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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Talk to y’all on Monday! Get outside and enjoy the weekend…
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Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell announces his retirement (Updated x3)
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R Reporter Patrick Keck…
* Sheriff Campbell’s full statement…
…Adding… WAND reporter Caryn Eisert…
…Adding… Governor’s office…
* WCIA…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Governor JB Pritzker…
* Federal Communications Commission…
* NBC Chicago political reporter Mary Ann Ahern…
* WBBM | Illinois salon professionals training to recognize signs of domestic violence: In order to get or renew their licenses, Illinois law requires cosmetologists to receive one hour of training on how to recognize when their clients might have suffered domestic violence. “We teach them how to identify victims or potential victims and then [provide] them with the resources they can share,” Alcorn-Catena said. “We want to have a cosmetologist pass along to their client information about our agency so that that victim can make educated choices about how to seek help safely.” * Capitol News Illinois | State now has blueprint for K-12 schools to teach dangers of overdose: The Illinois State Board of Education published the resource guides in accordance with a law passed in 2023. While a school’s use of any of the state’s resource guides is voluntary, some public health advocates consider the creation of the guides a step in the right direction. Administrators and educators can download age-appropriate presentations, lesson plans or fact sheets. * Sun-Times | Why isn’t Chicago housing hotline working?: A taxpayer-funded Chicago nonprofit oversees a housing hotline to help people like Nayra. Homeless. In crisis. Needing help to navigate government and get on a waiting list for subsidized housing. And, because of her age, she should be able to get a spot on a priority list to get that housing through the Chicago Housing Authority and other government agencies. But, since the end of June, the hotline that’s been aiding hundreds of people in Chicago every month has been down. And it’s unclear when it might be back, leaving some of the city’s most vulnerable residents on their own. * Crain’s | Kathy Byrne, mayor’s daughter and plaintiffs’ attorney, dies: Byrne focused on asbestos and mass tort litigation at Cooney & Conway, a plaintiffs’ law firm, where she spent her entire career. Soon after beginning as a clerk in the late 1980s during law school at Loyola University Chicago, her interest in asbestos and its connection to the cancer mesothelioma was stirred by a book based on a series of articles in The New Yorker about the asbestos industry’s legal exposure. * Crain’s | Ford’s Chicago plant has withstood recessions and a pandemic. Can it survive what’s next?: No other factory in Ford’s portfolio has been in continuous operation longer than the one on Torrence Avenue at 126th Street. Along the way, the plant has produced everything from the Gran Torino and the Granada to the Thunderbird and the Taurus. “There aren’t very many (plants) that make it to this age,” says Kristen Dziczek, a veteran auto industry researcher who is a policy adviser to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. “They’ve continued to invest in that plant. There are a lot of plants in the 60- to 80-year-old range . . . and a handful that are over 80.” * WTTW | Transportation Officials Tout Massive Overhaul of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive – But Some Lawmakers, Advocates Aren’t Sold: Asked for their take on pushback from an array of elected officials – as well as advocacy groups like Active Transportation Alliance, Better Streets Chicago, Metropolitan Planning Council, Sierra Club and more – Redefine the Drive planners said Thursday’s meeting was an opportunity to address their concerns. “This is part of why we’re here today is to listen more and to gather feedback,” said CDOT’s Dave Miller. “We’ve been briefing a lot of the folks we’ve been hearing from, trying to help (them) understand — there’s a lot of counterintuitive aspects of this project. There’s a lot of non-intuitive things.” * Block Club | Block Club Chicago Is Hosting Its First Block Party, With Live Music, Local Vendors And More: Our nonprofit newsroom is hosting a huge block party noon-8 p.m. Sept. 7 just off The 606 at the McCormick YMCA, 1834 N. Lawndale Ave. in Logan Square — and you’re invited. The block party will have all the elements of a classic Chicago block party or street festival, with live music, food, beer, local vendors, kids’ activities, games and more fun. * Tribune | Got milkweed? Field Museum study shows how Chicago gardeners can help monarch butterflies: “The biggest thing is if you can, plant native milkweed species — ideally pesticide free,” said Karen Klinger, a geographic information systems analyst at the Field Museum and the study’s lead author. “The Illinois Native Plant Society has a great list of nurseries and plant sales. But also, very important too, is the range of blooming flowers that are blooming throughout the season. That will help monarchs as well as other pollinators.” * Sun-Times | Alex Nunes, Eagle Scout who loved helping others, dies at 28: “He was quiet, thoughtful, way smarter than he would ever let on, a good kid, the kind of kid who you could always count on to help, like the old joke about finding out who your friends are when you ask them to help you move,” his father said. Mr. Nunes was a member of the National Honor Society while attending Notre Dame College Prep in Niles. * Block Club | In The Cockpit With One Of Chicago Air And Water Show’s Newest Aerobatic Pilots: New participants in the annual air show include the Trojan Phlyers, “a group of aviation professionals dedicated to preserving the rich history of the North American Aviation Company’s T28 Trojan,” according to the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County officials planning how to spend millions in opioid-abuse funds; ‘This is a very complicated issue’: With $3.4 million in hand and another $5.6 million anticipated from agreements reached, Liz Nelson, the county’s opioid coordinator, said data is being collected to help guide the development of a strategic plan. Along with the money going to the county, cities with more than 30,000 people in the county — Waukegan, Gurnee, Buffalo Grove and Mundelein — will also receive funds to help victims of unintended or intentional opioid use. * Tribune | Former state revenue auditor latest charged in alleged PPP fraud: A Will County woman became the latest public employee charged in a sweeping investigation targeting Paycheck Protection Program fraud that has rocked several state agencies. The Illinois attorney general’s office announced the numerous felony charges against Shepale Hicks, of Monee, on Thursday, the same day she pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including money laundering, financial institution fraud, wire fraud and forgery. […] Authorities said that Hicks, who was then a revenue auditor for the state Department of Revenue, applied for two pandemic-era PPP loans meant to support struggling businesses, claiming she owned two businesses. She received payments in August 2020 and May 2021, totaling $41,665. * Daily Herald | Park district outlines plan for closing down Palatine Stables: Based on its review of the Structural Condition Assessment Supplemental Report, the park board stands by its decision to cease operations at the stables, located near Northwest Highway and Dundee Road, by Nov. 30. The park district’s release also contains a timeline for phasing out activities at the stables, which the park district has owned for nearly 40 years. * Western Illinois University | An Update on WIU’s Financially Sustainable Future: As part of the cost-containment strategy, 57 faculty (40 Unit A and 17 Unit B) and 32 staff positions will be eliminated, affecting a range of departments and roles. With a focus on maintaining high-quality academic programs, excellent services and engaging on-campus experiences, the University has made every effort to minimize the impact on students. * Illinois Federation of Teachers | Union Criticizes WIU’s “Plan” to Lay Off Nearly 90 More Faculty and Staff: Merrill Cole, president of the WIU Chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois (UPI Local 4100), issued the following statement. “We are angry and deeply disappointed by this administration’s decision. Despite their lofty goals and compassionate rhetoric at Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, Interim President Mindrup and her team have chosen to devastate futures, families, and communities rather than devise a real solution to address WIU’s fiscal challenges. * NBC Chicago | Jail video shows ex-deputy charged with Sonya Massey’s murder making comments about charges: The new jail booking video, obtained by NBC 5 Investigates through a Freedom of Information Act request, was recorded on July 17 as Grayson is being booked into the Menard County jail, one day before his first court appearance on charges related to the fatal shooting. Nearly 90 minutes into the video, Grayson is talking with a Menard County deputy about the jail’s low inmate population – which is currently only 5 inmates – when he says: “Well, this whole SAFE-T Act bullsh*t … that’s why hopefully I’ll be out tomorrow,” referring to his initial appearance on July 18. Grayson has remained in custody. * WCIA | Rantoul native turned NASA engineer speaks on Artemis mission: The Champaign-Urbana Astronomical Society welcomed NASA engineer Ken Jacobs back to Central Illinois. […] Artemis One, which launched in 2022, is just one of the things Jacobs talked about. He used it to explain future plans down the road at NASA. The plan with Artemis is to eventually put the first woman and person of color on the surface of the moon. And eventually, put mankind on Mars. * The 21st Show | Inside the Illinois State Fair: A conversation with manager Rebecca Clark: In the past few days, the State Fair got underway for another year. Today, we are talking with some of the leading forces behind the fair. The fair manager joined our host, Brian Mackey, to talk about what is new at the fair this year. * Capitol City Now | The Mobile Museum of Tolerance is back at the Illinois State Fair: Director of the Mobile Museum of Tolerance (MMOT) Jacqueline Carroll talks with Joey McLaughlin about the MMOT’s appearance at the Illinois State Fair. The MMOT is the brainchild of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which fights hatred and intolerance globally. * BND | Will Illinois get a permanent black bear population? Here’s what experts say: Illinois does not have a plan to reintroduce black bears to its wilderness, a state conservation police officer said, but he expects there will be a breeding population in the state “a considerable ways down the road” when female bears migrate to Illinois. For now, there are just lone males roaming southern Illinois like the bear seen in the metro-east this week and another one in southern Illinois in July, according to Illinois Conservation Police Officer Don Schachner.. * Powell Tribune | After getting caught fabricating quotes, Cody reporter resigns: A reporter at the Cody Enterprise resigned on Friday, after the Powell Tribune confronted him with evidence indicating that he’d fabricated some of the quotes that appeared in several of his stories. In an interview just prior to his resignation, Aaron Pelczar conceded that the quotes may have been made up by an artificial intelligence tool he was using to help write his articles. To date, seven people — ranging from Gov. Mark Gordon to the victim of an alleged crime — have indicated to the Tribune that they didn’t make the statements Pelczar quoted them as making. The Tribune also found a number of other quotes that were altered in some way or attributed to the wrong person. * The American Prospect | Florida Invests in Catastrophe: As flooding persists with regularity and warming waters facilitate increasingly severe hurricanes, the state has pursued a deregulatory approach to resuscitate its death-spiraling property insurance market. Not only have carriers fled Florida in droves, but numerous others have become insolvent amid climate catastrophe. In a bid to entice insurers to continue providing property insurance coverage, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature have implemented a series of reforms aimed at protecting consumers and reducing insured losses by clamping down on social inflation, the name the industry gives to perceived cultural factors that drive increases in monetary awards in litigation.
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The cicadapocalypse continues: Illinois Liquor Control Commission fines brewery for cicada-infused Malört
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Hospitality Business Association of Chicago…
I’ve reached out to the Liquor Control Commission for more information. I’ll let you all know if I hear back.
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Today’s must-read
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ProPublica and Capitol News Illinois…
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News coverage roundup: Lightfoot’s Dolton investigation reveals a 3.6 million spending deficit
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * CBS Chicago… Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is leading the investigation into Henyard. Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, in April, agreed to investigate the claims about the misuse of public funds—which Henyard has repeatedly denied. A community packed a special village meeting to hear firsthand what Lightfoot uncovered. The crowd gasped when the revelations were announced—and many were left furious, and further questioning where their tax dollars are going. […] A limited examination of the books revealed that as of May 31, 2024, the Dolton Village General Fund had a negative balance of $3.65 million. Folks shook their heads in disbelief as Lightfoot—the special investigator hired by village trustees—showed there are simply no checks and balances with the records she found. * FOX 32…
* WGN…
* NBC Chicago…
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Open thread
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: ‘Worker Freedom of Speech Act’ hit with lawsuit from libertarian group. Capitol News Illinois…
* Related stories…
∙ Center Square: Lawsuit against ‘Worker Freedom of Speech Ac At 2:30 pm Governor Pritzker will be at Navy Pier to give remarks at Chicago Navy Week. Click here to watch. * WICS | No hearings held for reported police misconduct, over 300 Illinois officers affected: In 2023, over 300 officers were placed on the Officer Professional Conduct Database by law enforcement agencies. ILETSB told me they haven’t held any hearings on any of reported officers. They told me staffing isn’t in place to hold hearings. […] ILETSB told me the hearings were part of several changes required by the Safe-T Act’s passage in 2022. They plan to start holding hearings officers reported to the database by the Fall of 2024 and are currently looking for a qualified staff and lawyers at this time, needing two more people, said ILETSB. * Belt Mag | America’s Largest Inland Port is Running Out of Water: The booming city of Joliet is running out of water. For one hundred and fifty years, the city has been among the handful of other municipalities across the Chicagoland region that has extracted water from an underground aquifer system connected to Lake Michigan. Water is stored deep underground between layers of bedrock that can reach hundreds of feet deep. To retrieve the water, a drilling system is used to press down on the sandstone aquifer, releasing the pressure and forcing water up into a well — much like the act of squeezing a sponge. More than a century ago, the aquifer system was reportedly so full that water would shoot up above ground without even having to be drilled and pumped. But for the last hundred years, Chicagoland cities have been extracting way more water than has been naturally replenished. * Capitol News Illinois | With new federal waiver, Illinois expanding Medicaid to nonmedical services: The new waiver adds three new categories of services that will be covered under the Illinois Medicaid program for individuals who qualify. But state officials estimate it will take at least a year to get the new services up and running. The first and most far-reaching of those covers “health-related social needs,” or HRSN services. That includes such things as housing and food assistance for Medicaid enrollees who either have or are at risk of developing costly chronic health conditions and who have a documented need for such services. * WTTW | Advocates Hope New Illinois Law Helps Lower Maternal Mortality Rate for Black Women: Last Monday, Gov. J.B. Prtizker signed the Birth Equity Act that will require Illinois-based health insurance to cover abortion care without co-pays and deductibles, including coverage of abortion medications. And it will cover services such as doulas, lactation consultants and midwives. “This bill was about equity. It was about saving lives and righting the wrongs of history of the high numbers of African American who were dying at the table, or their babies were dying, or families choosing who to live during a moment you should feel safe,” said state Sen. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago). * SJ-R | Pritzker signs 3 bills to enhance abortion protections in Illinois. What you need to know: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case against Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA in June, which permits doctors to provide abortion services during medical emergencies. Democratic lawmakers pushed the legislation that would codify the federal law in case the nation’s high court overturned EMTALA. With Pritzker’s signature, the state is now prepared if the challenge was heard by the Supreme Court at a later date. * Center Square | Illinois expanding the Film Production Services Tax Credit: Illinois Production Alliance Executive Director Christine Dudley said an economic impact study shows that the film tax credit is paying off. “For every dollar spent on the tax credit, seven dollars is generated into the economy, so that is a return on investment and really speaks to the success of the program,” said Dudley. Dudley said approximately 94% of current film and television production in Illinois is a byproduct of the film tax credit. * WAND | Pritzker, state leaders cut ribbon for 2024 Illinois State Fair: “From the 800 seat big top circus in Happy Hollow to the Ninja Warrior obstacle course just outside the coliseum, or the brand new Fairytales on Ice performance in the air-conditioned Orr Building, the Illinois State Fair is your home to family friendly entertainment,” said State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. * Capitol City Now | Let the fair begin!: A question-and-answer between reporters and the governor, noting that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, which state – Illinois or Minnesota – has a better state fair. “First of all, we have the better state,” answered Pritzker. “I have to say that we have been working hard to make our state fair the best state fair in the country, and I want to make sure we have the attendance of any state fair in the country. I haven’t looked at the numbers for Minnesota, but don’t miss this state fair!” * WJBC | Twilight Parade wraps up day one of Illinois State Fair: Illinois 4-Hers are the grand marshals of the 2024 Illinois State Fair. Avani Rai, who is about to be a sophomore at Harvard, says 4-H has kept her busy, and the organization is not exclusively about farming. “This past year, I got to serve as one of four national spokespeople for the organization,” said Rai. “As a youth advocacy member, I was able to really, really get involved with the fact that 4-H is a beautiful intersection of so many different things, from STEM to healthy living to agriculture to civic engagement. And that’s what 4-H is all about: giving youth as many opportunities as possible to find their passion in whatever they’re interested in.” * Tribune | With Democratic National Convention imminent, groups exchange barbs over planned pro-Palestinian protests: The USPCN is among four groups that have been in protracted discussions with the city over a proposed protest route. Together they sued the city in federal court in an effort to secure protest routes within “sight and sound” of the convention. A protest is planned as early as hours before the gavel drops to open the convention. Discussions about the route have apparently hit an impasse; protesters have said that the city’s proposed route onto side streets would cause logjams, while the city said protesters’ request to march along Washington Boulevard is untenable — it would take them through an intersection that is set to be blocked by a security checkpoint. * Tribune | On eve of DNC, a summit that centers racial equity will bring together elected officials and community leaders: For years, the Journey for Justice Alliance has been pushing its Equity or Else quality of life campaign, a platform centered on addressing basic needs for those living in poverty and in marginalized communities through policy initiatives. From listening sessions to town halls and news conferences on the steps of Congress, J4J’s national network of grassroots community organizations worked locally and nationally to secure anti-racist legislation and policies in dozens of cities. J4J’s two-day summit in Chicago will start with a luncheon for Black mayors and grassroots leaders, immediately followed by the National Racial Equity Summit convocation on Aug. 18. On Aug. 19, J4J will host the Education Justice Study Tour, a visit to sustainable community schools. * Sun-Times | Views from the front lines of Chicago’s 1968 DNC protests; Grant Park ‘free-for-all’: The 1968 Democratic National Convention helped sway public opinion of the Vietnam War and the draft, highlighted the need for police reform, forced journalists to rethink their trust in government sources and ushered in a new era in social and political activism. * WBEZ | A wealthy family backed out of its scholarship commitments. Now a mutual aid network is filling in the gap: Without that money, South Side native Marcus Jackson worried his parents would have to sacrifice even more than they do already to help him pay for his junior year at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. He was planning to take on a third job. Now Jackson said he doesn’t have to do that, thanks to a mutual aid network set up on Instagram by former Schuler staffers to connect students with members of the public who can provide financial assistance. Students can submit requests for help, which counselors verify and post to the Instagram page, along with where students are attending college, what they are studying, their unmet financial need — and how to send them money. Some of the posts include notes from students explaining why they need help. * WBEZ | South Shore residents are fed up with garbage on their streets: An analysis by WBEZ found that over the past five years, South Shore racked up more reports of sanitation code violations than any other South Side community. Citywide, only Austin, West Town and Lincoln Park have had more complaints lodged. Despite the group’s best efforts, the litter won’t go away and it’s unclear who can help. The violations are recorded through calls to 311, the city’s nonemergency hotline. Last year there were 350 violations reported in South Shore alone. In 2021, there were as many as 651 violations reported. Compare that to the Loop, which this year has only recorded 26 complaints. Other South Side communities such as Avalon Park, Hegewisch, Hyde Park, Kenwood and Woodlawn have reported less than 100 sanitation complaints per year since at least 2019. * Sun-Times | Last piping plover at Montrose Beach — all alone after its siblings died and parents left — flies south for winter: They grow up so fast, don’t they? Nagamo, the lone surviving piping plover chick at Montrose Beach, headed south for the winter Thursday, according to the Chicago Piping Plovers, a volunteer group dedicated to protecting the birds. Its parents Imani and Searocket flew south days ago, leaving Nagamo, whose sex is still unknown, to survive on its own while it learned to fly and spent nights alone lullabied by the lapping waters of Lake Michigan. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County political leaders differ on permanent vote-by-mail ballots; ‘There’s tremendous concern for fraud’: County Clerk Anthony Vega said the number of people voting by mail has continued to increase with each election cycle, and he anticipates the trend to continue with the Nov. 5 election. “It’s super-convenient,” Vega said. “People can do their research at their leisure, and return the ballot several ways — in person, in a drop box and by mail.” Keith Brin, the Lake County Republican Central Committee chair, said allowing people to permanently request a mail ballot creates the potential for fraud. For example, he said, someone could move, another individual could make the residence their home and get a ballot not intended for them. * Daily Herald | Police, Woodfield remain tight-lipped as bold jewelry heist remains unsolved: Schaumburg police said the overnight crime Aug. 1 involved at least six people and was perpetrated by cutting through drywall in another occupied unit, then through a vacant unit in between, which allowed entry into the jewelry store itself. A construction worker entering the vacant unit at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2, saw and reported the damaged drywall. * Daily Herald | Volunteers help children pick out clothes during back-to-school shopping event in Elgin: While many groups in the community do “great things” with back-to-school backpacks, Reigner said the Elgin Corps wanted to do something else. “This allows us to be a little more personal and work with 25 kids and really help impact their back-to-school experience,” he said. * Daily Herald | ‘That’s my lucky puck!’: Trash or lost treasure? Sylvan Lake reveals curiosities and memories: With Sylvan Lake drawn down, curiosities of all kind have surfaced on the exposed shoreline and in some cases set out for all to see. “A lot of people have been walking around the lake,” said Dan Trahan, president of the Sylvan Lake Improvement Association and a lakefront resident. “We now walk the shoreline instead of on the street.” * Axios | Precision fermentation bubbles up in Illinois: Right now about 30% of all Illinois corn — about 274 million bushels a year — is sold by farmers for ethanol production, but that’s expected to drop as EV use increases. The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Tech Hub (iFAB), run by U of I, could help those farmers by creating new markets for their crops. * WCIA | Mosquitos test positive for West Nile virus in Ford County: The Ford County Public Health Department has found the area’s first mosquito to test positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in 2024. A batch of mosquitos from Piper City were tested on Thursday. Though no human cases have been reported in Ford County so far this year, the mosquitos were confirmed to have WNV. * WaPo | Summer covid surge hits at least 84 countries and continues to climb: Disease trackers sounded alarms that diminished testing and low vaccination rates could provide fertile terrain for more dangerous viral variants to take hold. “Covid-19 is still very much with us,” Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist, said at a news briefing Tuesday.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Aug 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for background if you need it. Rep. Ann Williams…
The full letter is here. * Sun-Times…
* Small victories…
* Brownfield AG News | Illinois soybean crop showing regional differences: The director of agronomy with the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) says the state’s soybean crop is showing some regional differences. Abigail Peterson says the western part of the state seems to be leading the way. […] She tells Brownfield central Illinois has seen some challenges. “Kind of a mixed bag. We saw some good planting dates, but then some later.” She says, “Some diseases are popping up cause we had those rain flushes and now we’re getting hot and humid. Japanese beetles are out there, but nothing hitting too many thresholds at the moment.” * WCIA | New IHSA rule limits baseball, softball players’ participation in All-Star games: The IHSA bylaws now limit high school baseball and softball players from playing in state All-Star games. The rule states that high school athletes can compete after their senior season ends. Previously, the rule only impacted high school athletes in football, basketball and volleyball. However, the change on July 1st now includes baseball and softball in the participation bylaw. * Tribune | Judge reverses courthouse ban of exoneree turned clerk after long cell phone squabble: A Cook County judge on Thursday rescinded an order that for more than nine months banned a Chicago exoneree who now works as a law clerk from the Leighton Criminal Court Building following a squabble over cell phone use in the courtroom. In a terse, one-sentence ruling, Judge Peggy Chiampas called up the docketed case for Robert Almodovar and said from the bench that she was rescinding the order and taking the matter off her call. * Jewish Insider | Pro-Israel group struggling to gain permit to rally at DNC — while pro-Palestinian groups got green light: The Israeli American Council, a nonprofit organization representing Israeli-Americans that seeks to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Israel, filed two applications with Chicago’s Department of Transportation at the beginning of July, according to Aya Schechter, the group’s chief programming officer. But with just under two weeks remaining until the convention, the IAC has yet to receive an answer from the city, despite following up via phone and email. The group had also submitted an application in mid-June for a stationary demonstration within “sight and sound” of the convention, which will be held at the United Center on Chicago’s West Side. That request was denied, according to a rejection letter, which said the proposed rally “would be a direct interference with a previously planned permitted activity or public assembly and would create public safety issues.” * Borderless Mag | City Officials Attempt To Allay Residents’ Fears As Partial Demolition Looms In Pilsen: During a recent community meeting at Dvorak Park, city officials from the Chicago Department of Buildings and Chicago Department of Public Health laid out plans to remove a structure at the Fisk Station, located in Pilsen’s Industrial Corridor. Under the demolition plan, city officials and contractors assured residents no implosion would be carried out at the coal plant that was retired amid pressure and health concerns from activists in 2012. […] Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige and other panelists assured residents there would be no implosion. The city labeled the demolition of the structure as “environmentally complex” due to its proximity to the Chicago River and the facility’s prior use, coal power generation, she said. * Tribune | Chicago White Sox fire manager Pedro Grifol — who had an 89-190 record — and 3 other coaches: “As we all recognize, our team’s performance this season has been disappointing on many levels,” said Chris Getz, White Sox senior vice president/general manager, in a statement. […] Grady Sizemore, 42, will serve as the interim manager; the team said the next manager will be announced at the end of the 2024 season. Sizemore, previously a major league coach with the Sox, was the a minor-league instructor with the Cleveland Guardians and coach with the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks last year. * Block Club | Bridgeport Skaters Built Their Own Park. Will The Man Let Them Keep It?: The skaters took it upon themselves to pour thousands of dollars’ worth of concrete in a secluded Stevenson Expressway underpass owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The underpass intersecting with South Loomis Street in Bridgeport — once filled with mounds of empty beer bottles and other trash — has been cleaned up and decked out with a series of handmade skate obstacles for neighbors to ride at their own risk, the skaters-turned-guerilla-architects said. The unofficial skate park is called Irish Banks. * ABC Chicago | Dolton deputy police chief reports to work one day after village board places him on leave: The village board voted Monday night to place the Dolton’s top cop on administrative leave only for him to defiantly return to work on Tuesday. The gray clouds over Dolton Village Hall Tuesday evening seemed fitting after Trustee Brittney Norwood described the financial woes that loom over Dolton, resulting in the board to vote Monday night to place Dolton Deputy Police Chief Lewis Lacey on administrative leave and lay off eight village employees. * Daily Southtown | Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones says overpayments cover his property tax backlog: Jones said Tuesday he planned to pay all of what he owes within the next 30 days. He said he believes he has adequate overpayments to cover those delinquencies, blaming his bank for the error from past years. Treasurers’ records show consistent overpayments between 2006 and 2022 totaling about $9,240. They also indicate he qualifies for at least $1,330 in refunds due to the overpayments made in the 2020, 2009 and 2007 tax years. * Crain’s | Chicago investment firm picks up Vernon Hills apartments for $28M: The deal appears to be a win for seller FPA Multifamily, a San Francisco firm that has been a major buyer of Chicago-area apartment buildings in recent months. FPA paid almost $24.6 million for the property in 2018, property records show. An FPA executive didn’t respond to a request for comment. * Crain’s | Shaq wants to open 6 new restaurants around Chicago: NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-casual chicken chain plans to open six new restaurants in the Chicago area. Big Chicken, founded in 2018, opened its first Illinois storefront in 2023 in Rosemont. The chain announced in July it would soon open a second Illinois location in Arlington Heights. Today, a Big Chicken representative told Crain’s plans are in place to bring the chain’s total Chicago-area location count to seven by the end of 2025. * SJ-R | Business forced to close after Adams Street fire nears reopening at new location: On July 15, the INB Benefit for the Businesses Affected by the Adams Family Fire fund distributed $15,750 in donations to seven businesses and 12 residents. The funds were collectively donated by community members, and a second round of donation checks will be distributed later in August. * Journal Courier | Study fuels ambitious Grafton Ferry expansion plans to boost tourism: Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow and resident George Andres, commander of a ferry task force, are mobilizing with the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation to move forward on next steps to expand Grafton Ferry service in the region. Morrow said one of his campaign promises was to support the Grafton Ferry to operate more hours and seven days a week. Grafton Ferry operates 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday through Sunday from April to November. Andres will oversee the implementation of recommendations from the state’s transportation needs assessment study. * SIU | $345K SIU study focuses on how to keep farmed largemouth bass from eating their own: In Southern Illinois, the market is growing, generating at least $3 million a year for local fish farmers with room for more, said Jim Garvey, director of the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at SIU and a co-leader of the study along with Habibollah Fakhraei, assistant professor of environmental engineering. The acceptance of largemouth bass as a food fish in live markets is relatively new, and raising them in high densities to maximize production in small ponds has presented challenges. […] With the fish living in such conditions, cannibalism can certainly take a bite out of the bottom line. Discouraging this behavior in largemouth bass is a challenge, Zaczek said. “Well, that’s something easier said than done,” he said. “The hope is the confined space and higher fish density will cause the fish to take to the feed better and eat more similarly, which also would encourage similar growth rates. They are less likely to eat each other if they are the same size.” * WICS | Visit the Piglets on Parade at the Illinois State Fair: The Birthing Center, which is sponsored by the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), allows fairgoers to see newborn piglets up close. Children will enjoy free goodies and paper pig ears as a memento of their visit. * Tribune | Costco to crack down on membership card-sharing: The major wholesale retailer will soon require shoppers to scan their membership cards via scanning devices at the entrance of each store, Costco said in a news release. Many Costco membership cards include a photo of the shopper, but for those that don’t, the store will require a valid photo ID along with the membership card. Those without a photo on their Costco membership card can also have a photo taken at the membership counter, according to the company. * AP | Third person dies in listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meat: Three people have now died in a listeria food poisoning outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats, federal food safety officials announced Thursday, and the overall number of people sickened rose to 43. The additional death happened in Virginia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release Thursday. The other two deaths were in New Jersey and Illinois. The CDC also said nine more cases were reported since a July 31 release about the outbreak, which started in late May.
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The beatings will continue until morale improves
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I tested positive for COVID this week (mild symptoms other than fatigue), but I wanted to do a quick post about this…
In government, you can’t just “blow everything up” and start all over because lots of people depend on government. What are DCFS kids supposed to do during a rebuilding? We learned these lessons the hard way during the Rauner years. * But nobody’s gonna die if Jerry Reinsdorf sells the White Sox to someone who cares. Rick Morrissey wrote a heck of a column this week about how horrible Reinsdorf has been…
The general manager needs to go, and the disastrous play-by-play announcer John Schriffen definitely needs to go. But nothing will really improve until ownership sells the team. Your own thoughts?
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Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Governor Pritzker invited Lee Enterprise Reporter Brenden Moore up for a “peace offering” after officially opening the Illinois State Fair…
* Moore chose ketchup…
* Moore is infamous for his love of ketchup…
The Question: What’s your favorite food at the State Fair?
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It’s showtime: 2024 butter cow unveiled
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R…
* More butter cow react from the ap formally known as Twitter…
* More…
* Center Square | Illinois commodity groups to address agricultural issues during state fair: “Ag Day is a really special day for us because we get the opportunity to interact with people who aren’t living on the farm and are really interested in learning more about food production and the economic impact of farming in Illinois,” said Lindsey Croke, director of Communications with the Illinois Corn Growers Association.
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Open thread
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker formally calls on sheriff to resign following Sonya Massey shooting. SJ-R…
- The sheriff once again stated his intent to stay on the force. - Three Sangamon County Board members, all Democrats, asked Campbell, a Republican, to resign last week. * Sangamon County Democratic Chair Bill Houlihan…
* Related stories…
∙ Sun-Times: Pritzker calls for sheriff’s resignation over Sonya Massey shooting ∙ ABC Chicago: Sheriff to continue in position despite Pritzker’s calls for resignation after Sonya Massey’s murder The governor has three events on his public schedule today:
11:15 am: The governor will open Illinois State Fair Conservation World 11:45 am: The Governor will attend and give remarks at County Fair Luncheon. * Sun-Times | Let’s pause to consider just how bizarre Jerry Reinsdorf’s White Sox are: What a peculiar franchise Jerry Reinsdorf’s Sox are. Built on resentment, weaned on stubbornness, fermented by inanity, the organization seems to enjoy thumbing its nose at fans. That the Sox don’t care what the fan base thinks is apparent in almost everything they do. * Oil Price | Exxon restarts Illinois refinery: Exxon has begun to restart some units at its refinery in Joliet, Illinois, after a three-week outage. The 251,800-bpd facility was shut down in the middle of July following a power outage caused by a storm. The refinery produces about 9 million gallons daily of gasoline and diesel. * Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs measures expanding reproductive health care protections: The latest laws add onto existing abortion rights in Illinois in three ways: protecting abortion patients from housing, workplace and other types of discrimination; shielding out-of-state patients from investigations launched beyond Illinois’ borders; and protecting patients who need emergency abortion care in the event that federal protection weakens. * Daily Herald | Senate transit forum Friday in DuPage lets riders share vision for trains, buses: Friday’s meeting is the third in a series of Transportation Committee forums across the region this summer. The topic is “the state of transit and how it supports community quality of life.” The meeting comes with a $730 million transit funding shortfall anticipated in 2026 when COVID-19 federal funding runs out. Ridership tanked during the pandemic and has not fully recovered. * NCSL | NCSL Welcomes New Executive Officers Elected at Annual Legislative Summit: Other newly elected officers: Illinois Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D), president-elect: Elected to the House in 2012, Evans serves as assistant majority leader and chairman of the Labor and Commerce Committee under House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. He has been actively involved with NCSL since 2016, serving on the Executive Committee, the Task Force on State and Local Taxation, the Task Force on Energy Supply and numerous others. * WBEZ | What to eat, see and do while attending the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago: When in Chicago, eating well is practically required. Start with this list of classic summertime treats — ice creams galore, a negroni slushy — perfect for cooling off in August. If you try only one thing, we recommend the signature stack from Original Rainbow Cone (locations in Streeterville and in Wicker Park, a 10 minute drive from the United Center). For late night bites after a long day of talking shop, check out Lilac Tiger or Quartino. Early risers should get one of the best breakfast sandwiches in town from Spinning J or Kasama. * Sun-Times | Cook County to open Bronzeville health center near old Michael Reese Hospital site: “This is a particularly poignant moment — we’re located here on 31st Street in the shadows of the old Michael Reese Hospital campus to announce a new investment in the health of residents on the South Side of Chicago,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said at a news conference Wednesday. Cook County Health and the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management will invest $10 million in the new 26,000-square-foot facility, Preckwinkle said. Once completed, the center will have 44 exam rooms and a gym for therapy services. * Sun-Times | Chicago could fill food desert with three-store network of city-owned grocery stores, consultant says: The new 200-page report from HR&A concludes Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to open a city-owned grocery store is “necessary, feasible and implementable.” Necessary because volatility in the grocery market has led to a wave of consolidations and store closings concentrated in South and West Side neighborhoods. * US Bets | Bally’s Chicago Casino Revenue Flat For July: The Illinois Gaming Board reported Bally’s temporary casino in downtown Chicago generated $10.4 million in adjusted gross revenue for July, practically unchanged from June as statewide numbers showed a slight month-over-month decline. The $135.8 million in operator winnings from the state’s 15 casinos was down 1.8% from June’s total of $138.3 million. Unadjusted revenue was up 1.9% from July 2023 but down 7.9% when excluding first-year venues, Bally’s Chicago and Walker’s Bluff. * Block Club | Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio Recording Studio Looks To Future After Iconic Owner’s Death: “We want to honor Steve’s legacy and keep his vision alive,” said Taylor Hales, Electrical Audio studio manager. “Steve and Electrical cast a big shadow, and I know that this place means so much to so many people that have made records here. All of us just love working here at this studio that Steve made, and we want to continue on this journey.” * Tribune | Chicago Bears training camp report: Coaches on Caleb Williams’ progress, a D’Andre Swift highlight and a kicker thinking about tackling: The Bears defense, which was missing five starters in practice, continues to look like it’s keeping the offense and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in check during practices. The Bears had a handful of completed passes and not many explosive plays in full-team periods. But offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said there are signs of progress from Williams that make the Bears think he’s moving closer to putting it all together. * Daily Herald | League of Women Voters — Not for women only! Wheaton chapter elects its first male president: Maury Goodman of Warrenville was elected as president of the Wheaton chapter, which serves Carol Stream, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton and Winfield, this summer. He will lead the chapter’s efforts to register and educate voters and encourage people to vote in the 2024 General Election and the 2025 Consolidated Election. Goodman is an emeritus scientist at Argonne National Lab and a retired U.S. Army Captain. He earned a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Illinois and a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His extensive public service resume includes five terms as an alderman in the City of Warrenville, 12 years volunteering as a troop leader with the Girl Scouts, and mentoring students from the Illinois Math and Science Academy. * ABC Chicago | Lori Lightfoot to release findings from investigation into Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard: Lightfoot will speak at a public meeting Thursday night following Monday’s chaotic board meeting. […] This all started back in March, when three former employees filed a lawsuit against Mayor Henyard, alleging they were wrongfully fired for refusing to do political work for Henyard. Lightfoot was then hired by village trustees to independently investigate her administration’s spending, including a lavish village-funded trip to Las Vegas last year. * PJ Star | Former Peoria Township Supervisor Frank Abdnour is running for the office once again: After losing reelection, Abdnour became a source of controversy after it was discovered that he had collected federal and state unemployment benefits after losing office. This is not allowed. […] Abdnour maintained it was an “honest mistake” and he did not know that public officials did not qualify for unemployment benefits after losing office. * WCIA | Arcola Broom Palace making progress: The mayor said the community is moving in the right direction for revitalizing the downtown area. Officials are hoping the Broom Palace will help bring in thousands of tourists each year. […] The outside of the Broom Palace is scheduled to be finished by the Arcola Broomcorn Festival on Sept. 6 – 8. The building is estimated to be done by the end of the year. * WSIL | Cobden Lions Club finishes prep for Peach Festival:: The Lions Club sent pictures to News 3 of its team working on a new pavilion that will house its “Spin to Win” game at this year’s festival. The pavilion features a large covering in case of weather and highlights a hand-made peach sculpture crafted by local artist Jackson Forge (Jack Nawrot) or Cobden. * WCIA | Burglar steals 35 guns, 10,000 rounds from Springfield storage unit: It happened on July 27 at Mansa Mini Storage, located at 2171 South 9th Street. Stolen firearms included AK-47s, handguns and shotguns. Detectives revisited the area on July 29 to continue the investigation, when they located a white man with shaggy brown hair. They said he looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s. Upon seeing the police, the man ran away. * AP | 2024 Olympics: What to know about the closing ceremony in Paris: The women’s basketball gold medal game is the last event before the closing ceremony. It’s scheduled to tip off at 8:30 a.m. CST at Bercy Arena. The closing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CST on Sunday at Stade de France just north of Paris. It’s expected to last until 4:15 p.m. CST.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What are y’all’s food recs for the DNC?…
* The top copi catchers…
If you’re curious you can try copi during the State Fair at Conservation World. * Sun-Times | Where Chicago DNC hosts will get the parties started: The Chicago 2024 Host Committee on Wednesday announced the locations of the three giant parties it is throwing to kick off the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention runs Aug. 19-22, with thousands of delegates and journalists expected to begin arriving the weekend before. * The Triibe | Chicago Police to get the bulk of $75 million in DNC security funds: The document states that $26.7 million of the DOJ funds will be spent on personnel. Of that, more than $17.6 million is allocated to CPD for personnel, including operations and training, as well as regular and overtime pay. The Fire Department will get $4.7 million for operational and personnel costs. The OEMC will receive nearly $800,000 for the event. Another $3.7 million is going toward “Asset Protection Personnel,” according to the budget document. In an emailed statement, the OBM said the Asset Protection Program “is typically a term used to describe strategies and measures implemented by governments to safeguard valuable assets from risks or loss.” However, OBM could not disclose whether the program is part of another agency or a standalone entity. * CBS Chicago | Chicago’s DNC Organizers Hosting Virtual Community Impact Meetings For Residents: These meetings come after neighbors who live near the United Center have said they’re concerned about the effect of all the tight security restrictions and large crowds. Police and the Secret Service addressed just those concerns. In July, officials unveiled the security perimeters around both the United Center and McCormick Place during the DNC. The secure areas for the convention are divided into a vehicle-screening perimeter and a pedestrian-restricted perimeter. * Tribune | Chicago business owners unsure if they’ll see DNC business boost: Owner Rick Cheng speculated that diners might be trying to avoid the area during the Democratic National Convention. The Oyster House, at 1933 S. Indiana Ave., is located within the security perimeter outside of McCormick Place. […] Cheng said that typically people booking private parties during other large conventions book reservations months in advance. For the DNC, during which Chicago expects 50,000 visitors to descend upon the city, Cheng said, “We got nada.” * Block Club Chicago | Illinois Black Panther Party Honored In New Exhibit Ahead Of DNC: When the Democratic National Convention came to Chicago in 1968, the Illinois Black Panther Party was just beginning. That August 56 years ago, Bobby Rush, Bob Brown and Fred Hampton came together to found the party’s Chicago chapter. Now — ahead of another Democratic National Convention in the Windy City — the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., and the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party are honoring the Illinois chapter’s history of Black political struggle in a new exhibit. * Injustice Watch | Rising rents, unlivable apartments leave tenants desperate, confused, and often helpless: An Injustice Watch investigation found thousands of lower-income renters in Chicago are trapped in unsafe buildings, forced to pay rising rents, even as many landlords are allowed to shirk their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, warm, and free of rats. * People’s Fabric | “Y’all jump out on us every day”—Tactical team that killed Dexter Reed was involved in a shooting 24 hours earlier: The new videos from March 20 show the squad who killed Reed rolling through the same West Side neighborhood with another unmarked police SUV. Nine plainclothes tactical officers stop and hop out of their vehicle to search a man sitting in a chair on the sidewalk, citing a “large bulge” in his waistband on their investigatory stop report. Cops ultimately found nothing. Within seconds, however, the encounter turned fatal—not for a human, but somebody’s pet. Body-worn camera videos activated after the fact capture, without audio, officer Michael Ambrose pumping multiple rounds into a gray pit bull who approached him excitedly. * Crain’s | Climate change is slowing moves from the Snow Belt to Sun Belt: The implications for Chicago and other cold-climate cities are obvious in a study that says “the U.S. population is starting to move away from areas increasingly exposed to extreme heat days toward historically colder areas, which are becoming more attractive as extreme cold days become increasingly rare.” * Crain’s | American Bar Association names new president: Thompson Coburn partner Bill Bay has been tapped as the next president of the Chicago-based American Bar Association. Having served as chair of the ABA house of delegates and chair of the ABA section on litigation, Bay brings experience to the role, which he assumed yesterday following the close of the ABA house of delegates meeting in Chicago. He replaces Mary Smith. * Block Club | Cellphone Thefts Ruin Lollapalooza For Some, But Fest Arrests Down: The music festival, which ran Thursday-Sunday in Grant Park, saw arrests drop to a five-year low, with nine arrests made and seven citations issued, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. There were 63 ambulance transports made over the course of the fest. […] But cellphone thefts remain a stubborn problem at Lollapalooza. * NBC Chicago | Meet ‘Oscar from Chicago,’ Lollapalooza fan plucked from crowd to drum with The Killers: NBC Chicago caught up with the lucky fan, 20-year-old Oscar Reza Bautista, on Monday. “I had seen people play the drums with them before, and I said, ‘I want to be one of them,’” Reza Bautista said. “Brandon starts looking at my sign and pointing at it, and everything starts shaking.” * Tribune | ‘Hot Ones’ live event coming to Chicago on Aug. 28: Stella Artois will host the event Aug. 28 at Moonlight Studios from 6-9 p.m. as part of Stella Artois’ Let’s Do Dinner Summer Series. The series will also have stops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. More than 300 contestants at the event will take part in the “Wings of Death” in an eat-along experience with 10 mouth-watering hot sauces. Evans will be joined by a special celebrity guest, who will be announced the week before the event. * Capitol News Illinois | South suburban airport could bring over $1B in economic activity, per report: A study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a think tank with ties to organized labor, found that building a cargo-focused airport in the south suburbs would create around 6,300 total jobs. […] The Illinois General Assembly has recently taken several steps to advance progress on the long-delayed south suburban airport. In 2023, state legislators passed a law requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop a process for requesting contractors and other developers to submit plans. * Daily Herald | Jury orders city of Naperville to pay $22.5M in damages connected to wrongful conviction in arson, murder: A federal jury awarded the damages to William Amor’s estate, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday. […] He spent 22 years in prison before a judge ruled that advances in fire science proved descriptions in his confession were impossible. The judge later acquitted him. Amor filed a federal lawsuit against the city in 2018. He died last year before the case went to trial. * Naperville Sun | Naperville police make 21st gun-related arrest in Topgolf parking lot since August 2023: Officers approached Altman-McCray and another person after they retuned to the vehicle and found that while Altman-McCray possessed a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card and Concealed Carry License, he had improperly stowed the weapon and was in possession of the firearm while allegedly intoxicated, Munch said. […] Naperville police also have been making arrests on drug-related charges outside the facility in recent weeks. * Daily Herald | ‘Everything was gone’: Burglars tunnel through stores to steal $1.5M in jewelry from Woodfield: Schaumburg police said the crime was discovered by a construction worker who entered a vacant store adjacent to Marquise Jewelry at about 9:30 a.m. Monday and reported a hole in the drywall. Police said they found the suspects covered one of the surveillance cameras to avoid detection. More disturbing was how the burglars gained access to their store. The couple found a small hole in the wall, and later learned from police the burglars cut through the walls of three other businesses to get to their jewelry store. * Patch | Will County Brewing Company Closes Channahon Bar For Good: About a year and a half after Will County Brewing Company opened their second location, taking over the shuttered River Hawk Brewery along Route 6, the owners of the Shorewood-based microbrewery have decided that enough is enough, it’s time to close the Channahon location forever. * WICS | Pork Patio serves up family favorites at Illinois State Fair: The menu will feature budget friendly classics, including chop on-a-stick, pork twister, pork burgers, pork chops, and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. JBS, Smithfield, Tyson, and Rantoul Foods have generously donated pork for the patio. Illinois pig farmers, industry organizations, sports teams, and other volunteers graciously spend time working shifts at the fair to serve customers and make the patio a success. * WPSD | Southern Illinois sinkhole causes apartment building to ‘fall into the earth’: A sinkhole forced three families to evacuate Sunday, Aug. 4, after shifting an apartment building 23 inches, according to Carrier Mills Police Chief Scott Isaacs. […] The sinkhole was discovered Sunday morning when a spouse of a city street department employee was traveling on Russell Street and noticed the road had buckled, according to Isaacs. * River Bender | Southern Illinois University Carbondale Faculty Secure New Contract: The agreement not only provides salary adjustments for faculty but also reforms office hour policies to encourage more comprehensive student engagement, and it provides support for program directors and coordinators who work to recruit and grow students in programs across campus. * WSIL | Carterville’s National Night Out helps the community meet their local police officers: Officer Travis Morgan hopes these events help remove any divides between the police and the people they serve. “But I’m big on the personal relationship between the police and the community. Especially since becoming a school resource officer and seeing the kids recognize you,” Morgan says. “So tonight it’s a good time. It’s great for the kids and the families.” * AP | NASA delays next crew launch to buy more time at the space station for Boeing’s troubled capsule: Tuesday marked the two-month point at the space station for Starliner’s test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who should have been back by mid-June. NASA is weighing all its options for returning the two veteran astronauts, including a ride home in a SpaceX capsule. “NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” NASA said in a statement. Further details were expected at a news conference set for Wednesday.
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Your moment of zen
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Thousands of rubber ducks were dumped in the Chicago River today to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. Photo from Colin Boyle, one of my favorite Chicago photojournalists…
* WGN…
You can watch the Ducky Derby live by clicking here.
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Pritzker calls for Sangamon County Sheriff Campbell’s resignation (Updated x3)
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. Governor Pritzker at an unrelated news conference this morning…
…Adding… WAND reporter Caryn Eisert has Sheriff Campbell’s response…
* Campbell’s full statement…
…Adding… The governor pushed back on Campbell’s statement during his second press conference of the day…
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Pritzker signs three abortion-related bills
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * AP…
* From the report…
In June, WTTW reported 25% of Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients are from out of state — compared to about 4% pre-Dobbs. * Governor JB Pritzker…
* Sen. Celina Villanueva…
* Sen. Laura Fine…
* Sen. Celina Villanueva…
* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…
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Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois!
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] In less than one year, a new law will create credit card chaos for millions of Illinois consumers, small business owners and workers who rely on tips. The law changes how your credit card is processed and has never been done anywhere in the world. The end result is windfall for corporate mega-stores paid for through costly operational hurdles for small businesses and a loss of convenience and privacy for consumers who could have to pay tax and gratuity with cash. There’s still time to protect Illinois small business owners, consumers and workers by repealing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act now! For more information, visit guardyourcard.com/Illinois.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker sees the writing on the Walz — calls Minnesota governor chosen for VP slot ‘kind and decent human being.’Sun-Times…
* Related stories… ∙ WTTW: Kamala Harris Did Not Pick JB Pritzker as Her Running Mate, but the Illinois Governor’s National Profile Has Only Grown ∙ Tribune: Kamala Harris’ choice of Tim Walz leaves questions for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s political future ∙ Daily Herald: Local DNC delegates like Harris’ pick Gov. Tim Walz’s chops as veteran, congressman, quipster Governor Pritzker will sign bills expanding reproductive rights access at 10 am. Then, at 3 pm the governor will unveil the 2024 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow at the State Fairgrounds. Click here to watch. * Tribune | The nightmare is over: Chicago White Sox snap historic 21-game losing streak with 5-1 win: It was the team’s first victory since the first game of a July 10 doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. That was nearly a month ago. The skid ends with the Sox tied with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the second-longest losing streak in major-league history.
* Sun-Times | Johnson calls off plans for special meeting to confirm Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning chair: Unable to attract a quorum, Mayor Brandon Johnson has abandoned plans to interrupt the Chicago City Council’s summer recess to install Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) as Zoning Committee chair. “We never meet in August. August has traditionally has been the month off for all of the City Council. I know many of my colleagues are traveling. I’m getting ready to go to a family reunion,” said Finance Committee Chair Pat Dowell (3rd). * Crain’s | Johnson under pressure as budget gap could reach nearly $1 billion: “All options are on the table” for Mayor Brandon Johnson as his administration prepares for a significantly larger budget gap in 2025 than the $538 million shortfall he closed after taking office last year, according to the city’s budget director. When the city announced the $538 million gap last year in its annual forecast, officials projected a $986 million gap for 2025 under a baseline economic outlook. Budget Director Annette Guzman has met with members of the City Council and department leaders in recent weeks to warn the outlook hasn’t changed much in the last year. * Sun-Times | Before gunfight with Dexter Reed, Chicago cops made 50 traffic stops in just 3 days: In the wake of the shooting, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling has pushed to overhaul the department’s controversial traffic stop practices under an ongoing federal consent decree. Advocates and activists argue the pace of court-ordered reform is too slow to address a pressing issue that was brought into sharp focus when Reed was fatally shot. Many have called on the department to immediately disband its tactical units and to stop making traffic stops as an excuse to conduct searches. * The Triibe | How Chicago’s young peacekeepers build up community to bring down violence: Through its summer Peacekeepers pilot program, GKMC is building on the heart of its mission, using healing, restorative justice practices and a holistic approach to violence prevention. This approach addresses the root causes of violence rather than taking a punitive approach, and the program makes space for “young people to be the peacekeepers and the changemakers,” said Carlil Pittman, executive director of GKMC, and brother of Carleeta Pittman. * Sun-Times | Greyhound to be booted from West Loop station by mid-September, CEO says — so city must act now: Greyhound and other bus carriers are set to be evicted from their longtime station in the West Loop in mid-September. The city hasn’t offered a viable alternative with indoor accommodations. The bus lines’ mostly low-income riders may soon find themselves waiting outdoors with their belongings and without restrooms or protection from harsh weather. * WBBM | Once vacant lot in Chicago’s South Side Bronzeville now a sanctuary: The new outdoor space at Martin Luther King Drive in East 47th Street in Bronzeville offers the community a green space to enjoy. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the South Side Sanctuary plaza featured an opening from the King College Prep High School marching band and included local vendors, selling food, drinks and merchandise. * Block Club | Bea Lumpkin, Chicago Labor Legend, Marks 106th Birthday As She Keeps Up The Fight For Workers’ Rights: The labor organizer, who has been active since the ’30s, celebrated her birthday with retired steelworkers this week — but only after speaking on the presidential race, union contracts, intergenerational unity and other causes that have defined her life. * Block Club | Christkindlmarket Will Not Return To Wrigleyville In 2024: Organizers of the popular Christkindlmarket announced the German-style outdoor market will not return to Wrigley Field’s Gallagher Way in 2024. “Due to the NHL Winter classic and additional programming, the Christkindlmarket will not take place in Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way this year,” the market’s organizers wrote in a statement. “(We) regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate the community’s understanding and we look forward to returning to Lakeview in future years.” * Daily Herald | How Palatine plans to jump start development near Dundee Road and Route 53: While taxing bodies collect property taxes from the frozen value, dollars from new growth go into a fund that can be used to cover infrastructure costs in the project area. The new TIF district includes 17 parcels and 24 buildings on 44 acres. * WCIA | Massey family holds vigil one month after her death: The vigil packed the small street. Her family, who is still processing it all, said the support has helped them a long these thirty days, but their path towards healing will go much longer. “The community has been awesome and great for us, with us being together, and not just the Massey family having to do this by ourselves,” [Shadia Massey, Sonya’s cousin] said. * WGLT | An effort would let voters weigh in on the Sangamon County Sheriff’s job: Campbell’s term as sheriff won’t end until 2026. The ballot initiative would be non-binding, so Campbell, 60, would not be forced to leave no matter the outcome. * WGEM | ‘That is fiscal insanity’: Western Illinois University board approves staff reduction: In a special board of trustees meeting early Tuesday morning, Western Illinois University administration unanimously received approval to proceed with more layoffs. This comes as Western is trying to balance a $20 million budget deficit. However, the question as to how many employees will be laid off still remains. Administrators would not release a number. * SJ-R | Illinois State Fair, art showcase and more: 5 things to do around Springfield: The first week of the Illinois State Fair means fun for the whole family and enough sugary food to keep kids bouncing the entire day. But the fair isn’t the only thing going on this weekend. Here’s a look at five things to do in the Springfield area this weekend. * Shaw Local | It’s (almost) showtime at the Illinois State Fair: The Illinois State Fair will kick off this week in Springfield with music, a parade and plenty of food. Illinois 4-H will serve as the grand marshals of this year’s Twilight Parade, celebrating youth involved in the state’s No. 1 industry. * WCIA | Meet the traveling plumber representing Central Illinois in a national competition: Now, Hall is taking those traits to the next level. He won the Illinois Pipe Trades Plumbing Championship for Apprentices in the spring. […] Hall’s next stop is the national competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He’ll be competing against six others in the plumbing category. * Reuters | US judge describes how Google built and defended illegal search monopoly: U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday ruled that Google had violated antitrust law by spending billions of dollars to secure exclusive agreements with developers, carriers and equipment makers to be the default search engine. […] “Sure, users can access Google’s rivals by switching the default search access point or by downloading a rival search app or browser. But the market reality is that users rarely do so.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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