories…
∙ CAIR: CAIR-Chicago to Renew Calls for Senator Feigenholtz’s Resignation Over Promoting Hatred of Muslims * Tribune | Man suspected of killing estranged wife before being found dead was previously released on electronic monitoring: Weeks before a man allegedly fatally stabbed his estranged wife in a Portage Park attack that also injured a police officer, he appeared before a Cook County judge on accusations that he threw her to the ground and held her in his car, records show. During a detention hearing, Cook County prosecutors argued for detention as the public defender for Constantin Beldie, 57, hit back against the state’s evidence. Judge Thomas Nowinski ordered him released on electronic monitoring, finding that prosecutors did not meet their burden for detention. He criticized the case work, calling it “a little sloppy,” according to a court transcript of the Oct. 9 proceeding. * Sun-Times | NW suburban state Rep. Martin McLaughlin on track for reelection by just 47 votes: With the final ballots counted this week in the hotly contested 52nd House District that includes Algonquin, Wauconda and Mundelein, Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, had 29,520 votes — about 50.04% of the total — compared to 29,473 for Democratic challenger Maria Peterson. * WCBU | Here’s why some lawmakers want to ban paper mail going into Illinois prisons: In a statement, Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson Naomi Puzzello said while the agency is “exploring additional options to enhance safety,” it has already intensified mail screening protocols, and is encouraging staff to use personal protective equipment when handling mail. * Tribune | Ex-transportation official gets 18 months in prison in bribery case involving then-state Sen. Sandoval: William Helm, the onetime deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation and a former state transportation official, also admitted in a plea agreement with prosecutors earlier this year that he and others helped arrange $40,000 in bribes to other, unnamed officials.
* Tribune | Conservative group asks US Supreme Court to reverse ruling that allows Illinois mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day: The appeal, filed Tuesday by the organization Judicial Watch, also asks the nation’s highest court to clarify rulings about who has the right to appeal post-Election Day challenges, after many lawsuits contesting individual state results of the 2020 election filed on behalf of Donald Trump were tossed for lack of standing. Judicial Watch was among several groups that assisted Trump in seeking to halt the counting of mail-in ballots after Election Day four years ago when Trump lost to President Joe Biden. * WGN | Chicago ‘solves’ murders in which no arrest is made: Most notably, police closed 117 homicide cases this year due to what’s called “bar to prosecute.” Simply put, it means police believe they identified the killer, but prosecutors would not approve charges. If police included only cases closed by arrest, this year’s homicide clearance rate would be 23 percent, according to police data, reviewed by WGN Investigates. * Bond Buyer | S&P places Chicago’s GO bonds on watch negative: S&P Global Ratings placed Chicago’s general obligation bond rating on watch negative Tuesday, warning the city against heavy reliance on one-time budget solutions, as reports suggest Mayor Brandon Johnson has slashed his proposed property tax increase in half in order to get his 2025 budget approved by the City Council. * Press Release | CTU to Hold “Resist Trump’s Project 2025” Rally to Defend Public Schools & Chicago’s Students and their Families: The Chicago Teachers Union’s members will be rallying at the Chicago Temple on Thursday, November 21st, to demand the settlement of their contract, protest the planned closures of schools by Acero, and call for expanded protections against the racist, sexist, anti-LGBTQ, anti-worker agenda being planned by the Trump administration. * The Triibe | Today’s Chicago City Council regrets the infamous 2008 parking meter deal: “I wasn’t in on the negotiation,” Ald. Emma Mitts (37th Ward) told The TRiiBE about the parking meters. She was one of the 40 alders who voted in favor of the deal. At the time, she had been in office for eight years. Today, Mitts and other alderpersons in the Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus, who also voted for Daley’s deal back then, admit that the deal wasn’t smart but some also say it would’ve done little to solve the city’s current financial crisis. The deal, now 16 years old, has been widely criticized as being one of the most foolish deals in Chicago’s history. * WBBM | Ex-rideshare driver suing Uber, Lyft, Chicago for violating workers’ rights: Cohran is suing Uber, Lyft and the city of Chicago after she was deactivated from the rideshare apps for allegedly spitting on a passenger, which she said is not true. “That’s assault,” she said. “I’ve never assaulted anyone ever, so it was crazy. My life being turned around, and they wouldn’t even really hear me out.” * Daily Southtown | Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau says state comptroller trying to ‘inflict harm’ on residents in holding back money: The Village Board approved a resolution Monday accusing the comptroller of singling out Orland Park for harsh treatment while dozens of government entities throughout the state have been late in filing audits but not subject to the same treatment. The comptroller has “decided to try to inflict harm on the people of Orland Park,” Mayor Keith Pekau said. He called the comptroller’s actions “capricious and unacceptable.” * Crain’s | Evanston looks at eliminating single-family-only zoning: The proposal is one piece of a comprehensive overhaul of all zoning in the North Shore city that officials rolled out in early November and hope to have finalized in the spring. If approved, it will put Evanston in company with, among others, the city of Minneapolis and the states of Oregon, California and Washington. “It’s an important question for the community to consider based on the increasing costs of housing,” said Liz Williams, the city’s planning manager. “Evanston is known historically for its diversity of housing types, and this particular change is intended to expand housing choices for residents at all income levels and life stages.” * Daily Herald | Just follow the arrows: Tollway unveils I-294 SmartRoad system to give real-time traffic tips: Similar to the Jane Addams Tollway SmartRoad that went live in 2017, the I-294 version introduced Wednesday will stretch between Wolf Road and Balmoral Avenue. The system will expand and eventually there will be 80 gantries placed every half mile on I-294 between Oak Lawn and Rosemont. * BND | Former East St. Louis administrator charged with alleged misuse of city credit card: Carlos Mayfield, 60, was arrested and charged on Oct. 1 after an investigation by Illinois State Police determined he used the card to make personal purchases. Mayfield is accused of taking between $500-$10,000 of Government property, a class 2 felony. He is also accused of fraudulent use of a credit/debit card, a class 4 felony, according to charging documents. * Illinois Times | Frank Vala helped fund recorder’s race: Langfelder said he sees Springfield businessman Frank Vala’s political fingerprints behind the scenes. Vala helped finance Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher’s successful 2023 campaign to unseat Josh Langfelder’s brother, Jim. […] “I walked into a restaurant where he’s having breakfast with some individuals – some political individuals – and he basically grabbed my hand and said, ‘You know, it’s nothing against you, it’s against your brother.’ I said, ‘Well, I’ve never met you. Let me introduce myself. My name is Josh Langfelder. And he said, ‘Well, I’m just gonna tell you, your brother tried to kick me off the (Springfield Airport Authority) board. That’s the reason I got Frank Lesko to run against you.’ So, do I see fingerprints on it? Yeah.” * RR Star | ’Please think!’: Anti-abortion protesters convene outside Rockford clinic on opening day : Midwest Reproductive Health Executive Director Ali Kliegman said the protesters did not interfere with the clinic’s opening. “We just, you know, let them do their thing and we ignored them,” Kliegman said. “They yelled at us, which I would say is a type of mental violence, but that was the extent of it.”
* NYT | U.S. Proposes Breakup of Google to Fix Search Monopoly: Beyond the sale of Chrome, the government asked Judge Mehta to give Google a choice: either sell Android, its smartphone operating system, or bar Google from making its services mandatory on phones that use Android to operate. If Google broke those terms, or the remedies failed to improve competition, the government could force the company to sell Android at a later date.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Nov 21, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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