* The Triibe…

A breakdown of how Chicago planned to use security funds for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) shows that nearly half of the $75 million the Department of Justice (DOJ) gave the city went to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).

If the DOJ approves the expenditures, CPD will be reimbursed about $35.5 million, or 47% of the federal funds.

According to a budget narrative obtained by The TRiiBE, the total earmarked for CPD included $16.6 million for personnel, including hourly and overtime pay; $990,414 for DNC training; and $12.9 million for supplies and equipment, including a new police helicopter. More than $79,000 was also allocated for Chicago police officers to travel to Springfield for motorcycle-riding training conducted by the Illinois State Police.

* Rockford Register Star…

Until recently, Stepping Stones was a program that exclusively provided housing-based mental health services for adults.

But with funding from the county’s mental health sales tax, Stepping Stones has been able to expand its reach and provide services to another population in need — children.

Stepping Stones used the $500,000 it received from the mental health sales tax to open a new outpatient counseling center on Maray Drive in Rockford, and for the first time in Stepping Stones’ history, services were expanded to include mental health treatment for children. […]

“Until we opened the counseling center, we served about 160 individuals every year,” [Stepping Stones CEO Sue Schroeder] said. “This year we’ll be closer to about 800 individuals with that increase coming from the counseling center. And those are people that weren’t getting services before.”

* Governor JB Pritzker…

On Friday, Governor JB Pritzker joined Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and Delaware Governor John Carney in issuing a letter to PJM Interconnection, the grid operator for Northern Illinois and the aforementioned states. The governors have called on PJM to take urgent action to address the increasing cost of electricity bills after the record-high prices coming out of the region’s capacity auction.

The letter addresses issues that impact the path to renewable energy goals, including market structure and the efficacy of the generator interconnection process. In the recent PJM capacity auction for the 2025/2026 Delivery Year, clearing prices surged to almost 10 times higher than the previous year, leaving residents and businesses with much higher bills. Serious flaws with the rules of this auction contributed significantly to these unnecessarily high prices. Out of concern for the impact these high prices could have on economic development, the states have recommended the following reforms to address these issues:

Ensure that capacity from Reliability Must Run units is included in the next Base Residual Auction. ​ OPSI, the Independent Market Monitor, and complainants all agree that making this change would save consumers between $3-5 billion without undermining market competitiveness or necessary price signals;

Eliminate the must-offer exemption for intermittent generation resources, while protecting them from performance penalties that discourage participation;
Lower the capacity price cap back to the level it was prior to PJM’s recent capacity market reforms;

Review the propriety of recent Effective Load Carrying Capability accreditation changes and adjust as needed; and
Although it may take longer than by the upcoming auction, swiftly implement a sub-annual capacity market designed to reduce risk on the transmission system.

“No one should have to worry about not being able to afford their electricity bill, especially as we approach colder months,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “PJM’s record-high price increases showcase a complete disregard of vulnerable communities across state lines, and they must take swift action to prevent our residents from paying billions more than is necessary. In Illinois, we are providing more support for new, clean power generation than ever before, but many developments have been stalled for years, waiting on PJM. High prices won’t help if we do not address the underlying issues holding back new capacity; Illinois remains committed to working together to fix these processes and secure a clean, reliable grid for our future.” ​

Click here to read the full letter.

* Tribune | Ex-ComEd lawyer testifies about Juan Ochoa’s appointment to utility board in Madigan trial: ‘It was important that the speaker referred him’: In one of the central allegations in Madigan’s corruption case, Tom O’Neill, ComEd’s former chief lawyer, testified that the then-powerful speaker wanted Ochoa, the former chief of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (McPier), placed in a rare vacant seat on the company’s board in late 2017. He said CEO Anne Pramaggiore was behind the move because Ochoa’s resume came from Madigan.

* Capitol News Illinois | Madigan co-defendant warned ComEd CEO not to ‘provoke a reaction from our Friend’: O’Neill, who spent nearly two decades at ComEd and its parent company Exelon, described the days and weeks leading up to the critical vote as a “very intense” time. But as the lobbyist, John Hooker, closed the door to O’Neill’s office and sat down, he wasn’t checking in on ComEd’s legislative efforts on the bill that the utility’s executives believed could turn the tide for the financially beleaguered company.

* Indiana Capital Chronicle | For Indiana Woman, ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ Led Her to Illinois: But the experience, at times, left the daughter of a former Delaware County Sheriff feeling like a fugitive. She was advised to pay in cash and, should she experience complications and visit an emergency room, she was told to let health professionals believe she’d experienced another miscarriage.

* Block Club | After Turbulent Tenure, CHA CEO Tracey Scott Out: ‘Residents Were Suffering In The End’: The mayor is finally making his moves, sources said. Last month, Johnson installed two longtime community activists on the board, and he’s preparing to appoint another board member, a CHA resident, later this week. “I think what you’re looking at is an overhaul of the CHA and it’s long overdue,” said housing advocate Roderick Wilson, executive director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center. “What we’re looking at is hopefully a new day for the CHA … with more housing and better management.”

* WTTW | Anjanette Young on Chicago Police Reform: ‘We Are Still Waiting for Some Tangible Action’: Anjanette Young, founder of I AM Her Foundation, joined “Chicago Tonight” to talk about police reform in Chicago. During a botched CPD raid in February 2019, Young, a social worker, was handcuffed while naked as officers searched her apartment and ignored her dozens of statements that they were at the wrong home. “Individuals like myself and other family members, who are the ones that are being harmed by this timing, is an issue. With Laquan McDonald, it’s been 10 years. For myself, it’s been five years, and yet we are still waiting for some tangible action from the consent decree.”

* Unraveled | Cop who killed Anthony Alvarez training new recruits: A Chicago police officer previously recommended for firing after a deadly foot pursuit is on the job again—and this time, he’s training rookies. Officer Evan Solano, who faced termination little more than two years ago after shooting and killing 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, was promoted to the position of Field Training Officer (FTO) this past April. He has been training probationary police officers in the Northwest Side 16th District for the past six months, according to records obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request.

* Sun-Times | Jewish leaders urge hate crime charges, and patience, in shooting of man on way to Chicago synagogue: Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs at Agudath Israel Illinois, said he has spoken to the victim of the attack, who he said is an Orthodox Jew. Soroka said Orthodox Jews are the most vulnerable to attacks because they are easily identifiable by their clothes, and since they don’t drive on the Sabbath on Saturdays, must live within walking distance of their synagogue.

* WBEZ | Urban Growers Collective mixes Halloween and food education at South Chicago farm: “It’s important for kids to learn where their food comes from,” Garner-McCruder said. “There’s this disconnect between kids and the grocery store. They don’t know where their food comes from. Knowing that gives them a greater appreciation for what they have, so gratitude this time of year is important.” Mykele Deville, farm ambassador for Urban Growers Collective, was one of the many staffers helping out with farm tours and activities, which included making bouquets of flowers and a game that had kids trying to match plants with their seeds.

* Crain’s | Five takeaways from the latest Chicago housing market data: Housing affordability hasn’t improved much, and buyers in the Chicago area are feeling it acutely, recent data on the local market indicates. It’s a one-two punch. One: Home prices are rising faster in the Chicago area than in most of the U.S. and have been for most of 2024. Two: Mortgage rates didn’t make the sharp U-turn some people may have hoped for after the Federal Reserve in September made its first rate cut in four years.

* Block Club | Huge Hole In South Side Street Won’t Be Fixed Until At Least December, ComEd Tells Neighbors: Champlain Avenue residents have had their lives disrupted by a cavernous hole in the street since May, when ComEd workers opened a section of the street to fix a cable leak caused by previous contractors. The leak was fixed, but ComEd told neighbors more work would be necessary to remediate the surrounding soil, which required more permits.

* News-Sun | US House Rep. Brad Schneider faces GOP challenger in bid for 6th term: ‘There is so much at stake’: After five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives serving much of Lake County, Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, says he wants to continue improving the lives of the residents and his Republican opponent, Lake Forest resident Jim Carris, hopes for an opportunity to do the same. Voters in parts of Lake, Cook and McHenry counties will decide whether to return Schneider to Washington or send Carris to represent them there when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 5 general election.

* Patch | Lake Forest Cop Takes On Lake County Board Chair In District 13 Candidate Forum: Sandy Hart, a member of the 19-member board for the past dozen years and its chair since Democrats gained a majority in 2018 for the first time in its history, faces a challenge from Republican Ben Grum, a Lake Forest police commander making his first foray into electoral politics in his campaign for the 13th District, which includes Lake Bluff, as well as portions of Gurnee, North Chicago and Waukegan.

* Patch | Alleging Italian Slur, Ex-Will County Deputy Files Federal Lawsuit: More than two years since his employment at the Will County Sheriff’s Department ended, former Will County Sheriff’s Investigator Ross Ricobene has filed a federal lawsuit alleging his Italian heritage played a key role in his ouster by the administration of Sheriff Mike Kelley.

* News-Sun | CLC officials show off technology center to business community; ‘Why waste time trying to find someone when they’re right here?’: With Lake County sitting as the second-largest manufacturing county in the state, the 170,000-square-foot facility has serious potential for employers in the region, but only if they know about it. Claire Slattery, executive director of the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce, was one of 11 area chambers of commerce that took part in Thursday’s event. Similar previous networking events hadn’t drawn nearly as many businesses, and she was pleased with the turnout.

* News-Gazette | Election ‘24: Law enforcement called on voter who refused to remove Trump hat: Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons described 2024 as the “most bizarre” election he’s administered. […] A voter at the [Meadowbrook Community Church] was wearing a hat in support of former President Donald Trump, Ammons said. Election judges asked the man to remove the hat, as Illinois law forbids electioneering inside “campaign-free zone,” which extends to 100 feet outside the entrance of the polling place. According to Ammons, this includes clothing that promotes a particular candidate. […] “The voter’s actions were a disruption to the voting process and eventually led to at least two people not being able to vote that day,” he said. “Champaign police officers responded to the call from my staff, and they are currently working with the state’s attorney to further investigate this matter.”

* SJ-R | After bullying, hazing investigation, Illinois high school football coach serves suspension: After allegations of hazing and bullying in his program, Rochester football coach Derek Leonard was suspended for his team’s regular-season finale Oct. 25. After an investigation from Edwardsville attorney Tueth Keeney, the Rochester school board voted 4-1 to accept recommendations, which included the one-game suspension for Leonard. Susan Nichols, the school district’s legal counsel, read from a prepared statement Thursday after the school board came out of a closed session.

* WCIA | Parkland College alum leads crew of umpires officiating World Series: Mark Carlson is the crew chief of the group of umpires assigned to this year’s championship series of Major League Baseball. Born in Joliet, Carlson attended Parkland in 1987 and played baseball for the Cobras as a catcher. He is a member of the Parkland College Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.

* SIU | SIU researchers investigate technology to kill supergerms at the nano level: Researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are studying how to zap antibiotic-resistant bugs using electricity on the nano scale, which could lead to fewer infection-related deaths in hospitals. Punit Kohli, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Sciences, along with researchers from the departments of chemistry, microbiology, physiology and the SIU School of Medicine, recently published a paper in the journal Science Advances outlining their work. The technology, known as “electrically polarized nanoscale metallic” or “ENM,” involves applying an electrical potential to nanoscale metallic coatings that polarizes the coatings and generates chemicals called reactive oxygenated and chlorinated species. Such substances can deactivate a wide range of harmful microorganisms.

* Bloomberg | These white male CEOs got wealthier from diversity-linked pay : For all the pushback against corporate DEI programs for allegedly discriminating against white men, it turns out the policies have been lucrative for some of the most powerful among them. White men make up the majority of 28 chief executive officers who were paid bonuses for meeting their company’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals last year, according to analysis by Farient Advisors, an executive compensation consulting firm. The CEOs, whose businesses set how much of their bonuses were tied to short-term DEI goals as well as their payouts, collectively took home about $5 million.

* WIRED | Facebook Is Auto-Generating Militia Group Pages as Extremists Continue to Organize in Plain Sight: Anti-government militia movements have been continuing to use Facebook to recruit, coordinate training, promote ballot box stake outs, and prepare for a civil war that many militants believe will break out after election day. And in some cases, the movement is attracting people who don’t appear to have any prior background in a militia. Meta is even doing the work for extremist movements by auto-generating some group pages on their behalf.

* NBC | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accelerates abortion advocacy on eve of the election: The group previously donated seven figures separately in Arizona, Florida and Nevada, which all are attempting to codify abortion rights in their states. In the rest of the states, which also include Montana, the investments are in the six figures. Think Big would not provide more specifics about donation amounts; a recent filing in South Dakota revealed last week it gave $500,000.

* Crain’s | Walgreens lays off about 250 workers in latest round of cuts: The struggling pharmacy chain is laying off 256 employees, or 3.6%, of its support center team,employees and cutting about 215 open and unfilled roles, Walgreens spokesman Fraser Engerman confirmed in a statement to Crain’s.