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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. WTTW…
WBEZ…
* WTTW…
* Crain’s | A make-or-break veto session looms for Chicago transit: Gov. JB Pritzker sounded an optimistic note that a mass transit rescue will be ready for the General Assembly’s fall veto session, confidence that was echoed by a key legislative leader. “There is a bill that’s being developed and resources associated with that bill that will come forward at the time of our veto session in October,” Pritzker said yesterday when asked about transit funding. “There’s still a lot of work being done — lots of it has been done already. But . . . it’s not soup yet.” * CBS Chicago | Chicago area man remains in ICE custody after wife says they took wrong turn at U.S.-Canada border: The couple was in Michigan for their construction business when Kristina Ramirez said they made a wrong turn toward Canada. Kristina said along with Sergio, she was detained for three days despite being a U.S. citizen. […] She added: “My husband is not a murderer. My husband is not a criminal. My husband is a very loving, a good person.” Sergio’s immigration attorney said the 32-year-old has been in the U.S. waiting for his U visa application to be approved, and he is eligible for permanent residency through his marriage. His immigration status is under deferred action. * Block Club | Troubled Bronzeville Nursing Home Could Shut Down After Years Of Complaints, Violations: The potential closing of Southview Manor, 3311 S. Michigan Ave., comes after the Illinois Department of Public Health released a quarterly report on nursing homes that outlined multiple violations at the facility, ranging from an inadequate response when one resident sexual assaulted another to failure to document medication and clinical needs. Southview Manor’s violations date back to 2022, when one resident suffering from Alzheimer’s went missing for 16 hours on one of the hottest days of that year. Staff failed to properly assess the woman’s risk of leaving the nursing home without permission or supervision, despite her previously being identified as a wanderer, the report states. Police found her the next morning and took her to a nearby hospital. * Block Club | More Kennedy Expressway Lanes Reopen — And Construction Could Wrap By Thanksgiving: All lanes on the expressway north of Addison Street will reopen over the next week, according to a Wednesday news release from the Illinois Department of Transportation. “Reducing the overall length of the work zone by 2 miles represents the latest significant milestone in the ongoing expressway rehabilitation from Ohio Street to the Edens Expressway (I-94) junction,” according to IDOT. But some more ramps and lanes will have to temporarily close overnight for “removing the work zone” between Addison Street and Pulaski Road over the next week. People should prepare for “significant delays” and plan for extra time, according to IDOT. * Sun-Times | How one Chicago museum is leading the charge for bilingual access to American cultural sites: Spanish is no longer an “afterthought,” says Antonio Díaz Oliva, an editor at the MCA. Instead, the staff at the institution, where bilingual efforts launched in 2020, thinks about it from the beginning stages of a new exhibition. They also put a lot of thought into addressing the nuances in language that might work best for specific galleries based on topic — for example, some Chicagoans might speak a blend of Mexican and Puerto Rican (or MexiRican) Spanish. * Naperville Sun | Naperville council directs staff to negotiate electricity contract terms with IMEA: The decision comes after many lengthy discussions and debates regarding the future of the city’s electricity source, including a nearly five hour workshop last month weighing the pros and cons of renewing with Naperville’s long-time energy provider IMEA. Mayor Scott Wehrli introduced the motion at the Tuesday night council meeting calling for city staff to continue negotiating with the IMEA on the city’s key areas of concern, a proposal he announced on social media the day before the council meeting. Much of the mayor’s proposal centers on concerns about lowering the city’s carbon footprint. * Naperville Sun | Sales tax hike dumped in favor of 1% grocery tax by Naperville council: The Naperville City Council reversed course Tuesday on how it would replace the lost income from the soon-to-be-defunct state grocery tax, abandoning plans to increase the city’s home rule tax in favor of a local 1% grocery tax. Councilman Benny White, who previously supported increasing the home rule sales tax to compensate for the $6.5 million loss in state grocery tax money, said he had a change of heart after concluding a hike in the sales tax would place a heavier burden on local business owners and those struggling to afford items like diapers and basic cleaning supplies. * Daily Southtown | Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant boasts of successes, presents $791 million budget: Will County leads the state in numerous categories, including population growth, job creation and single family housing development, said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. Demands for county services have grown with the population, Bertino-Tarrant said during her annual State of the County address Thursday, where she also introduced a $791 million balanced budget for fiscal year 2026. In November, the County Board approved a $832 million budget for Fiscal 2025, with $273 million in the corporate fund, which is used for county operations, and about $558 million in special revenue funds which are restricted in their use. * Daily Herald | District 211 residents hotly debate transgender player on Conant H.S. girls volleyball team: The conservative group Citizens 4 Kids Education (C4KE) called on members and supporters to voice their disapproval. Many expressed concerns about injuries female athletes could suffer by being pitted against transgender players. Defenders of transgender athletes argued serious injuries in sports aren’t confined to a transgender player being involved.[…] In contrast, Justin O’Rourke of the Community Mental Health Project criticized the way C4KE tried to draw people to the meeting, adding that members of the LGBTQ community are more vulnerable to mental health issues and suicidal thoughts because of the way they’re treated by others. “This is not about safety at all,” he said of the group’s concerns. “This is about prejudice and bigotry.” * Daily Herald | District 59 superintendent defends equity efforts, but supports board’s search for successor: The board has retained Libertyville-based search firm BWP & Associates to help identify and select a new superintendent, who would be in place for the start of the 2026-27 school year. The leadership change in the Elk Grove Village-based prekindergarten through eighth-grade district isn’t unexpected, after a slate of candidates that formed in opposition to Bresnahan’s equity plan was swept into office after the April 2023 election. The month before, the old board inked a contract extension with Bresnahan, keeping her in the role until June 2026. * Daily Southtown | Tinley Park District 146 teachers union declares impasse over contract negotiations: While most of the contract’s provisions are settled, the Tinley Council Teachers 146 of Local 604 is fighting for higher wage increases and improved retirement benefits than the district is offering. Negotiations began in February, and the most recently approved contract expired July 31. The district’s most recent offer includes wage increases of 6% for each of the next two school years and 5% for the 2027-2028 school year. Keegan Kociss, a spokesperson for the district, said District 146 teachers are among the highest paid in the surrounding area, saying the district’s proposal is “generous and it’s fair and it keeps our taxpayers in mind.” * Tribune | Northwestern reaches a settlement with former coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired amid a hazing scandal: Northwestern has reached a settlement with former football coach Pat Fitzgerald nearly two years after he sued the university for $130 million following his firing amid a team hazing scandal. Fitzgerald announced the settlement Thursday through a statement via his attorneys, saying he had resolved his claims of breach of contract, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress with the university to his satisfaction. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. “Though I maintain Northwestern had no legal basis to terminate my employment for cause under the terms of my employment agreement, in the interest of resolving this matter and, in particular, to relieve my family from the stress of ongoing litigation, Northwestern and I have agreed to a settlement,” Fitzgerald said. * Daily Herald | West Chicago mayor’s renderings spark community interest in downtown development: West Chicago residents are responding to a series of renderings of downtown improvements Mayor Daniel Bovey recently posted on Facebook. That was exactly Bovey’s intent with the 19 pictures of elements, including a public plaza, courts for athletics, a marketplace and more. Several elements incorporate West Chicago’s history with the railway that runs through the downtown, and a vacant, 150-year-old station. “This is not a plan. We’re inviting the community to be part of the plan from the get-go, so give us your feedback,” Bovey told the Daily Herald this week. * Rochelle News-Leader | Ogle County Board: Special use permit for solar facility in Mt. Morris Township denied: At its monthly meeting Tuesday, the Ogle County Board voted 17-4 to deny a special use permit for the construction and operation of a two-megawatt community solar energy facility in Mt. Morris Township at 8400 Haldane Road on 17.58 acres. The special use permit was requested by DG Mount Solar of Juno Beach, Florida. Voting in favor of approving the special use permit were Board Members Wayne Reising, Joseph Simms, Susie Corbitt and Don Griffin. “It’s very good farmland,” Board Member Marcia Heuer said. The board has considered a number of special use permit for solar facilities in recent years. Back in December, the board narrowly approved a special use permit for a solar project between Forreston and Polo after previously denying that project due to it being on productive farmland. That petitioner changed its siting to less productive farmland and filed a lawsuit against Ogle County for the denial, stemming from a recent new state law that set statewide standards for wind and solar farm siting and took away previous local controls such as at the county level. * WSIL | Glenn Poshard event at SIC supports Harrisburg food pantry: Dr. Glenn Poshard will perform a special poetry and music program at Southeastern Illinois College on Sunday, Sept. 7. The event, will take place at 2 p.m. in the George T. Dennis Visual & Performing Arts Center;. The event is also free with donations going to the 4Cs Food Pantry in Harrisburg. Poshard’s program, “Beginnings and Endings,” combines his poetry with music to explore themes of love, faith, and life’s turning points. Attendees have praised his presentations as deeply moving. “This reading is about more than poetry — it’s about connecting to one another in our shared humanity and helping hungry children in our region,” Poshard said. * WCIA | Mattoon business owner calls on the city to do more after losing money from water issues: The Mattoon City Council is still facing some heat from people in the community after a harmful algae bloom made the city’s water unsafe for use last month. “It’s a good little town, but I just feel like there are a lot of things that could be done better and that should be done better,” said Michelle Cook, owner of 4 Paws Spa and Boutique. * Law Dork | Judge orders DOJ to give more info on subpoenas targeting trans minors’ medical care: A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to provide information in two weeks about the scope of the Justice Department’s unprecedented investigation into the provision of gender-affirming medical care for those under 19 across the country — including in states where the provision of such necessary care is legal. The order from U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney came in a challenge filed by one of the hospitals targeted in the Justice Department’s attack on the provision of such care for minors. DOJ’s actions broke widely on Wednesday in multiple news reports, although Kearney’s Wednesday order is first being reported at Law Dork. * Defector | It Took Many Years And Billions Of Dollars, But Microsoft Finally Invented A Calculator That Is Wrong Sometimes: If using Excel professionally is both an art and a science, adoption of Copilot could easily lead to a generation no longer able to properly use or understand it, while still somehow not actually allowing them to produce a useable result. Writ large this is the most poisonous and perhaps longest-lasting result of so much of the AI explosion, and its subsequent force-feeding into every revenue-generating maw—and on some level, is the entire business model: Get people addicted to the thing to the extent they can no longer function without it, and they will simply have to learn to live with it doing a bad job. * PC Mag | Site Behind Major SSN Leak Returns With Detailed Data on Millions: How to Opt Out: National Public Data, a website infamous for its role in leaking millions of Social Security numbers last year, has returned with the ability to look up anyone’s personal information. The site shut down in December amid a wave of lawsuits against parent company Jericho Pictures after a breach exposed an estimated 272 million unique SSNs and 600 million phone numbers. Since then, the site has been relatively dormant. But today, we spotted the nationalpublicdata.com domain springing back to life with a new interface.
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Today’s number: 144,000
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* Some national context…
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Catching up with the congressionals
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC has endorsed Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) for the 2nd Congressional District…
* Yesterday, Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) kicked off his campaign for the 2nd CD in Danville. Vermilion County First…
* Politico…
* Background is here if you need it. The fried chicken fight continues. Evanston Now…
Abughazaleh tried to spin her Popeyes protest appearance after taking some heat…
* KWQC…
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AG Bondi threatens to cut Illinois’ federal funding and send in federal law enforcement
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * NewsMax…
* Politico…
* Meanwhile, in DC…
Perhaps Illinois’ most currently well-known National Guard JAG officer is 1LT Christian Mitchell, who was a deputy governor and is now Gov. JB Pritzker’s running mate. You gotta wonder if Mitchell’s gonna find himself deployed during the campaign.
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Who needs all that water when you’ve got a virtual ’soulmate’? (Updated)
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* Sun-Times…
…Adding… More about how data centers use water from Bloomberg…
Click here for more info on data centers and wastewater treatment facilities. * “OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Concedes GPT-5 Was a Misfire, Bets on GPT-6″…
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Channyn Lynne Parker named CEO of Equality Illinois, first Black transgender woman to lead the organization
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Windy City Times in June…
* Equality Illinois announced today that Channyn Lynne Parker will permanently lead the organization. Press release…
* Brave Space Alliance…
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The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association: Protecting Working People & Fighting Trump’s Predatory MAGA Agenda
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Don’t be fooled by the same front groups, associations and companies that are backing Trump’s predatory MAGA agenda of raising prices, slashing Medicaid, and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, Food & Drug Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They want Illinois to turn its back on people who have been harmed by the negligence and malfeasance of big corporations, and wrongly believe our state can’t be pro-worker and pro-business. The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association is proud to stand with state elected officials who are aggressively fighting Trumpian policies and those who support them. While the federal government and other states abandon their responsibilities to protect Americans from preventable harms, Illinois is a beacon in the nation’s dark night, showing what responsible government looks like. Our state balances the needs of business with workers’ rights and consumer protections to create opportunities for everyone to thrive, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Trial lawyers will always fight for working people and the most vulnerable, helping them to receive justice and holding corporate wrongdoers accountable. For more information about the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, click here.
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It’s now a law
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 1519 yesterday, banning police from ticketing students for breaking school rules. Sen. Karina Villa…
The bill does not prevent students from being penalized for serious crimes committed on school grounds. ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune broke the story. ProPublica in May…
* WICS…
* 25News Now…
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IPA: SB40 With Energy Storage Will Slash Sky-High Electric Bills
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Consumers across Illinois are seeing massive increases in their bills because of inadequate energy supplies and rising demand. And yet a tool that numerous studies have shown could have averted some of these increases now and in the future, battery energy storage, waits for legislative action. Last session, without evidence, opponents claimed adding energy storage in Illinois would spike ratepayer bills. But no fewer than a half dozen studies in Illinois and across the country from groups like the Illinois Power Agency, Clean Grid Alliance and NRDC have shown that storage saves billions for ratepayers. The Facts:
- ComEd customers would save “from $1.52/month to $2.32/month by 2030 and $7.89/month to $8.52/month by 2035.” The facts don’t lie – consumers are seeing the cost of doing nothing in their spiking electric bills NOW. Adding energy storage to Illinois’s electric grid will save consumers billions. That’s why CUB is asking lawmakers to pass SB40 as the best way “to contain costs for electric customers while managing unprecedented energy demand.” Illinois must follow the facts and enact SB40 this fall to deploy 6 gigawatts of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Senate President Harmon appeals $10M fine for improper campaign contributions. Capitol News Illinois…
- Harmon is appealing the board’s decision, and his lawyer argued in a hearing on Wednesday that the self-funding exemption should have remained in place, because Harmon’s name was not on the ballot in 2024. -Though Harmon began self-funding his campaign in the middle of an election cycle in which he was not on the ballot, Harmon’s attorney Mike Kasper said reestablishing caps either after the 2024 primary or general election would establish new limits on fundraising in the middle of Harmon’s term. * Related stories…
* At 6:30 pm, Governor Pritzker will accept the James Monroe Smith Founder Award from the Legal Council for Health Justice recognizing the state’s efforts in advancing health equity and defending the rights of LGBTQ+ Illinoisans. Click here to watch. * Streetsblog Chicago | Illinois House Majority Leader Eva-Dina Delgado thinks Springfield can solve the transit fiscal crisis during six days in October: Streetsblog caught up with one of the key players in the current Springfield drama, House Majority Leader Eva-Marie Delgado, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Chicago’s Northwest Side. Along with fellow Chicago Democrat Rep. Kam Buckner, she’s co-leader of the House’s Public Transit Working Group, which is trying to solve this very tricky legislative puzzle. * Sun-Times | AI’s latest feat: Depleting drinking water sources around Illinois, Midwest: Large data centers, many devoted to researching artificial intelligence, are expected to use more than 150 billion gallons of water across the U.S. over the next five years, according to the advocacy organization Alliance for the Great Lakes. That’s enough water to supply 4.6 million homes. The data centers, which also use large amounts of power, need water for cooling and because of the size of the large operations — sometimes more than 10,000 square feet — an enormous amount is needed for each site. […] Illinois state lawmakers tried to address the issue of increased power demands from data centers during their legislative session in the spring, but business groups beat back the effort. A bill proposing that data center energy and water usage information be made public was introduced in the same session but was sent to committee and never debated. * ABC Chicago | Gov. Pritzker says he supports independently drawn legislative maps if done on national basis: “I think having an independent commission is a good idea. It has to be done on a national basis, though; it can’t be done state by state. We’d be unilaterally disarming as Democrats if we did that, but I think we should make it happen,” Pritzker said. The governor’s comments came one day after former President Barack Obama Chief of Staff Bill Daley and former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood kicked off “Fair Maps Illinois.” * WGIL | Retired State Police officer Brad Beekman launches bid for Illinois 36th State Senate district: Brad Beekman, a recently retired Illinois State Police master sergeant from Bushnell, officially launched his Republican campaign for the 36th State Senate District on Wednesday, bringing over 20 years of law enforcement experience and a focus on family and economic concerns. Democratic incumbent Mike Halpin is seeking another term in the Illinois Senate 36th District. * CBS Chicago | Illinois Secretary of State pledges to address spiking car insurance rates: “A safe driver with a poor credit score will pay more — about $862 per year more — than a driver with excellent credit who has a DUI,” Giannoulias said. “Let that sink in.” The Illinois Secretary of State’s Driving Change campaign is aimed at preventing insurance companies from using socioeconomic data such as credit scores, ZIP codes, and age to charge Illinoisans higher auto insurance rates. * Daily Herald | ‘How do we get there?’ State reps weigh transit rescue options ahead of fall veto session: “There’s a lot of opposition” to the delivery fee, and “the mayors are against the transfer tax,” said Democratic state Rep. Marty Moylan of Des Plaines, chair of a House transportation committee. He said it would have been “a lot easier” to get a measure approved in the spring session, when only a simple majority was needed as opposed to veto session. “Because if they want it effective immediately, you need 71 votes,” he added, “or you have to wait until next session in January.” * Shaw Local | State rep nixes Sauk Valley Chamber membership over prayer wording at fundraiser, DEI statement on its website: The chamber’s Board of Directors on Wednesday said the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is reaffirming its mission of enhancing the economic climate and quality of life in the Sauk Valley area, “through its commitment to being a non-partisan and non-denominational organization that serves the entire community without bias or affiliation to any specific political party or religious denomination.” “As a civic and economic development organization, the Chamber exists to support local businesses, foster community engagement, and promote inclusive growth across all sectors,” according to an email the Chamber sent to Shaw Local in response to Fritts’ announcement. “Our mission is rooted in values of respect, diversity, and unity. We welcome individuals and organizations of all backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions, and we strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued and represented.” * Crain’s | Johnson to unveil budget plan mid-October, starting months of tension over $1B gap: Johnson is tentatively scheduled to deliver his 2026 proposal on Oct. 16, according to a schedule provided to some members of the City Council obtained by Crain’s. The address will land two weeks earlier than last year, when Johnson delayed the speech to the frustration of some on the council who wanted more time to amend and craft a final spending plan. * ABC Chicago | Giannoulias plans to reestablish emissions testing in Chicago, starting with South Side mobile unit: It’s rolling out a mobile testing site on the South Side, as part of a pilot program. The mobile unit is slated to become one of several new emissions testing sites in Illinois. It’s all part of the secretary of state’s plan to reestablish emissions testing in the city of Chicago. * Tribune | Borrowing, pensions and TIFs: What’s fueling the CPS budget standoff?: Chicago Public Schools’ fiscal road map, backed by interim CEO Macquline King, runs counter to the agenda of Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, who has advocated both now and in the past for borrowing to address budget woes. The standoff illustrates two entrenched sides — the mayor, Harden and their allies who support borrowing, against board members and advocates who don’t — digging in just over a week before the district is required by law to balance its budget. * Sun-Times | CPS prioritizes facility repairs, IT upgrades in building maintenance budget: The CPS capital budget, which funds construction and building maintenance projects for this school year, is about 9% smaller than last year at $556 million, down from $611 million. Nearly all of it is paid for through borrowing, while there’s some help from the city through tax increment financing, or TIF, dollars and state funding. CPS is the only district in Illinois that has no way to raise new revenue for building construction or maintenance, so taking on new debt year after year becomes necessary to fund most projects. * ABC Chicago | Chicago’s legal community buzzing about U.S. Attorney Boutros’ recruiting e-mail: More than a dozen former federal prosecutors, even current sitting judges, told the I-Team they, too, received this same unorthodox email, and found it concerning. “You have people who come to the office, give what they have to give, and then leave. By and large, there is turnover by design,” Safer said. Safer hasn’t worked in the Northern District of Illinois office in more than 25 years. * Daily Southtown | Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere charged with computer tampering: Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere faces three counts of computer tampering, according to a complaint filed this week in Will County Circuit Court. Traynere, a Bolingbrook Democrat, allegedly accessed the email account of board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, in March 2024 without Ogalla’s authorization, according to the charges. The misdemeanor charges filed by special prosecutor William Elward state Traynere forwarded emails from Ogalla’s account to herself and others. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County Treasurer’s office employees move to unionize, with support by outgoing head: “The right of workers to organize and bargain collectively is an American right,” Kim said in a brief statement. “God bless America.” According to a news release, earlier this week, the 13 employees filed a majority interest petition with the Illinois Labor Relations Board, which will certify the union. The employees are responsible for processing and accounting for county revenue and assisting the public in paying and assessing property tax bills. * Aurora Beacon-News | Emily Rosen appointed Geneva city treasurer, after no candidates ran for seat in April: Geneva officially has a new treasurer, after Emily Rosen’s appointment by Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns was OK’d by the City Council at its meeting Monday evening. After no candidates ran for the seat in the April 1 election, the treasurer post was left unfilled, according to past reporting. In July, the city opened applications for Geneva residents to apply for the role through Aug. 7. * Aurora Beacon-News | Batavia City Council considers energy policy for future of electric utility: As discussions continue about cost, reliability and sustainability goals, the Batavia City Council is considering adopting an energy policy to guide how it provides electricity to residents in the future. Currently, the city has its own municipal electric utility, according to Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman. The Batavia Municipal Electric Utility gets its energy via a power sales agreement with the Northern Illinois Municipal Power Agency, or NIMPA, a joint action agency made up of Batavia, Geneva and the city of Rochelle. * Daily Herald | ‘I am Team Naperville’: Allison Longenbaugh stepping down from city council: In what she called a “gut-wrenching decision,” Naperville City Councilwoman Allison Longenbaugh will step down from her seat after more than two years in the role. An emotional Longenbaugh said she is taking a private sector professional opportunity that does not allow her to serve in public office. Her resignation becomes official Monday. Longenbaugh routinely asked questions of city staffers as part of written Q&A’s posted with council agendas. She appeared to relish her research. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora committee discusses lifting ban on backyard chickens: While no official ordinance has been drafted, aldermen who sit on the Rules, Administration and Procedures Committee have spent time at the past two meetings discussing the possibility of allowing backyard chickens within city limits and the logistics of how that may work. No decision has been made yet, but aldermen seem to agree that, if the ban is lifted, there would still be restrictions against roosters, along with other requirements. Currently, the city’s ordinance bans people from keeping dangerous animals, bees or farm animals within city limits. However, special permission can be given to things like pony rides and petting zoos. * WGLT | Mark Jontry retiring after this term as Regional Superintendent of Schools, endorses assistant superintendent for the role: The regional superintendent of schools for McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties will not run for re-election. Mark Jontry has served in his role for the Regional Office of Education [ROE] #17 for 17 years, after serving as assistant regional superintendent for four years. The ROE provides various resources and support to educators, students and families. * KSDK | Police arrest 3 law enforcement officers accused of assaulting man at Illinois bar: Three law enforcement officers are facing charges after they were accused of assaulting a man at a Staunton, Illinois, bar over the weekend. A press release from Staunton Police Chief Jeffrey Doerr said two men who work for the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department and one man who works as a Bunker Hill police officer were arrested. The release said the arrests were related to an incident that happened at Skeeter’s Pub early Saturday morning. * WCIA | 250 U of I students in temporary housing to start semester: More than 6,000 students have moved into their new rooms so far; 250 of them will be placed in temporary housing. “Temporary housing means students are paying half what they would normally pay,” said University Housing Marketing Associate Director Christ Axtman-Barker. “There are more students in those rooms because they are temporarily converted study lounges.” * BND | East St. Louis school bus drivers say unresolved issues could impact students: Several former and current drivers for Illinois Central’s Caseyville facility gathered outside the district administration building Monday with megaphones and signs, alleging several issues with the bus company ranging from unfair pay to grievance procedures not being followed. The demonstrators said they do not plan to strike; their current union contract prohibits it. But Marsha Jones, a former employee at Illinois Central and the Caseyville site’s union steward and representative, said the issues could result in students spending more time on buses if they’re left unaddressed. * WGLT | Trained weather spotter grows online community of weather watchers in Central Illinois: Bessler said he would like as many people, specifically members of the Facebook group, to receive the same NWS spotter training that he did. For accurate reporting, Bessler uses a radar app on his phone to track storms, which he then posts on the Current Central Illinois Weather Facebook page. Bessler said he makes sure to address specific counties with warnings of approaching storms. * AP | The Texas House OK’d GOP-favored redistricting. California intends to counter with map of its own: The national redistricting battle enters its next phase Thursday as California Democrats are scheduled to pass a new congressional map that creates five winnable seats for their party, a direct counter to the Texas House’s approval of a new map to create more conservative-leaning seats in that state. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has engineered the high-risk strategy in response to President Donald Trump’s own brinkmanship. Trump pushed Texas Republicans to reopen the legislative maps they passed in 2021 to squeeze out up to five new GOP seats to help the party stave off a midterm defeat. * Former President Barack Obama…
* Sun Sentinel | DeSantis targets Florida congressional districts, seeks changes that could aid Republicans: The governor repeatedly cited the Broward-Palm Beach County district represented by U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick as the one that he believes is unfairly drawn, and should be changed. He acknowledged that any changes to Cherfilus-McCormick’s district would involve changes to neighboring congressional districts — likely including the one represented by another Broward-Palm Beach county Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz. * NPR | Some Florida farmers reduce crops as deportation fears drive workers away: “You just never know where agents are,” F. says, lowering his voice, even though no one is around. And as a farmer, that has meant having to reduce his workforce by nearly half. “A lot of the migrants have left,” he says. “The rest are hiding.” * The City | Eric Adams Advisor Winnie Greco Handed a CITY Reporter Cash Stuffed in a Bag of Potato Chips: The failed payoff — a wad of cash in a red envelope stuffed inside an opened bag of Herr’s Sour Cream & Onion ripple potato chips — was made by Winnie Greco, a longtime Adams ally who resigned last year from her position as the mayor’s liaison to the Asian community after she was targeted in multiple investigations. She resurfaced recently as a consistent presence in his re-election campaign. * NBC | Japanese American groups blast use of Fort Bliss, former internment camp site, as ICE detention center: The Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center at Fort Bliss in El Paso, which opened this past weekend, will be able to hold as many as 5,000 detainees upon its completion in the coming months, making it the largest federal detention center in U.S. history. Japanese American advocates, however, say that the facility, which once imprisoned people considered “enemy aliens,” is a chilling reminder of a dark past. “The use of national security rhetoric to justify mass incarceration today echoes the same logic that led to their forced removal and incarceration,” said Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.
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Open thread
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Aug 21, 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
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Press Release | Alderman Sigcho-Lopez Joins Speaker Welch’s Campaign for Democratic State Central Committee: “Speaker Welch understands that without investing in the city of Chicago, and the people who make it work, our state cannot thrive,” said Alderman Sigcho-Lopez. “The billionaires’ and oligarchs’ agenda of divestment, division, and disinformation has not improved our lives. Working people across our state and across the 7th District need leadership focused on bringing dignity to the lives of all Illinoisans, and Speaker Welch is committed to doing just that. I look forward to opportunities to bring our communities together in solidarity to fight for better days for all of our neighbors.” * Block Club Chicago | State And Lake CTA Station Getting $440 Million Overhaul With Glass Roof, Elevators To Red Line: The price of the project has ballooned from the $180 million estimated by city officials in 2021 to $444 million. Schroeder said the renovation is over 90 percent federally funded. On the street level below, the city also plans to remove columns and increase the vertical clearance to try to ease vehicle traffic. New sidewalk bump-outs will make crossing the busy Downtown streets a shorter walk for pedestrians. * Block Club | Have Thoughts On Chicago’s Speed Cameras? You Can Weigh In Through A City Survey: Earlier this month, the Equity in Enforcement working group launched a survey to gain feedback on draft recommendations it has crafted since the group was created by the City Council in January. The survey is available in English, Spanish and Traditional Chinese and can be filled out here. It will be live through Monday. * Tribune | Bullet that killed Officer Krystal Rivera struck her from behind in vest opening: autopsy: Investigators with the medical examiner’s office found Rivera was shot in her left flank from behind. The fatal shot pierced her skin near her left armpit and traveled through both her lungs, wedging itself in her ribs, autopsy records show. “Because the lethal injury was caused by another individual who volitionally fired a weapon knowing the action could cause death,” the record states. “The manner is HOMICIDE.” * ABC Chicago | Retired Chicago priest reinstated to church after sexual abuse allegations, Archdiocese says: The allegations against Monsignor Daniel Mayall came in February 2025. At the time, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich announced he would remain out of ministry and school activities during an investigation. Six months after the letter, Cupich announced that Mayall would be reinstated. “While he strenuously denied the allegation, he fully complied with my request and cooperated with the investigation,” Cupich said in the letter. “After receiving the results of the thorough investigation, the IRB determined that there is not a reasonable cause to believe Monsignor Mayall sexually abused the person making the accusation. In addition, the IRB recommended that Monsignor Mayall be reinstated to ministry. I have accepted their recommendation effective immediately.” * Block Club | Stolen Dog Bam Bam Reunited With Ecstatic Owner: ‘The Entire City Has Been Searching For This Dog’: Garrido was told by officers that the two people who brought in Bam Bam found him near the station in the 5600 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, though details are still murky, he said. Once owner information was found through Bam Bam’s chip, Santiago was contacted and picked up Bam Bam. Garrido was not there for the reunion but was told Santiago was ecstatic. * Chicago Reader | Car racing on Chicago’s streets before NASCAR : The Chicago Times-Herald Race was held on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1895. It was the brainchild of Times-Herald publisher H.H. Kohlsaat and was created not just to sell newspapers but also to promote the burgeoning auto industry. The first cars in the U.S. had been produced only two years earlier. The winner of the race was promised $2,000, with $1,500 for the runner-up, $1,000 given to the third-place racer, and $500 for fourth. (In 2025 dollars, $2,000 in 1895 is approximately $76,539.) * Crain’s | Nurses sue Endeavor Health alleging wage theft, dangerous understaffing: Four nurses are suing Endeavor Health and an executive, alleging wage theft, dangerous understaffing and invasion of privacy by the suburban health system. The federal lawsuit from Tricia Poreda, Karen Hernandez, Jessica Balagtas and Juline Patlan accuses Endeavor of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA, and Illinois wage laws, with claims of nurses forced to work off the clock, having meal breaks deducted despite having to work through meals and withheld promised pay for certifications and leadership duties. * Daily Herald | Naperville City Council seeks to renegotiate terms of proposed electricity contract: The city is proposing contract revisions that would increase Naperville’s voting rights within the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency and would set measurable benchmarks to lower its carbon footprint. City council members voted 7-2 to support the measure, with Ian Holzhauer and Mary Gibson casting dissenting votes. The contract proposal comes after months of debate about whether to extend the city’s contract with IMEA. Opponents objected to an extension, noting IMEA’s reliance on a coal-fired power plant to meet energy needs for its 32 member communities. Others also questioned the need to decide on a contract when the current contract does not expire for another 10 years. * Oak Park Journal | Oak Park terminates Flock license plate reader contract: The Oak Park board of trustees voted to cancel the village’s contract with Flock Safety, shutting off the eight license plate reading cameras the company operates in the village. The board opted to cancel the contract outright rather than adopt a measure that would’ve shut the cameras off for 90 days. The decision comes weeks after the state announced it was investigating the company that runs them. * Tribune | With no Chicago Street Race, NASCAR will return to long-dormant Joliet track in 2026: NASCAR said it paused the Chicago Street Race because it needs more time to explore rescheduling the event away from Independence Day and finding ways to speed up the build-out and breakdown of the pop-up racecourse, in response to concerns from the city. That left a gaping July Fourth hole on the racing schedule, which Joliet will now fill, at least in 2026. Launched in 2001, Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet hosted NASCAR’s premier racing series for 18 years. But the 1.5-mile oval has essentially been idled since it was acquired in 2019 by NASCAR as part of a $2 billion merger agreement with International Speedway Corp. * Naperville Sun | Longenbaugh announces she’s resigning from the Naperville City Council post: Longenbaugh, whose term expires in 2027, announced her resignation at Tuesday’s council meeting, citing a job offer she received that conflicts with her ability to serve. Her vacancy is effective Aug. 25. “I love my career and I love serving on city council, which has made this a gut-wrenching decision not just for me but for my entire family,” she said. Longenbaugh lost her job at J.P. Morgan last February, a company she had been with for 31 years. While she could not disclose what her new job is, it was one she thought she could not reject, she said. * Evanston RoundTable | Evanston library employees to rally against plan to split from city: The employees, represented by AFSCME Council 31, and their supporters plan to gather at Fountain Square at 6 p.m., then march to the main library at 1703 Orrington Ave. to speak at the Library Board’s regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m., the union said in a news release late Tuesday. “Library employees have always stood against any proposal that could result in cuts to library services, hours, programs and jobs,” Anders Lindall, AFSCME Council’s 31’s public affairs director, said in a statement. “That’s why they’re unified now with their community of patrons and supporters to strongly oppose the plan to split the library away from the city of Evanston.” * Daily Herald | Schaumburg favors bike path on west side of Springinsguth Road, further use of roundabouts: Schaumburg village board members Tuesday generally favored having the Springinsguth Road bike path entirely on the west side after a 2029 renovation. The discussion also included further consideration of the use of roundabouts at appropriate intersections on a case-by-case basis. One roundabout is proposed for the intersection of Springinsguth and Weathersfield Way, though there wasn’t 100% agreement on several aspects of the 1.5-mile improvement project between Schaumburg and Wise roads. * NBC Chicago | 4 new stores opening at suburban Chicago outlet mall, including high-end and beloved brands: According to a release, Rag + Bone will open at the outlet store at the mall Aug. 21. The popular New York label will be located near the Aritiza and Versace outlets inside the mall, and will offer discounted fashion-forward denim, casualwear, footwear and accessories for men and women, the release said. * Aurora Beacon-News | Dates announced for Christkindlmarket in Aurora and Chicago: The holiday market in Aurora is organized by German American Events, a group which will also operate the Christkindlmarkets at Daley Plaza and Gallagher Way in Wrigleyville in Chicago during the holidays. This year’s Christkindlmarket in Aurora will be open Thursdays to Sundays from Nov. 21 through Dec. 24. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, according to a press release about the market. * BND | O’Fallon beefing up security to preserve annual City Fest: After disturbances at some local festivals, including disruptive behavior at the St. Nicholas Catholic Church annual parish picnic in May and skirmishes at last year’s City Fest, organizers have put new safety plans in place. City Fest Chair Marcie Lapolice said Police Chief Kirk Brueggeman has been meeting with the committee, and they have reviewed site plans and security measures. “These are precautions,” Brueggeman said. “It’s unfortunate what happened at Nickfest. If we can do these safely, we’re all for it. It’s very taxing on public safety, and we understand this is good for the community, so we’ll do what we can to make it successful.” * WGLT | Multiethnic houses of worship in Bloomington-Normal are hubs of faith and resources for parishioners: Community engagement and resource services evolved as the attendance at Spanish services expanded. They include a three-day-spiritual retreat called Cursillo, Spanish Bible study, and translation and notary services, said Joaquin. But due to President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, Joaquin said they’ve pivoted to advocacy. “We started working on information for immigrants. We hosted a ‘Know Your Rights’ workshop,” she said. * WSIL | Free fun at Du Quoin State Fair with music, shows, and art: Fairgoers at the 2025 Du Quoin State Fair can enjoy a wide array of free entertainment throughout the event. With free admission, families are invited to experience a full day of fun without financial worries. “We recognize that families may be experiencing tough times financially, and entertainment dollars are stretched thin,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “Expanding free entertainment options keeps the fair affordable, allowing families to make memories that last a lifetime.” * Straight Arrow News | Interactive ‘ICE Detention Map’ shows 71% of detainees have no criminal record: Of all the statistics in the spreadsheet, this may be the most telling: Of the 46,113 individuals detained by ICE, 71% have no criminal record. That finding was highlighted Friday at the Hackers on Planet Earth conference in Queens, New York, where the privacy organization Lockdown Systems unveiled a new tool that visualizes all of ICE’s data on an interactive map of the country. * Pew Research Center | How Americans View Journalists in the Digital Age: There is a lack of consensus – and perhaps some uncertainty – about whether someone who primarily compiles other people’s reporting or offers opinions on current events is a journalist, according to a new Center survey. Americans are also split over whether people who share news in “new media” spaces like newsletters, podcasts and social media are journalists. In some ways, Americans’ ideas about journalists are still tied to what the news industry looked like in the 20th century. When asked who comes to mind when they think of a journalist, many everyday Americans who participated in our focus groups said they think of traditional TV newscasters like Walter Cronkite and Tom Brokaw, modern anchors like Lester Holt and Anderson Cooper, and even fictional characters like Clark Kent. * Cal Maters | Why one union became one of the most pro-housing voices in California: The Carpenters’ involvement has given some Democratic lawmakers the opportunity to address the housing crisis with the blessing of a construction union. They’ve presented an alternative to more traditional demands from organized labor embodied by the State Building and Construction Trades Council, which has opposed nearly all high-profile proposals to lower hurdles for developers that do not include minimum pay levels and union hiring requirements that some housing advocates see as so stringent and costly they effectively hamper building more housing. * Chalkbeat | Plenty of schools have no-zeroes policies. And most teachers hate it, a new survey finds: Eight in 10 teachers said giving students partial credit for assignments they didn’t turn in was harmful to student engagement. Opposition to no-zeroes policies came from teachers of various racial backgrounds, experience levels, and who worked with different demographics of students.
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Unclear on the concept (except for the coverage angle) (Updated x2)
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Congressional candidate calls for special session within 10 days even though nobody has anything ready to actually vote on once they get to town…
It’s easy to say “the time is now,” when you aren’t involved in either crafting a bill or shepherding it through both chambers to reach the required three-fifths super majorities (and, notice that the Senate’s chief transit bill sponsor isn’t demanding an immediate return). This stuff doesn’t happen by magic. And, by the way, the Senate’s bill, which Sen. Fine didn’t vote for, has no chance in the House. * Senate President Harmon talked earlier this month about a special session…
Not to mention that if the GA does come back early, the Chicago Teachers Union will be demanding action on their fiscal agenda, which will only intensify the Chicago-bashing. But, this empty call will probably give these three a little press bump, which is what it’s probably all about. …Adding… The RTA is considering moving some money around to delay any cuts to the CTA, according to the Tribune…
Keep in mind that the transit systems are receiving an unexpected $150 million in new sales tax revenue this calendar year, and that will increase next year. …Adding… CTU is already on board with the fantasy session…  The governor talked about this today…
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Study: Illinois pre-apprenticeships boost women, minorities in construction
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Related…
* Shaw Local | Will County celebrates graduates of state training program that paves way for careers in trades: Almost 20 people have graduated from a pre-apprenticeship program in Will County that prepares them for union trade apprenticeships and construction project opportunities. The ceremony for 18 graduates of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program was held Wednesday on the fifth floor of the Will County Courthouse in Joliet. * WQAD | YWCA Quad Cities expands summer Pre-Apprenticeship Program for youth: The 13-week program is open to residents ages 16–24 and provides full or part-time employment at local businesses. All student wages are funded by the YWCA, easing the cost for employers and helping young people gain job experience. The first week’s focus on professional development, including résumé and cover letter writing, job readiness training, and career exploration. Participants also learn life skills such as budgeting, understanding insurance and employee benefits, and how to open a bank account through workshops and guest speakers.
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It’s now a law
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times’ education reporter Emmanuel Camarillo…
* WAND…
* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…
* Rep. Kimberly DuBuclet…
* WCIA…
* WCIA…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura and Rep. Hoan Huynh…
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Rate Willie Preston’s launch video
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
* Launch video…
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Consumers Are Getting Slammed With Higher Electric Rates – Don’t Add Fuel To The Fire With ROFR
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois consumers are feeling the heat, both from triple-digit temperatures and soaring electricity bills. Ameren customers are seeing 18–22% rate hikes. ComEd has customers paying as much as triple-digit increases. And it’s going to get worse. In July, the PJM Capacity Auction hit another record high - a 22% increase on top of the record highs everyone just started paying. This will already lead to further rate increases next year! As frustration heats up, lawmakers must choose: support competition that drives prices down or fan the flames of electricity inflation with “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation. ROFR kills competition and boosts prices by giving incumbent utilities exclusive rights to build transmission lines. It’s so anti-competitive that both presidents - Biden and Trump - opposed it in 2020 and 2023. As the ICC has said, “The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) believes that competition among transmission developers spurs innovative results and helps control costs.”  ROFR would send electricity prices even higher. Springfield should focus on long-term strategies to lower electricity bills, not raise them. As ROFR may resurface this fall, legislators should reject it and stand up for cost-cutting competition that benefits consumers.
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Reform group has ’serious concerns’ about Daley/LaHood remap proposal
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
* Change Illinois is not impressed…
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Tariffs Impact Everyone
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The shelves of Springfield’s Whimsy Tea are filled with hundreds of tea blends from 149 different countries around the globe. For a retail business whose main product is predominantly reliant on international trade, owner and founder Gordon Davis is facing challenges unlike any other for his business: the specter of rising tariffs. The increased costs associated with tariffs impact us all, and Gordon predicts from his retail experience that the trickle-down effects will keep rolling and rolling. Retailers like Gordon enrich our economy and strengthen our communities, even during the uncertainty of increased tariff expenses. IRMA is showcasing some of the many retailers who continue to make Illinois work.
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Cat got your tongue, General?
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I have been trying without any success since July 18 to obtain a quote from the Illinois attorney general’s office about this situation. WTTW is also having problems…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: As President Trump vows to eliminate mail in voting, Illinois election officials say fraud is ‘extremely rare’. WTTW…
- Voter fraud in Illinois is “extremely rare,” Dietrich said. Five people faced charges in DuPage County following the 2020 election, but certified instances of fraud remain few and far between. - Ryan Tolley, executive director at CHANGE Illinois, said the president’s false claims about the election could have the potential to depress voter turnout if people don’t feel confident in the system. - The Constitution makes the states the entities that determine the “time, place and manner” of elections, but does allow Congress to “make” or “alter” rules for federal elections. * Related stories…
* Governor Pritzker will be in South Holland at 1:30 pm to give remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for South Suburban College’s Allied Health & Nursing Center. Click here to watch. * Unraveled | Eyes on the heartland: 404 Media recently revealed a Texas deputy ran a national search of an ALPR database to look for a woman who allegedly self-administered an abortion. Audit logs obtained by anonymous researchers also show how police in and outside Illinois have used the network of one particular ALPR manufacturer, Flock Safety, to assist ICE with immigration investigations. Both of these scenarios are prohibited under Illinois law. […] Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has called upon Attorney General Kwame Raoul to investigate these incidents. The AG has not yet publicly commented on the issue. * Pantagraph | Central Illinois activists, officials on guard as Supreme Court looks to reconsider same-sex marriage ruling: Justices are expected to consider this fall whether to take up the case of former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who was jailed for six days in 2015 after refusing to issue a marriage license to a gay couple due to her religious beliefs. […] Channyn Parker, interim CEO of Equality Illinois, said this news is not surprising, considering how President Donald Trump built his candidacy on a promise to dismantle many hard-won fights for rights, particularly for the LGBTQIA+ community. * FOX Chicago | Illinois resists Trump DOJ request for sensitive voter data: In a letter dated Aug. 14, the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division asked Illinois Election Board Executive Director Sarah Matthews for sensitive data on Illinois voters. The data includes “the registrant’s full name, date of birth, residential address, his or her state driver’s license number or the last four digits of the registrant’s social security number as required under the Help America Vote Act.” The letter came after the board responded to an initial request by sending limited information on voters that protects personal data. It’s the same information that the general public is able to purchase, and something utilized by political parties and action committees. * Sun-Times | Duckworth heads to Japan to boost Illinois’ quantum chances in race against China: Sen. Tammy Duckworth landed in Japan early Wednesday on a trip aimed at bolstering Illinois’ relationships around quantum technology, supply chain and national security. And a huge focus is beating China in the race to create a functioning quantum computer. The trip marks Duckworth’s 12th trip to Asia and 14th congressional member delegation trip since 2018. Her trip began in South Korea with a meeting with SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, whose SK Group and its subsidiary companies announced plans to invest $52 billion in the U.S. in semiconductor, green energy and biotech projects. * Press Release | AG Raoul seeks court order blocking Trump Administration’s attempt to share private SNAP data: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, with 21 attorneys general and the state of Kentucky, filed a motion to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from attempting to force states to turn over personal and sensitive information about millions of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients while litigation challenging the legality of the demand continues. SNAP is a federally funded, state-administered program that provides billions of dollars in food assistance to tens of millions of low-income families across the country. SNAP applicants provide their private information to state agencies with the understanding, backed by long-standing state and federal laws, that their information will not be used for unrelated purposes. * ABC Chicago | CPD leaders were warned of ‘problematic patterns’ with tactical team’s traffic stops turned searches: The ABC7 I-Team first reported in May about this team of officers, including some who have been named in lawsuits against the city, and internal oversight complaints that led to discipline. Now, after filing more Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the city, the I-Team has learned the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), the independent city agency that investigates allegations of police misconduct, warned Chicago police leadership of “problematic patterns” involving the tactical unit’s traffic stops turned searches late last year. * FOX Chicago | Chicago Public Schools board members split on proposed budget to close $734M deficit: “This isn’t a personal decision,” said elected board member Ellen Rosenfeld, who supports the budget. “There is a city TIF policy that requires a certain amount of TIF money to come to the schools. It’s not at the mayor’s whim; it’s not if we don’t do that, then this happens. There’s a TIF act under state law.” Rosenfeld criticized the CTU, which criticized former Mayor Lori Lightfoot for calling on CPS to pick up the pension payment. With Johnson, the CTU has changed its position 180 degrees. * NBC Chicago | Mike Quigley among potential Chicago mayoral candidates mulling run: Among the candidates who are in the “maybe” column is long-time Rep. Mike Quigley, who has been in office since 2009 and who has been crisscrossing the city, talking to various groups, according to NBC 5 Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern. […] Quigley also addressed transit funding issues, which come as the CTA embarks on a $3.6 billion project to extend the Red Line. “Should it cost a billion dollars for a mile for that extension? How much of that is our fault? It’s a quarter of that (cost) in Europe,” he said. * ABC Chicago | Chicago mayor visits Southwest Side, as residents call for more help after repeated flooding: “The system itself became overwhelmed. The time the system was built, it was designed for a five-year rain, but we are getting more like 100-year rain,” Chicago Water Department Commissioner Randy Conner said. […] “We need the state as well as the federal government to provide emergency relief for homeowners as well as our businesses. We will not allow this disaster to turn into a tragedy,” Johnson said. “The more information we have the better prepared we will be to fight for the relief of our communities that desperately need them.” * Sun-Times | Southwest Side residents frustrated after repeat flooding: ‘I hope the city helps us’: “The city failed to plan properly in the past, and we will continue to see damaging flooding incidents until there are some real structural changes and improvements to our infrastructure as a whole,” Johnson said. Shortly after taking office in 2011, then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel rejected calls to privatize Chicago’s water system and embarked on what he called a “great jobs bill.” * ABC Chicago | Dog stolen from blind owner in Logan Square returned to owner, Chicago police say: Bam Bam he 14 year old dachshund was reportedly in his backyard near Monticello and Fullerton when two men took him on June 5. Chicago police said the 14 year old Dachshund was dropped off Tuesday night by two people at the 16th District Station on the Northwest Side. The dog appeared healthy and was reunited with his owner, who is blind. * Shaw Local | Joliet narrowly approves local grocery tax: The Joliet City Council voted 5-4 to keep in place a 1% grocery tax now being imposed by the state. Instead, Joliet will impose the tax starting Jan. 1 when the state repeals it. Joliet already gets the money imposed by the state grocery tax so by keeping it in place locally the city keeps the revenue source. […] For Joliet, the tax amounts to $3.7 million a year. * Sun-Times | State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke selects new top assistant: Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has selected a new top aide after her former first assistant abruptly stepped down Monday. Prosecutor Craig Engebretson has been named the new first assistant state’s attorney, O’Neill Burke announced in an email to staff. Engebretson has worked as an assistant state’s attorney in the office for over 20 years, and most recently served as chief of its Juvenile Justice Bureau. “I am honored to have him join our executive team and look forward to his continued leadership,” O’Neill Burke wrote. * WGN | Parents demand fixes as School District 160 in Country Club Hills faces scrutiny over spending habits: School District 160 in Country Club Hills met Tuesday night for the first time this school year amid ongoing problems continuing to plague the district. The district is now under scrutiny as the Illinois Board of Education issued an audit for the last two fiscal years regarding grant money the district received. […] Parents had previously threatened not to enroll their child(ren) if Supt. Duane Meighan remained in his position. * Daily Herald | West Dundee to charge residents with lead water service lines part of the replacement cost: The village board Monday voted 4-2 to charge residential water customers $5,000 of the approximately $13,000 it will cost to replace a line from the water main to the meter. Work is supposed to start in September on the first phase of a three-year, more than $7 million plan to replace 430 service lines. * Shaw Local | Underwood decries Yorkville’s stance on fining, possibly jailing homeless people during town hall meeting: U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood said she was disappointed to hear that the Yorkville City Council recently approved an ordinance to fine and possibly jail homeless people who are sleeping in their cars overnight and camping on public property. “I think it just goes against our values,” Underwood, D-Naperville, said during a town hall meeting Aug. 18 at Oswego High School. “Where’s the compassion? * Daily Herald | Curb your enthusiasm? Arlington Heights trustees like street makeover, but not $4.4M cost: “We just spent the first half of tonight’s meeting talking about taxes,” Trustee Tom Schwingbeck said late Monday, after the board approved a new streaming tax and extended a local grocery tax. “If we had the funding to do this where it wasn’t going to cost the village any money that would be one thing. But … seeing this project with approximately a $1 million gap that we’ve got to come up with — that’s hard to swallow.” * Daily Herald | Suburbs regrouping from onslaught of recent storms: Similarly, the DuPage River in DuPage and Will counties, and Salt Creek in DuPage County have receded below flood stage. In Cary, Mayor Mark Kownick declared a state of emergency due to widespread flooding. Emergency management agencies in Cook and McHenry counties are collecting damage assessments. * Sun-Times | Former Jan. 6 defendant gets 17 years for wrong-way crash that killed Skokie woman: His 17-year sentence consists of 14 years for the aggravated DUI and three years for fleeing a traffic stop before the crash. The 47-year-old Woods must serve 85% of the 14 year sentence and 50% of the three-year sentence. He’ll get credit for roughly 1,000 days already served. That puts him on track for release around early 2036, when he’d be 58. * WICS | Champaign City Council greenlights new $90K housing study to address market gaps and needs: The study will cost a little more than $90,000 and aims to take a fresh look at housing in Champaign. The city hasn’t conducted a housing study since 2010. City officials say the study will examine the city’s housing stock, identify gaps in the market, and explore opportunities for neighborhood development and affordable housing. * WSIL | Community organizations address youth violence in Carbondale: Carbondale Police say more than a dozen young people attacked and damaged a homeless encampment, leaving one person injured. […] Carbondale United’s Executive Director Nancy Maxwell says they also need to work with the parents. “I know a lot of people focus on the children, but those children have parents, and if the parents are not getting the help, then we’re still losing the children,” Maxwell said. * WTVO | ‘Misuse of public resources’: Roscoe Village President vetoes mural removal: Roscoe Village President Carol Gustafson vetoed the village board’s decision to paint over a mural on Main Street. Gustafson called the proposal a misuse of public resources and disrespectful to the artist during a board meeting on August 19. “The board’s decision to fund the removal of this public art on private property is, in my judgment, a misuse of public resources,” Gustafson explained. “This action diminishes the value of the artist’s work, disregards the opinions of many residents who supported the project and does not serve the broader public interest.” * WGLT | New owner brings ‘growth mode’ to the Normalite newspaper – and optimism about the future of local news: Billy McMacken recently bought the Normalite Newspaper Group from longtime owner Ed Pyne. That included eight papers around Central Illinois, including the Normalite in Normal. “Ed’s done a good job of being successful with these papers, but there’s room to grow,” McMacken said. McMacken, a South Dakota native who now lives in Sycamore, Illinois, has worked in newspapers his whole professional life, in reporting, business and management roles. He last worked for News Media Corp., a chain of papers that shrunk while he was there and closed this summer after he left. He’s known Pyne for a few years and knew he was looking to retire – if he could find the right owner for the Normalite. * WAND | Forsyth cannabis dispensary joint days away from opening doors: The Village of Forsyth has estimated the first year of tax revenue from Bud & Rita’s to be $500,000, which they will devote to new projects in the community. In addition to bringing more business to the community, the dispensary is also partnering with local businesses to mutually benefit. * WAND | Springfield takes first step towards new ownership of Robin Roberts Stadium: The Springfield Park District currently owns the ballfield where the Lucky Horseshoes play. A nonprofit wants to take over the stadium and invest in much-needed upgrades. The City must enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Park District, and then transfer the park to the nonprofit. Springfield City Council must vote on the proposal again next week before it can be finalized. * WSJ | Trump administration to vet immigrants for ‘anti-American’ views: The Trump administration plans to scrutinize social media for “anti-American ideologies” when deciding to grant visa or green-card applications. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the primary agency in charge of legal immigration, said Tuesday that its officers should give significant weight to evidence that an immigrant “has any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations” when reviewing residency, work and visa applications. * NYT | Texas Republicans Ready to Pass New Redistricting Maps, Just as Trump Wanted: Republicans in the Texas House were poised on Wednesday to approve an aggressively partisan redistricting plan, overcoming Democratic protests and delivering to President Trump the congressional map he called for. The redrawing of Texas’s maps, designed for Republicans to pick up five U.S. House seats, is likely only the first redistricting battle in what could be a bruising and protracted coast-to-coast clash over the coming months between states led by Republicans and those led Democrats. * ProPublica | RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.: Erin McCanlies was listening to the radio one morning in April when she heard Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promising to find the cause of autism by September. The secretary of Health and Human Services said he believed an environmental toxin was responsible for the dramatic increase in the condition and vowed to gather “the most credible scientists from all over the world” to solve the mystery. Nothing like that has ever been done before, he told an interviewer. McCanlies was stunned. The work had been done. “That’s exactly what I’ve been doing!” she said to her husband, Fred. * NYT | Trump Says Smithsonian Focuses Too Much on ‘How Bad Slavery Was’: President Trump accused the Smithsonian Institution on Tuesday of focusing too much on “how bad slavery was” and not enough on the “brightness” of America as his administration conducts a wide-ranging review of the content in its museum exhibits. […] Mr. Trump made the comments a week after the White House told the Smithsonian that its museums would be required to adjust any content that the administration finds problematic in “tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals” within 120 days.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 20, 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
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Subscribers got a look at the 12th HD race this morning. Politico…
* More from Politico…
* KSDK reports the Proud Boy billboard in Breese has been taken down…
* WSIL | Illinois launches ‘One Click’ admissions for public colleges: Illinois has launched One Click College Admit, a new program offering automatic college admissions for any public Illinois university to high school seniors and community college transfer students based solely on their GPA. This initiative, introduced by Gov. JB Pritzker, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Illinois Community College Board and Illinois Student Assistance Commission, aims to simplify the admissions process by eliminating applications, fees, essays, and recommendation letters. * Medill Illinois News Bureau | Illinois beekeepers battle losses, costs to keep hives buzzing: It’s an idyllic scene, one that can make it easy to overlook how challenging beekeeping can be for Harvey and the more than 5,400 other registered beekeepers across Illinois. Nearly 89% of them are hobbyists managing 10 colonies or fewer, according to the fiscal year 2025 Apiary Inspection Annual Report from the Illinois Department of Agriculture released in July. Bee loss is a persistent issue throughout the state. It’s not uncommon for beekeepers to lose over half of their colonies each year — primarily during winter — due to disease, competition, poor nutrition or limited resources. That’s a trend mirrored across much of the Midwest and the country. * Tribune | Top candidates for the US House in Illinois’ 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th districts for the 2026 election: The fourth House seat officially opened up when 83-year-old U.S. Rep. Danny Davis announced in late July that he would not seek a 16th term representing a district that stretches from downtown Chicago through the West Side and into the near-west suburbs. Davis’ long-anticipated decision came after 81-year-old U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s May announcement that she wouldn’t run for another term in the seat she’s held since 1999, representing much of the north and northwest suburbs. The wave of retirements began in late April, with 80-year-old U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s announcement that he wasn’t seeking a sixth term. That created a domino effect for the congressional delegation when two incumbents — U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg — declared their interest in Durbin’s seat. * ICT | Oji-Cree and Lakota man announces run for Illinois Congress seat: When Anthony Tamez first ran for office and won in 2023, he made history as the second Native person to hold an elected office in Illinois, and one of the youngest Native people to hold a position in the U.S. Tamez is making waves again by announcing his run for the Illinois Fifth Congressional District. If elected, Tamez, who is running as a Democrat, would be the first Gen Z Afro-Indigenous member of Congress to serve in the United States. * 25NewsNow | Republican challenger starts out swinging in bid to oust ‘radical’ Sorensen from Congress: Julie Bickelhaupt from rural Mount Carroll is now one of two candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District seat, representing parts of Peoria, Tazewell, McLean, and Fulton counties. In a release, Bickelhaupt called Sorensen a “radical” politician chasing extreme agendas rather than helping working families being “crushed” by rising costs and unsafe streets. “He’s embraced extreme policies and pandering political theater, while families here are just trying to pay the bills,” said Bickelhaupt. * Block Club | Meet The 7 Candidates Vying To Replace Ald. Walter Burnett In The 27th Ward: Grunst-Bednarz ran for 27th Ward alderperson in 2019. She lost to Burnett, who garnered 69.8 percent of the vote to her 30.1 percent, according to the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. […] Walter Redmond Burnett, son of former Ald. Walter Burnett, is also vying for the position. Burnett is the principal of Hannibal Valley Company, a Chicago-based real estate and hospitality consulting firm focused on community-rooted development, cultural programs and strategic growth. It was created in 2023. * Paul Wargaski | My son still doesn’t have a way to get to school in Chicago: That’s why legislation such as HB 989 matters. In short, the proposal increases the pool of safe, qualified drivers and routes. It also gives parents and caregivers the options to track rides in real time. The bill would allow participating school districts to contract with vetted, third-party transportation providers — giving them flexibility to serve high-need students who too often fall through the cracks. The program would focus specifically on students experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities, foster youths who face frequent placement changes and students who live outside traditional bus routes. In other words, it’s a smart, measured step that gives school leaders one more tool to meet the urgent needs of their most vulnerable students. * Block Club | Target Fires Hundreds From Little Village Warehouse Over Medical Benefits Scheme, Employees Say: Workers at Target’s distribution center at 3501 S. Pulaski Road took advantage of the company’s medical loan program, through which employees could receive loans exceeding $3,000 to cover medical expenses. Workers found a glitch in the program, allowing them to pay back $50 of the loan and have the remaining balance erased from company records, multiple employees told Block Club. One employee was considered the ringleader of the operation and would charge $200-$300 to facilitate taking out and erasing the medical loans, employees said. * Crain’s | Abbott gets 2nd formula lawsuit dismissed, spelling trouble for 700 cases: With a second bellwether case against Abbott Labs thrown out, and statements from a U.S. District Court judge casting doubts on both plaintiff’s evidence and arguments, hundreds of baby formula lawsuits against the North Chicago company are now on shaky legal ground. Last week, Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer granted Abbott’s request for a summary judgement dismissing a lawsuit brought by Maryland mother Keosha Diggs that claimed using Abbott’s cow’s milk-based formula led to her baby developing necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, a serious and sometimes deadly gastrointestinal disease that primarily afflicts premature infants. * Sun-Times | Chicago cop who killed partner says he’s the victim in Wicker Park bar fight: When Baker’s friends came back inside and told him the woman was a police officer, he said he went outside to get her name and badge number and was “suddenly approached” by another woman, his girlfriend’s mother, who punched him in the left eye as his girlfriend stood nearby, according to the police report. […] The off-duty police officer who had recorded Baker filed her own police report, saying Baker and a woman had punched her repeatedly while in the bar’s vestibule after he pressured her to delete the videos. She was taken to Rush University Medical Center and got two stitches to repair a split lip, according to police sources. […] Meanwhile, the police department’s internal affairs bureau is investigating an accusation that Baker tried to get video of the altercation from a nearby business and that he said he was investigating the matter despite being on a leave of absence since the shooting. * WBEZ | The Uptown Theatre turns 100 with a new book and serious questions about its future: His new book, “The Uptown: Chicago’s Endangered Movie Palace” (CityFiles Press), is the closest available thing to a time machine. Available Aug. 18, the day the Uptown opened its doors to the public in 1925, the book features photographs — both archival, dating back to its earlier days, and those shot over recent years — that reveal the building’s grandeur. The images also tell the improbability of the theater’s survival. Designed as a temple to silent films, the 46,000-square-foot palace was built for maximum audiences. Next to a wide orchestra pit, the theater featured seating for more than 4,000 people who could exit onto Lawrence Avenue or Magnolia Street, while another 4,000 people could stream in after holding in the splendorous lobby. * Daily Southtown | Former Robbins police Chief Carl Scott pleads guilty to battery: Former Robbins acting police Chief Carl Scott pleaded guilty to battery charges Monday, reduced from aggravated battery, for allegedly attacking a man in July 2024. Cook County Judge Diana Kenworthy sentenced Scott to two years of probation and revoked his law enforcement certificate, prohibiting from working as a police officer, according to court records. Kenworthy dismissed all other charges against Scott, including official misconduct and theft. Kenworthy also ordered him to complete an anger management program and to avoid contact with the victim. * : In his resignation letter sent Thursday, Nohelty blamed certain board members for making his job difficult and targeting him with “harassment and bullying.” “The board president and certain board members have undertaken a smear campaign against me, riddled with baseless allegations, innuendo, and repeated threats of investigation and discharge,” the letter said. Nohelty said at one point, a board member pointed out his being a white man in a majority Black district as a reason he had to leave. * Daily Herald | ‘Let’s get this done’: Challenge issued to close funding gap for Antioch Veterans Memorial: Supporters of a long-sought veterans memorial in Antioch hope a push to bridge the final funding gap will allow for a fall groundbreaking. Mayor Scott Gartner is challenging residents and others to contribute $100,000 to complete fundraising for what he described as a lasting tribute to local veterans. “We’re almost there and with one final push, we can begin construction on a memorial that will stand for generations,” Gartner said in a message to the community. * WTTW | Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source Gets $815M Upgrade: Elmie Peoples-Evans is the project manager responsible for choreographing the complex logistical, engineering and technical dance required to complete the project. “We started planning for this over 10 years ago,” said Peoples-Evans. “The upgrade came about as a way to take the existing APS facility to the next level. We wanted a brighter machine. They wanted to do different techniques and enhance the capabilities that we had. … We want to keep the APS as a world-leading machine.” * Tribune | Naperville’s Bob Odenkirk talks about being an everyman action hero — and a possible Disco Demolition movie: In town recently to promote his new movie “Nobody 2,” Odenkirk, who produced and stars in the film, talked about his dramatic turn to grittier roles, first in FX’s “Fargo” series and then as the scheming Saul Goodman in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” Being able to find the funny in those characters helped him find the balance between dark humor and extreme violence in the original “Nobody” (2021). “I’m not a handsome guy, or a young guy,” Odenkirk, 62, said recently in a conference room overlooking North Michigan Avenue. “I think I work well on the screen as a regular guy who has a certain amount of pressure he’s under.” * WCIA | EIU announces end of TV station’s affiliation with PBS: Eastern Illinois University has announced that it is ending its affiliation with PBS this fall amidst funding cuts to the broadcaster’s chief funder. Josh Reinhart, EIU’s Public Information Coordinator, said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that the decision was made after federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was discontinued following the passage of the federal Rescissions Act of 2025. Funding for the CPB will officially conclude on Sept. 30, the same day the university-run station WEIU-TV will end its affiliation. * WGLT | Town of Normal expands enterprise zone to encourage more business development: “We don’t have to look too far in our history where we had a local project unfortunately not check with us and was not included in the enterprise zone,” said council member Kevin McCarthy. “It cost them a pretty penny in sales tax and other potential incentives that we lost because they didn’t realize that their property was not in an enterprise zone.” The town removed nearly 100 acres of property deemed no longer likely to be developed in the zone and added 342.28 acres deemed likely to be. These added areas are generally in north and west Normal, as well as in Uptown. * WSIL | Ribbon cutting scheduled for Deaconess Illinois Clinic for Family Medicine at JALC: A ribbon cutting event is scheduled for August 20, at 11:30 a.m. for Deaconess Illinois Clinic for Family Medicine. The event will take place at Logan Fitness on the JALC campus. An open house will take place at 11:30 a.m. with remarks by speakers at noon. Light refreshments will also be served. * Bloomberg | Trump Widens Metal Tariffs to Target Baby Gear and Motorcycles: The new list includes auto parts, chemicals, plastics and furniture components — demonstrating the reach of Trump’s authority to use sectoral tariffs. That is separate from the executive power he invoked for his so-called reciprocal tariffs. “Basically, if it’s shiny, metallic, or remotely related to steel or aluminum, it’s probably on the list,” Brian Baldwin, a vice president of customs in the US at logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel International AG, wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “This isn’t just another tariff — it’s a strategic shift in how steel and aluminum derivatives are regulated.” * AP | NASA’s Webb telescope finds a new tiny moon around Uranus: Scientists think it hid for so long — even eluding the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its flyby about 40 years ago — because of its faintness and small size. Uranus has 28 known moons that are named after characters from Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. About half are smaller and orbit the planet at closer range. The new moon, still nameless, ups the planet’s total count to 29.
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What Illinois can learn from Texas (Updated)
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WMBD…
* Illinois isn’t alone here. Electricity costs are spiking nationwide. NPR…
[Note from Rich: That story belies the currently widespread claim that natural gas will solve the affordability problem.] * So, what lessons can Illinois take from Texas? Invest in battery storage. Bloomberg earlier this year…
* Inside Climate News last month…
* Rhythm Energy Blog…
This isn’t to say Texas is immune to rising energy costs altogether. Trump Administration cuts to federal tax credits for solar and wind may hinder renewable energy growth. But the state is showing that storage can help tame both prices and reliability risks. * Back to Illinois. Canary Media in June…
…Adding… Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers…
* More…
* Texas Tribune | Hundreds of old EV batteries have new jobs in Texas: Stabilizing the power grid: East of San Antonio in Bexar County, 500 electric vehicle batteries at the end of their automotive lives will soon be repurposed to provide energy storage for Texas’ electric grid, a California company, B2U Storage Solutions, announced last week. The batteries, housed in 21 cabinets the size of shipping containers, create a second life for the technology made from critical minerals, including lithium, nickel and cobalt, for another eight years, said Freeman Hall, co-founder and CEO. * Chron | Energy company unveils 100MW South Texas battery storage facility: Yet another battery storage facility is operational and adding energy capacity in Texas. Apex Clean Energy, a Virginia company that has already planted seeds in the Lone Star State, announced this week that its 100-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) in Hidalgo County is up and running. […] Texas is ranked second in the nation behind California in battery storage; as of September, the state had about 4,832 MW of energy inside batteries. * Bloomberg | How Big Batteries Could Prevent Summer Power Blackouts: When power demand peaked around 4:30 in the afternoon, almost half of the electricity on the grid was coming from renewables, according to the energy analytics platform GridStatus.IO. As the sun set, battery banks that had been soaking up electrons in the heat of the day stepped up to cover 8% of demand, keeping power flowing.“Batteries are very good at handling these types of events,” said Andrew Gilligan, director of commercial strategy at Fluence Energy Inc., a battery developer with three storage sites in Texas. “Things have gotten a lot better than a couple years ago.”
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Democratic press release…
The bill was signed into law last week. * Republican press release…
* The Question: On a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the most likely and 1 being the least likely, how would you rate the chances of this legislation being a success in eliminating a substantial number of school mandates? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Meanwhile… in Opposite Land
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Starting off with Oklahoma. AP…
More from USA Today…
Last month, two state board members said they saw explicit images of women displayed in Superintendent Walters’ office during a closed-door meeting. Fox 23…
* Nevada…
* The Texas Tribune…
* Bloomberg…
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It’s now a law
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Frank Main and Tom Schuba at the Sun-Times…
* More from the governor’s press release…
* Fox News…
* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…
* WAND…
* Sen. Karina Villa…
* WGLT…
* WAND…
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IPA: SB40 With Energy Storage Will Slash Sky-High Electric Bills
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Consumers across Illinois are seeing massive increases in their bills because of inadequate energy supplies and rising demand. And yet a tool that numerous studies have shown could have averted some of these increases now and in the future, battery energy storage, waits for legislative action. Last session, without evidence, opponents claimed adding energy storage in Illinois would spike ratepayer bills. But no fewer than a half dozen studies in Illinois and across the country from groups like the Illinois Power Agency, Clean Grid Alliance and NRDC have shown that storage saves billions for ratepayers. The Facts:
- ComEd customers would save “from $1.52/month to $2.32/month by 2030 and $7.89/month to $8.52/month by 2035.” The facts don’t lie – consumers are seeing the cost of doing nothing in their spiking electric bills NOW. Adding energy storage to Illinois’s electric grid will save consumers billions. That’s why CUB is asking lawmakers to pass SB40 as the best way “to contain costs for electric customers while managing unprecedented energy demand.” Illinois must follow the facts and enact SB40 this fall to deploy 6 gigawatts of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.
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Today’s number: 370
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Daily Herald…
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The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association: Protecting Working People & Fighting Trump’s Predatory MAGA Agenda
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Don’t be fooled by the same front groups, associations and companies that are backing Trump’s predatory MAGA agenda of raising prices, slashing Medicaid, and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, Food & Drug Administration, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They want Illinois to turn its back on people who have been harmed by the negligence and malfeasance of big corporations, and wrongly believe our state can’t be pro-worker and pro-business. The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association is proud to stand with state elected officials who are aggressively fighting Trumpian policies and those who support them. While the federal government and other states abandon their responsibilities to protect Americans from preventable harms, Illinois is a beacon in the nation’s dark night, showing what responsible government looks like. Our state balances the needs of business with workers’ rights and consumer protections to create opportunities for everyone to thrive, not just the wealthy and well-connected. Trial lawyers will always fight for working people and the most vulnerable, helping them to receive justice and holding corporate wrongdoers accountable. For more information about the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, click here.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Energy prices become huge issue to tackle for Illinois lawmakers next session. WMBD…
- The biggest issue identified was data centers. These large buildings power AI technology, requiring an immense amount of power. A spokesperson for ComEd said he’s had requests from data centers that could take gigawatts worth of energy off the grid. - Ideas discussed during the committee include battery storage, additional nuclear power plants and legislation that would require data centers to build their own power plants. * Related stories… * Former gubinatorial candidate Darren Bailey teases another run against Gov. Pritzker…
* WBEZ | Illinois joins federal lawsuit against Trump plan to withhold crime victim funding: The lawsuit filed in Rhode Island is the latest in a series of clashes between Illinois, which has positioned itself as a “sanctuary” state for those without legal status, and the federal government. Under Illinois’ TRUST Act, police are greatly limited in how they cooperate with federal authorities for the purpose of immigration enforcement, and Trump’s move puts more than $50 million at risk for the state. * Ira Weiss | A personal plea for JB Pritzker to forgo a third term: The governor has announced he’ll seek a third term. Yet many of us in the business community sense his heart isn’t fully in it. We know he’s considering a run for president, and we understand why: He’s talented, ambitious and has a national vision. If he runs for president, I will likely vote for him just as I voted for him multiple times as governor. But running a state like Illinois — a state that, for all its assets, faces serious structural challenges — requires undivided attention. And right now, we are not convinced that a third term is about Illinois. * Fox News | ‘Slap in the face’: Major blue state governor signs bill opening financial aid to illegals: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a major Democratic leader and rumored presidential candidate, signed a bill into law opening student financial aid to all residents, regardless of immigration status, opening a pathway for illegal immigrants residing in the state to receive educational financial benefits. The move was slammed by conservative Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., as rewarding illegal immigrants and a “slap in the face” to Illinois families and students. The bill purports to establish “equitable eligibility for financial aid and benefits” for all students in the state. * Crain’s | CPS seeks $1 billion of short-term debt as cash gone: A delay in local property-tax bills is exacerbating Chicago Public Schools’ cash crunch, leading the junk-rated district to rely more on short-term borrowing. The school system plans to seek authorization to issue $1.25 billion in tax-anticipation notes. For the first time in three years, the district closed the fiscal year ending on June 30 with a negative net cash position, according to budget documents. Making matters worse, it’s unclear when property-tax collections, originally due on Aug. 1, will arrive. * Sun-Times | UChicago gets federal grant to expand U.S. semiconductor, chip production: The announcement comes just weeks after President Donald Trump said he would impose a 100% tariff on computer chips, raising the specter of higher prices for electronics, autos, household appliances while trying to spur more domestic production. * Sun-Times | Thunderbirds ‘clearly’ caused sonic booms at Chicago Air and Water Show practice, expert says: Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) said residents have told him the boom was louder than any they had ever heard at an air show. He said the window damage was primarily confined to the first floors of four residential high-rises along the lakefront: 3180, 3600 and 3950 North Lake Shore Drive and 4200 N. Marine Drive. Lawson said he has advised residents and managers of those buildings to file a claim with the city because the Air and Water Show was a “city-sponsored” event. * Crain’s | Sterling Bay puts its only finished Lincoln Yards building up for sale: It’s unclear what prompted the duo to hire brokers to sell the property, and spokesmen for Sterling Bay and J.P. Morgan declined to comment. A Harrison Street spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. But the listing comes as the developers face an imminent deadline to pay off a $125 million construction loan — also from Bank OZK — they used to build the structure. That mortgage is due to mature next month, though the sale offering has not come at the direction of the lender, according to sources familiar with the property. * Sun-Times | Eileen O’Neill Burke’s top aide out at state’s attorney’s office after just 8 months: O’Neill Burke credited the resigning First Assistant State’s Attorney Anna Demacopoulos’ “tireless efforts on behalf of the people of Cook County” in an email to her staff. “Anna Demacopoulos stepped away from a thriving private practice in order to utilize her legal expertise to help stabilize the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office and implement innovative and needed restructuring,” O’Neill Burke wrote of the former judge and prosecutor. “Now that those restructures are complete, Anna is resigning her position as First Assistant and returning to her private practice.” * Daily Southtown | Court orders former Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau to stop posting, remove information from blog: Cook County Judge Kate Moreland granted a temporary restraining order Aug. 7 barring Pekau from publishing “future statements disclosing the village’s attorney-client privileged communications and confidential non-public information contained in village personnel files,” and ordered he remove any publications of such information. Moreland denied the village’s request that Pekau return village records containing confidential information and destroy copies of the records. She also denied their request for Pekau to “itemize the ways in which he has published or distributed” confidential information and identify people to whom he gave the information. * NBC Chicago’s | The half-million-dollar superintendent: Up to today, Nohelty has been in charge of Dolton School District 148, which oversees 10 grade schools. He’s been there since 2016. In that time, his salary has nearly doubled. But during that same period, the district’s financial profile has fallen from the Illinois State Board of Education’s top rank to its lowest rank, and Dolton 148 is now the only public school district in Cook County on the Illinois State Board of Education’s “Watch List.” That spurred NBC 5 Investigates to start asking questions about a possible disconnect between Nohelty’s income, the district’s low financial status with the state, and the tax burden of the residents who pay his salary. No one, however, would talk to us, until Thursday afternoon. That’s when Nohelty’s attorney contacted NBC 5 to say that Nohelty retired from his job, effective immediately, citing “a smear campaign…. riddled with baseless allegations, innuendo and repeated threats of investigations and discharge” which he alleges is being orchestrated by the board’s new president. His attorney says Nohelty’s retirement has nothing to do with NBC 5’s inquiries. * ABC Chicago | Arlington Heights Village Board approves streaming subscription tax: The Village Board approved Monday night a new five percent tax on streaming entertainment subscriptions. The new tax will help pay for six new paramedics who will staff a fifth fire department ambulance. In addition, a one percent local grocery tax, which was set to expire at the end of the year, was extended by the board. * Tribune | Evanston commission corrects error after preventing citizens from speaking on controversial project: Commission officials acknowledged their error at the meeting, saying they had misinterpreted two conflicting government codes. They rescheduled the hearing for Aug. 27. The building has been controversial because in addition to its proposed 31 stories and 331 feet in height, some have spoken about density, parking and potential wind issues at its proposed site in downtown Evanston at 605 Davis St. The proposal calls for 430 apartment units and 80 on-site parking spaces, with an agreement proposed for 120 more at a city-owned garage. * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan casino opens poker room ahead of schedule; ‘We decided not to wait’: American Place and Waukegan officials cut a ribbon to officially open the casino’s six-table Harbor Poker Room Saturday in Waukegan adding another activity as its profitability continues to grow. Before the poker room opened this month, American Place owner Full House Resorts released its second-quarter earnings report with record net revenue and operating profit for American Place. Babinski also met with city officials several times to discuss plans for the permanent facility. * Daily Herald | Naperville teachers rally again as strike threat looms: NEUA President Ross Berkley, however, said going on strike is not a foregone conclusion. The last time the union took similar action, in 2021, a strike was averted when both sides reached an agreement, Berkley said. “The gaslighting of the teachers and the community needs to stop,” Berkley said before Monday’s school board meeting. “This is always and always will be about our students, and the district is being disingenuous about its information.” * ABC Chicago | Federal mediator to assist negotiations between Naperville School District 203, teachers: “We have the number one academically performing district as far as student performance goes as unit districts in the state of Illinois. Our compensation does not reflect that,” Naperville Unit Education Association President Ross Berkley said. “The union’s current proposal is simply not sustainable. If we were to accept their proposal, our board would have to make tough choices that would directly impact you and your families,” said Naperville 203 Board President Charles Cush. * NBC Chicago | Relentless rain leads to major flooding, street closures in Chicago suburbs: Flood warnings were issued for portions of DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and LaSalle counties, with the National Weather Service saying flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. […] A flood watch was issued for nearly the entire Chicago area until 4 a.m. The NWS reported numerous streets were closed or covered with significant standing water. * Capitol News Illinois | Billboard promoting far-right group Proud Boys springs up in southern Illinois: A billboard rising from a Clinton County cornfield near Breese that appears to be a recruiting tool for the Proud Boys — a far-right extremist group tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol — has touched off outrage in the small southern Illinois community. The sign is located at Old U.S. Route 50 and St. Rose Road, about 1,000 feet from the entrance to Central Community High School. It lists a local phone number for people to call. Repeated calls to a phone number on the recruiting billboard went to a voicemail that is full. * WGLT | Origin unknown for ‘March on Bloomington’ flyers with swastika imagery: The flyers’ message reads, “We have the White House, Congress, the courts, and the Bloomington Mayor,” and refers to taking back the state while calling for a march in Bloomington-Normal on Aug. 30, from Miller Park to the downtown farmers market. It urges participants to proudly wear military or patriotic organization colors. The flyers claim “the time of ‘not in our town’ is over” and they are claiming Illinois for “REAL CITIZENS.” […] The City of Bloomington said it’s aware of the “inflammatory flyers” and is “looking into the matter.” * WCIA | ADA shortcomings in Mattoon leads city to step up: A paralyzed man in Mattoon says he’s tired of accessibility problems at the train station. Recently, Amtrak told him the elevator wasn’t working when he needed to get to an appointment… But a good Samaritan made sure he could make it. Mattoon’s City Manager Kyle Gill saved the day and made sure everything was working properly to help 48-year-old Christopher Cunningham travel safely to Chicago. But the advocacy doesn’t stop here for Gill and Cunningham. They said the situation has brought up another conversation for the city to have with others. * WGLT | Town of Normal will expand electric vehicle infrastructure with help from Ameren Illinois: The funding allocated to Normal will allow it to potentially install EV charging stations at priority locations and participating businesses and organizations, as well as develop a plan to expand the amount of EVs in Normal’s own fleet vehicles. The partnership also wants to educate the public and businesses about EVs. Eric Sackett, senior manager of beneficial electrification and business development of Ameren Illinois, said they hope more people will learn EVs could be accessible to them, with the planned launch of an EV outreach and education program from Normal. * WGLT | Bloomington seeks solutions to ‘missing middle’ housing gaps: Bloomington city leaders continue to explore potential methods for addressing the “missing middle” portion of the city’s housing shortage, as the administration seeks guidance on possible zoning and subdivision code changes. “We see this as a potential piece in the housing puzzle. This is not going to solve all of our housing problems,” City Manager Jeff Jurgens said at the outset of a 50-minute discussion during Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting with city council members. * Semafor | Red-state Republicans’ next promise: No property taxes: Yet Republicans who want to end property taxes have a big problem on their hands — namely, a lack of alternative funding that could replace lost revenue for popular public services that the taxes pay for. Efforts to end property levies with ballot measures have floundered for the same reason, and some politicians who pitch abolition face related accusations that eliminating property taxes will inevitably lead to higher sales taxes. But those risks haven’t stopped an anti-tax campaign that sees property taxes as inherently unfair from gaining momentum in a party that likes the idea of slashing voters’ more visible tax bills. Republicans like DeSantis have warned of homes lost to unelected assessors. Grassroots groups have found new recruits for once-obscure ax-the-tax efforts. * WaPo | Defying RFK Jr., pediatric group urges covid shots for young kids: The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tuesday urged parents to get their youngest children vaccinated for covid, part of a broader effort by medical organizations to bypass Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his criticism of broadly administering coronavirus vaccines.
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Open thread
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Aug 19, 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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