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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Reverend Al Green will play us out with the best Beatles cover ever. Turn it all the way up… Walk up and tell me
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates (Updated)
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* Mayor Johnson earlier today…
* FYI…
* Definitely something to check out!…
* WTTW | As State Lawmakers Eye Transit, RTA Talks Funding Crunch, Potential Cuts and What Pritzker’s Thinking: Asked where Gov. J.B. Pritzker stands on the issue, [Rob Nash, RTA’s government affairs director,] said he’s engaged in the process but hasn’t yet weighed in on specific proposals. “He, I think, is focused on allowing the General Assembly to come up with at least some measure of a consensus and he, I’m assuming, will weigh in as that emerges in the legislative process,” Nash said. “He takes that seriously – let the different constituencies hash it out in the legislature, and then we’ll come together as we’re closer to a final proposal.” * USA Today | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week: New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 8,105 in the week ending October 12, down from 8,780 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 241,000 last week, down 19,000 claims from 260,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis. * Sun-Times | Illinois’ most complained-about car insurance companies and how consumers can protect themselves: Lowball offers. Unfair denials of claims. Delayed payment. Some nonstandard insurance companies in Illinois have amassed hundreds of complaints, at far higher rates than better known insurers, a Sun-Times analysis found, leaving customers to question whether they’re getting what they pay for. * NBC Chicago | Some Illinois schools now part of massive meat, chicken listeria recall: Full list: In Illinois, two schools were listed. One of which was in the Chicago area. Fox Valley Family YMCA, 3875 Eldamain Rd., Plano and Kiddie Scholars, 1031 Kostner Ave, Matteson. Kiddie Scholars did not provide a comment to NBC Chicago * CBS Chicago | Chicago closes migrant shelters in Hyde Park and The Loop: City officials confirmed Friday that migrant shelters at the Standard Social Club, at 320 S. Plymouth Ct., and at the Chicago Lake Shore Hotel, at 4900 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr., have been closed. All migrants who had been staying at those shelters were offered spots at other shelters. The closures come as the total population of migrants living in shelters dropped to below 5,000 this week, the first time the city’s migrant shelter population has been that low since late June 2003, according to data provided by the City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. * Tribune | ‘It felt like a war’: Laquan McDonald police shooting 10 years ago shocked Chicago, rippled through halls of power: The shooting prompted an investigation into CPD by the Department of Justice. McDonald’s death effectively ushered in a new era of reform as it prompted a lawsuit against the city by the Illinois attorney general’s office, which led to the ongoing federal consent decree — a set of sweeping reform mandates that, a federal monitor has found, the Police Depatment has so far struggled to comply with. * WTTW | Lake Effect Snow Machine Could Crank Up This Year, According to Winter Outlook: The strong El Niño that held sway in 2023 — which brought warmer temperatures and lower precipitation to Chicago — is expected to give way to a weak La Niña, which will largely deliver the reverse, said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.(National Weather Service / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Because the Great Lakes water temperatures are currently well above normal, “if we do get arctic air … there could be a high level of lake effect snow,” Gottschalck said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. “Lake effect could be a real issue in November and December.” A milder start to the winter in the Great Lakes, temperature-wise, is likely to give way to colder weather in late December, January and February, he added.
* Block Club | Coffee, Hip-Hop And Mental Health Closes Cafe As Ex-Employees Say They Weren’t Paid For Weeks: Sissac, 25, posted a TikTok that has since gone viral, saying she’s struggled to pay rent and there was a toxic work environment at the cafe. “I haven’t been able to pay my rent this month because of the situation at hand,” Sissac says in the video. “I’m living in a home that doesn’t feel like my home — it feels like it can be snatched away from me at any point, at any time.” Sissac started working for Coffee, Hip-Hop and Mental Health in July as an assistant manager and started to see signs of “manipulation” in August, she said. Employees were given little to no notice about working events, often late at night and after normal business hours, she said. * Block Club | There’s A Secret Speakeasy In The Middle Of O’Hare — And It’s The Last Of Its Kind: While O’Hare is in the midst of a decades-long effort to modernize and expand the facility, a bar at the heart of the airport has remained frozen in time for more than 50 years. The Gaslight Club in the O’Hare Hilton Hotel is a relic from Chicago’s past. The 1920s-themed restaurant and bar used to have locations across the city and the globe. Now, the O’Hare club is the only location left. Patrons no longer need a golden key to get into the restaurant, waitresses wear slightly more modest uniforms and the menu offers more than just steak and a baked potato. But the soul of the Gaslight Club is still alive, said owner Ray Dabizljevic. * Daily Herald | Rolling Meadows seal — once subject of a U.S. Supreme Court case — to be replaced: The Rolling Meadows city seal — famously the subject of a lawsuit by atheist Rob Sherman that led to its alteration — is set to become a relic of the past. […] The silhouette of a man, woman and child in the lower quadrant is what eventually replaced the image of a cross and church in the original seal, designed by eighth grader Cheryl Knudsen for the city’s fifth anniversary in 1960. Sherman, a noted activist from Buffalo Grove who died in a plane crash in 2016, took Rolling Meadows and Zion to court over their city seals and won via a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision. * Daily Southtown | Incumbent Will County Democrats face Republican challengers for countywide offices: Will County voters will have their choice of reelecting incumbent Democrats for coroner, circuit court clerk, recorder of deeds and auditor or voting for the Republican challenger for four-year terms. Voters will also select a county clerk for a two-year-term to fill the vacancy when Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry resigned this summer. Only Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who has served in the position since 1992, is running unopposed. * Tribune | Volunteers from Maine, Niles townships stumping for Dems in nearby swing states: For nearly a month, a self-described Democratic grassroots coalition has had a canvassing effort going where volunteers have been solicited – including from Maine and Niles townships – and bused every weekend to nearby states identified as battlegrounds in the upcoming presidential election. On Oct. 5 and Oct. 6, Chicago-based Operation Swing State took about 40 volunteers from Niles and Maine townships to Michigan and Wisconsin – swing states in the Nov. 5 election – to knock on doors and urge support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. * Daily Southtown | Calumet City initiates eminent domain to acquire River Oaks Center: Mayor Thaddeus Jones pitched his plan for quick-take action of the long declining shopping center following failed negotiations with Namdar Realty Group, which has owned the property since 2017. “Namdar has offered counter that they think the value of the property is $40 million,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in this room that thinks that River Oaks mall in its current state is worth $40 million.” * WGLT | McLean County Board supports protecting Mahomet Aquifer amid carbon sequestration controversy: The McLean County Board passed a resolution Thursday supporting state action to protect the Mahomet Aquifer that supplies many Central Illinois communities with drinking water. […] At the county board’s meeting on Thursday, members of the environmental justice group Illinois People’s Action [IPA] were in attendance, as they have been in earlier discussions related to carbon sequestration projects. * SJ-R | ‘This is not transparency’: Alderwoman objects to commenters not being seen: For a second straight week, public commentary has not been part of video broadcasts of city of Springfield meetings, leaving some to believe the decision veered into questionable territory. Haley Wilson, a spokeswoman for the city, said it was “a mayoral decision,” while Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano countered that city council members weren’t informed of the decision ahead of time. * Illinois Times | Citizens want a voice in CWLP: Springfield’s City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) is the largest municipally owned utility in Illinois. Local citizen activists with Sustainable Springfield, the Sierra Club and the Faith Coalition for the Common Good are seeking an approach that would, among other measures, include citizen involvement in decision-making for CWLP. This could take the form of a sustainability commission to advise the city council on energy matters, a method which has been adopted successfully in many communities, including the southern Illinois city of Carbondale. Area activist groups have long accused CWLP of mismanagement and lack of transparency. A 2018 report commissioned by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce included allegations that CWLP was significantly overcharging customers for basic utility services. In 2017, Tim Landis of the State Journal-Register reported on a study by the Sierra Club claiming that “residential customers paid an extra $215 (annually) and commercial customers another $2,300 in 2016,” which was blamed on the continued reliance on the Dallman 1 and 2 plants “as opposed to buying power on competitive, wholesale markets.” CWLP disputed these findings at the time. * WCIA | Champaign mental health center still owes $180m after rape liability verdict: The plaintiffs asked for costs and pre- and post-judgment interest while Pavilion filed an appeal of the verdict. They asked that the judge either overrule the jury, grant a new trial or reduce the damages awarded. Judge Jason Bohm granted the plaintiffs’ motion, allowing them to recover costs of $5,100 and interest of $8.6 million. He also partially granted The Pavilion’s motion, reducing punitive damages to $120 million but rejecting all other parts of their motion. “The evidence was overwhelmingly against The Pavilion,” Bohm said. “This was not a close case on the issue of liability.” * WSIL | Comments made over Juneteenth holiday spark debate at Gallatin County Board meeting: A feed of the board meeting shows Board Member Warren Rollman make a motion to approve the schedule, minus Juneteenth. After all but one of the board members vote “yes” in favor, an attendee of the meeting can be heard off-camera questioning the decision to exclude Juneteenth from the holiday schedule. “Well for one we’ve already got too many holidays, and two, it’s a fake holiday created by the Democrats to pander to Black voters,” Rollman responds. * WCIA | HSHS to close Milliken Medical Group Health Center by end of the year: Millikin officials said the university is exploring other provider options, but does not have a transition agreement set in stone. They stress that while the open-to-public health center is closing, the Milliken community will still be able to get services they need. * WSIL | Local $30 Million Dollar Complex Underway in Marion: The Field Manager of Stadium Operations is Ralph Santana. He shares what the complex will be used for. “We made it a multi-sport complex. So we can be very diverse. We just didn’t want to hit one side of the spectrum when it comes to sports, we’re just hitting about everything,” Santana said. “On all these complexes, we can play softball, we can play baseball, we can play football, we can play soccer, we can play lacrosse and we can play flag football.” * WGEM | ‘Childcare desert’: JWCC and PACT team up to create new childcare center: A new childcare center is coming to the Tri-States. That’s after the John Wood Community College Board of Trustees approved the plans at its regular meeting Wednesday. It is a partnership with Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois. The two organizations worked together for the better part of a year in order to make the childcare center happen. * WJBC | Illinois State University cut the ribbon on its future of healthcare training Thursday: The entire project cost $18 million, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2021. Funding of the center breaks down to $2 million in private funds, $2 million in federal funds and $14 million in university money. […] According to a press release from the university, with a high demand for nurses, the simulation center provides much-needed space and allows the Mennonite College of Nursing to enroll more students. * WGLT | Nomad Theatre’s suite of plays on democracy are set in a literal polling place: Poling’s play, Honest Jake, is set to premiere in Nomad Theatre Company’s latest production called The Polling Place. In other words, the former resident of the Poling polling place penned a play in a polling place for The Polling Place. The collection of election-inspired new short plays runs Oct. 17-19 at the Normal Community Activity Center. The site-specific nonprofit theater had the timing in mind when recruiting 10-minute plays, but requested submissions not include the names of any real candidates. * Tribune | Distressed about climate change, a ‘supermajority’ of young Americans across the political spectrum want bolder action: In the largest survey of its kind, 85% of nearly 16,000 respondents ages 16 to 25 from all 50 states reported being worried about the impact of climate change on people and the planet. More than 60% said they felt the emotional impact of this global crisis — anxiety, powerlessness, fear, sadness, anger. The study showed high proportions of concern across the board, whether respondents identified as Democrat, Republican, independent or other. * Deadline | Revelations’ Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary Tune Up Chuck Berry’s 98th Birthday With TV Series Deal: On the 98th birthday of iconic singer Chuck Berry, Revelations Entertainment has optioned rights to his life story. The production company’s principals, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary, plan to turn his story into a drama series chronicling the rock pioneer’s formative years. Berry died in 2017. * The Trace | Threats of Political Violence Are Distorting Reality: This month alone, authorities arrested a North Carolina man with a rifle and pistol after he allegedly threatened to harm FEMA workers responding to Hurricane Helene, the Arizona Democratic Party closed a campaign office that was repeatedly struck by gunfire, and an Alaska man was arrested after vowing to “put a bullet” into the head of multiple Supreme Court justices. These are just some of the politically charged threats or acts of violence involving guns to arise so far this election season. They follow two attempts on Donald Trump’s life in which both would-be assassins wielded semiautomatic assault-style rifles. Research shows that threats against public officials, many of which involve guns, have risen in recent years and are now routine.
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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Madigan’s fall from power
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Meanwhile, Madigan’s trial should finally start next week…
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Today’s quotable: Joe Mansueto
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Athletic…
The Athletic, based in New York, has lately had infinitely better coverage of Chicago sports team owners than any outlet in or near Chicago. * Meanwhile…
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Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Missouri, Kansas and Idaho…
From the amended complaint…
* Florida…
* Texas…
* Arkansas…
* California…
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U of I scraps plans at The 78, eyes quantum technology campus at former South Works steel site
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
Thoughts?
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Open thread
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Energy Storage And Clean Energy!
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] In the next few years, Illinois can expect increases in demand for electricity not seen in decades. While the state is currently experiencing a clean energy boom, the growth is not enough—which puts families and businesses at risk for higher energy bills and unreliable service. Luckily, there is legislation that would expand the use of a technology that can capture and store clean, cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day -large- and small-scale battery energy storage. Energy storage will help avoid the cost spikes ratepayers may experience due to insufficient energy capacity. The need to accelerate the adoption of energy storage is urgent. Springfield is faced with a choice: support policy that will build out clean, cost-effective energy storage or allow families and businesses to have to rely on dirty, unreliable, and expensive natural gas plants. Meanwhile, Illinoisans agree: recent polling shows 72% of Illinois residents support incentives for energy storage. Paid for by Counterspark.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: JB and MK Pritzker gave $5.6 million to put on DNC. Crain’s…
- The Chicago Host Committee raised over $97 million and spent $82 million to put on the weeklong party in August as Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination. - The largest union contribution came from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who provided $5.2 million. The Laborers International Union of North America gave $3 million. * Related stories… ∙ Sun-Times: Host committee for Chicago’s DNC spent $89 million on convention, raised $97 million ∙ Choose Chicago: 2024 Democratic National Convention generated $371.4 million in economic impact ∙ Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker and wife gave big for DNC, which raised $97M in all * Sun-Times | Michael Madigan’s 12 jurors are chosen and openings are on the horizon — but what took so long?: U.S. District Judge John Blakey seemed to blame the amount of time lawyers spent questioning the many candidates over the last two weeks. In fact, the judge said Thursday he’d no longer take the lawyers at their word when it comes to estimating the trial’s length. He asked them to predict how long they expect each witness to testify once the trial gets rolling, and he told them to deliver their conclusions to him Friday. For now, each side is calling it an “11-week trial,” putting it on track to end in mid-December.
* Daily Southtown | District 80 candidates say criminal justice reform among top issue: Both candidates running for the 80th District Illinois House seat say there is need for reform in the criminal justice system, and that voters in this district, which encompasses several south and southwest suburbs, are looking for a representative who prioritizes their needs over party alignment. Incumbent Democrat Anthony DeLuca, 54, of Chicago Heights has held the seat since 2009, and faces Republican Adam Beaty, a Braidwood police officer. Both ran unopposed in the March primaries. * News Channel 20 | Illinois domestic violence organization report shows significant increase in homicides: The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence released its annual homicide report for 2023, and it shows a 110% increase in domestic homicides from the previous year. The coalition’s Policy Consultant, Vickie Smith, told NewsChannel 20 the issues of domestic violence rose during the pandemic, when people in need were isolated in their homes. * WICS | Prison employees across Illinois protest for better working conditions: From 1 to 5 in Lincoln on Thursday afternoon, employees from the Logan Correctional Center protested for safer working conditions. […] The Illinois Department of Corrections said, “Ensuring the safety of our staff, individuals in custody, and everyone entering our facilities remains our top priority. While we are actively exploring options to enhance safety, measures are in place to address potential risks associated with mail handling.” * Sun-Times | Freshman demographics at Northwestern and U of I show little change following ban on race-conscious admissions: New numbers from two major Illinois universities show little change in enrollment demographics since the Supreme Court effectively banned the consideration of race in college admissions last year. Nationally, many had worried the decision in the case, brought by conservative legal activist Ed Blum and his group Students for Fair Admissions, could cause a precipitous drop in the representation of Black and Latino students at highly selective colleges. * Sun-Times | Johnson must break two campaign promises to get budget passed, City Council critic warns: To solve the budget crisis, Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) said Johnson needs to break two campaign promises — raise property taxes he promised to freeze and then renew the ShotSpotter contract to win the votes he needs to get the tax hike through the City Council. * ABC Chicago | Crime, including violent crime, is trending down in one of Chicago’s most dangerous districts: hicago’s 11th police district is one of the most dangerous in the city for violent crimes, but new Chicago police data shows both violent and property crimes are trending down. The district is comprised of parts of Humboldt Park, Lawndale, and East and West Garfield Park. […] In the past 12 months there have been 48 homicides, a 45% decrease compared to the last three-year average; 285 shootings, down 39% compared to the three-year average; 100 carjackings, a nearly 34% reduction; and a 9% reduction in motor vehicle theft. * Crain’s | Mansueto eyes Lincoln Yards, 78, Michael Reese sites for new soccer stadium: Chicago Fire FC owner Joe Mansueto said he is “actively pursuing” development of a new soccer-specific stadium in the city and is targeting three proposed megaprojects as potential sites. Calling a new team-controlled stadium the “last piece of the puzzle” to put the Major League Soccer club on a more solid foundation for its future, the billionaire Morningstar founder and team chairman today said he has toured Lincoln Yards on the city’s North Side, The 78 in the South Loop and the former Michael Reese Hospital site south of McCormick Place as possible destinations for a new venue. * WGN | Chicago Police Board recommends officer involved in fatal shooting be separated from the department: The board claims the officer violated two CPD policies during the shooting, but the officer involved in the case still has options on how he wants to move forward to fight for his job. Family members of 24-year-old Reginald Clay Jr., the man who was killed in the shooting, were present at Thursday night’s meeting and they said their fight is not over. * Sun-Times | Ex-boyfriend sought in shooting death of mother of 3 on Southwest Side: Every year, Maria Lazaro-Castillo planned a Halloween-themed birthday party for her 12-year-old daughter. But this year, just days before the celebration, Lazaro-Castillo, 41, was fatally shot while sitting in her car Sunday morning in McKinley Park, and a manhunt is underway for the person police say is responsible: her ex-boyfriend. “[Her kids] meant the world,” Miguel Valenzuela, Lazaro-Castillo’s brother-in-law told the Sun-Times. “She’ll make it to their events, field trips, graduations. … She made sure she was there.” * Tribune | CPS announces record-breaking graduation rate: Chicago Public Schools has announced a record-breaking graduation rate, with 84.1% of students graduating in four years and 86.5% graduating in five. This comes in addition to the district’s second-lowest dropout rates in years. The district credits its most recent feat to investment in additional support for teachers and increased resources in schools, such as tutors and career-connected learning. * Crain’s | Former United exec opening outdoor social sauna on Goose Island: Longtime Chicagoan Scott Garner has visited Europe a half dozen times this year to prepare for the launch of Ambique, his new outdoor sauna studio opening on Goose Island this December. Garner is pitching Ambique as a one-of-a-kind European sauna experience with Nordic saunas and cold therapy in a social settings. The space, located at 930 W. Evergreen Ave., spans about 9,000 square feet, roughly half of which is outside. It boasts three saunas of varying sizes and styles, plus fire pits, culinary services and areas for special events. * Press release | Comptroller Mendoza suspends payments to the village of Orland Park for failure to file documents: Starting today, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza is suspending “offset” payments to the Village of Orland Park. “Offsets” refers to money collected from state payments our office withholds from people who owe traffic tickets or other money to municipalities such as Orland Park. These payments are worth about $120,000 a year to the village. * Injustice Watch | Bar groups reconsider ratings of Cook County judge who claimed homeowner exemption in Will County: Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. faced criticism after an Injustice Watch investigation revealed Wright took a homeowner exemption on a house in Will County, claiming it as his principal residence, despite state law requiring him to live in Cook County. After the report, Wright moved to rescind the tax breaks. * Daily Herald | Pinball wizards flock to Schaumburg for 40th annual expo: Billed as the first, biggest and longest-running pinball show in the nation, the event also features vendor booths, tournaments, educational displays, exhibits, tours, seminars, autograph sessions and “a video game summit.” * Rockford Register Star | Gov. Pritzker: Rockford region, Illinois play ‘leading role’ in aerospace industry: Companies in Rockford and across Illinois are charting a new course for the aerospace industry into a high-tech future, Illinois Gov. JB Prtizker said at a celebration of all things aerospace. Pritzker was featured at the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Midwest Aerospace Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in downtown Rockford. More than 240 leaders from the aerospace and manufacturing industries attended. * WCIA | Champaign Co. proposes sales tax increase: Champaign County voters are being asked on their ballots to increase the sales tax a quarter of a cent for safety purposes. It would raise $7 million dollars a year. Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said it would pay for new ways to respond to a scene — including mental health professionals. * WAND | Rep. Ammons against Champaign Co. sales tax hike: “Someone making $30,000 per year will pay the same amount of taxes on diapers and other necessities as a wealthy person who makes $300,000 per year,” Ammons stated outside of her Urbana office. Ammons contends the county has plenty of money in reserve and doesn’t need the extra funds. * News Channel 20 | Springfield brings in the most gambling revenue for 2024 fiscal year: A recent report released by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shows that Illinois gambling revenue has grown to $2 billion. Springfield was ranked number one for bringing in the most revenue for the fiscal 2024 year. City officials told NewsChannel 20 that they plan to put the money towards projects that have been neglected for far too long. * WICS | Attorneys for Slover family back in court, seeking to reopen case: In 2002, a jury convicted her ex-husband, Michael Slover Jr., and his parents Michael Slover Sr. and Jeanette Slover of murder. Now more than 20 years later, the Illinois Innocence Project is working to get the case reopened and try to prove the Slovers are innocent. […] Lawyers for the Illinois Innocence Project claims the Slovers didn’t kill Karyn, and said evidence used to convict them in 2002 needs to be retested. * AP | Oregon Elections Division shuts down phone lines after barrage of calls prompted by false claims: The Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division on Thursday shut down its phone lines following a barrage of calls from people responding to false claims that the state’s voters pamphlet does not include Republican nominee Donald Trump. The voter’s pamphlet does list the former president as a candidate and notes that he declined to provide a statement about why people should vote for him. Trump will appear on the state’s ballot. * WaPo | The Putin-backed strongman who threw the Paris Games into chaos: Virgets, who later became the association’s executive director, said the dead delegate was found with thousands of dollars of mysterious origin. Mali embassy officials didn’t rule out foul play, the Associated Press reported at the time, but nobody was charged in the death. A spokesman for the Santo Domingo police recently declined to comment. * Inside Higher Ed | A new lawsuit accuses 40 universities and the College Board of colluding to inflate tuition: The complaint, filed by a current Boston University student and a Cornell University alumnus, alleges that the private institutions named in the suit all illegally agreed to require noncustodial parents of students applying for institutional aid to submit their financial information, even if that parent did not plan to contribute to the student’s education. The move served to artificially raise tuition and lower aid eligibility. * Tribune | Whooping cough hits decade-high level in US: Whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. There have been 18,506 cases of whooping cough reported so far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. That’s the most at this point in the year since 2014, when cases topped 21,800. The increase is not unexpected — whooping cough peaks every three to five years, health experts said. And the numbers indicate a return to levels before the coronavirus pandemic, when whooping cough and other contagious illnesses plummeted.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * KWQC…
* WTTW…
* WAND | Illinois Deer Donation Program returns for 3rd donation season as ‘Hunters Feeding Illinois’: Hunters Feeding Illinois connects hunters, meat processors, and food pantries to support access to lean protein for Illinois residents and families. The expanded partnership covers 16 counties in east-central Illinois and 16 counties in southern Illinois. […] Hunters can donate whole harvested deer at no cost. Partnering meat processors are prepared to accept donated deer with the start of deer hunting season in October. Because processing volume increases throughout the season, hunters are encouraged to call processors in advance to confirm they have slots to accept deer. Processors have a select number of slots for donated deer, which becomes more limited as the season continues. * CBS Chicago | Mom wants Chicago Public Schools to stop sending kids to New York special ed boarding school, claims abuse: The CBS News Chicago Investigators have discovered that the school, Shrub Oak, has been investigated for reports of abuse and neglect. Yet, the Chicago Public Schools continue sending kids there. “There are kids that are nonverbal, that can’t speak for themselves, and that is very upsetting,” said Joanna Grenrock, the mother of a former Shrub Oak student. * Block Club | Rogers Park Alderwoman Rejects Plan To Build 6-Story Apartment Building On Vacant Lot: Hadden decided against signing off on the proposal after hearing “major concerns” from neighbors, she said in a statement. Among neighbors’ top complaints were the density of the building, the inclusion of only nine parking spaces and the possibility of further traffic congestion in the neighborhood, Hadden said. * Sun-Times | Host committee for Chicago’s DNC spent $89 million on convention, raised $97 million: The report from the Development Now for Chicago, the host committee’s official name, also states the committee has about $14 million cash-on-hand with some $6.3 million in bills still outstanding from the August presidential convention nominating Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. * WBEZ | New pilot project to create retirement support for Chicago musicians: Freelance musicians don’t have the benefits many 9-to-5 jobs offer, like retirement accounts or health benefits. A group called Golden Egg, in partnership with the Experimental Sound Studio, is trying to change that through a matching grant program funded through the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. It will select 16 artists to receive a share of $50,000 to put into a retirement fund. * Crain’s | Ken Griffin puts another unfinished penthouse up for sale, this one at $9 million: Griffin is asking $9 million for the 7,500-square-foot 37th floor at No. 9 Walton. He put it on the market yesterday evening, two days after his real estate agents changed the listing for his $11 million 38th floor to show that a buyer has it under contract with a contingency. * Daily Herald | Public beaches in Lake in the Hills? Board cool to proposal: Lake in the Hills mulled the idea of opening up its beaches to nonresidents for a fee, but the proposal got a lukewarm response from the village board. Currently, people who don’t live in Lake in the Hills can access its beaches only if they’re accompanied by someone who lives in town. And that is anticipated to remain the case, despite village staff suggesting a fee for nonresidents. * Daily Southtown | Ford Heights appoints 2 new trustees, 1 with family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin: The Ford Heights Village Board voted Wednesday to appoint a longtime friend of interim Mayor Freddie Wilson as village trustee, as well as a man with a family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin. Wilson was named interim mayor last month following Griffin’s conviction for embezzlement. * Capitol News Illinois | Questions remain over whether Sangamon County followed policy in deadly pursuit: As the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office led a multi-county pursuit last month that ended in the death of a 43-year-old Kansas man, Illinois State Police directed troopers not to participate. A Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office news release issued a week after Kirtis Shane Davenport’s death stated “various other law enforcement agencies” assisted, but ISP confirmed they did not participate, citing the agency’s pursuit policy. * WAND | Champaign City Council accepts over $700,000 grant for asylum-seekers: Following the designation of a Certified Welcoming Place nearly a year ago, Champaign City Council accepted a grant to provide services for asylum-seeking migrant refugees. A portion of the grant — about $709,705 — will be awarded to the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA. […] Akua Forkuo-Sekyere, the Director at New American, said that the grant will allow them to continue funding their program. “It truly is exciting to be able to have funding to support new arrivals in our community,” said Forkuo-Sekyere. * WCIA | Champaign Co. woman serves in her fifth presidential election: The nation is gearing up to see who will be next in line for the White House. On the local level, people like Ann Prisland are making sure every vote is accounted for. […] This will be her fifth presidential election working as an election judge. She and others in the role are responsible for checking in voters, verifying their identities and providing them with ballots. * WCIA | ‘I was doing everything right’: Douglas Co. Animal Shelter manager speaks out on board’s decision to fire her: Last week, the Douglas County Board suspended Douglas County Animal Shelter Manager Spencer Hall with pay. Now, as of a hearing on Tuesday morning, she was told she is officially fired from her position. Hall said there are multiple reasons why, including the incident earlier this month where the county resolved a cruel treatment investigation with a Murdoch dog owner. The resolution gave the owner four of his original 11 dogs back after the shelter seized them during the case. * NPR Illinois | Illinois Symphony Orchestra season opens with ‘Festive Fanfare’: The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) begins its 2024-2025 season with “Festive Fanfare.” The concert, conducted by ISO music director Taichi Fukumura, will feature Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto with violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. * BND | It used to be a convent, now this Belleville house is a do-it-yourself punk venue: “As soon as we moved we were like, ‘this is too much house to do nothing with,” said Gabe Kimme, who bought the house with his partner, Jackie Eberle, and turned it into “The Nunnery,” a DIY music space that is simultaneously secretive and non-exclusive. * Texas Monthly | The Border Crisis Won’t Be Solved at the Border: Whenever Texas politicians threaten to pass laws that would make it harder for businesses to employ undocumented workers, phones in the Capitol start ringing. Stuck with the need to show their base that they’re cracking down on migrants, politicians, including Abbott, have instead found a middle ground: They keep up their bombast regarding the border, but they avoid stringing any razor wire between undocumented immigrants and jobs in the state’s interior. * NYT | This Is Post-Roe America: Even when the consequences haven’t been that dire, the day-to-day reality of abortion in America’s left-behind places now involves navigating constant undercurrents of confusion and fear: Is this pill I found on the internet safe? If I miscarry, is anyone going to help me? Or, in the cases of some doctors: How can I help this patient without getting arrested? * WSJ | The Old-School Spy Tactics Helping to Set Your Grocery Prices: Grocery-store operators scrutinize the websites and promotions of rivals and send managers to walk through competitors’ stores to help establish what shoppers will pay for items. Companies commonly use rivals’ prices as a benchmark in setting their own, but these tactics have gained attention from government antitrust lawyers seeking to block a $20 billion merger between Kroger KR -0.57% and Albertsons ACI 0.05%, the respective largest and second-largest U.S. supermarket chains by sales.
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On Wisconsin and hailing rides to Michigan
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Politico…
* From Operation Swing State…
More info about upcoming Wisconsin and Michigan canvasses can be found here. Senate President Don Harmon’s township committee is helping send folks to Michigan, as are Personal PAC and the 40th and 45th Ward Democrats. House Speaker Chris Welch’s township committee is helping get people up to Wisconsin, as are Rep. Theresa Mah and the 47th Ward Democrats. Upcoming phone banks include one on the city’s South Side and another in Champaign sponsored by College Democrats of Illinois. A list of partners is here. * More stops for Rep. Buckner…
* Illinoisans from both parties are involved in Wisconsin politics…
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R…
* React from Center Square…
* WAND…
Click here for a fact sheet. * Midwest Renewable Energy Association Senior Regional Director John Delurey…
SB3637 sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham never made it out of Senate Assignments. * HB5887 from House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Linda, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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CPS CEO claims CTU contract would cost $10 billion over four years
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez as quoted in the Tribune…
* Related…
* WTTW | Effort by City Council to Put CPS Board Members, CEO on the Hot Seat Fizzles: Ald. Angela Clay (46th Ward) pressed Martinez, who has led the district since 2021, on why he used those grant funds to cover the district’s ongoing operations while knowing that they would run out by 2025, leaving programs in jeopardy of being cut and employees at risk of layoffs. “We all knew this day would come,” Clay said. “What’s the plan?” Martinez did not directly answer Clay’s question, but spoke at length on the need for additional aid from the state and his commitment to investing in Chicago schools and students. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez asks City Council for additional $325 million in funding: Ald. Angela Clay asked Martinez how the district would cover costs next year, when it is expected to face another $500 million deficit, if the city bailed CPS out this year. Martinez said he hopes TIF districts will expire under Johnson, potentially freeing up more money for CPS. He added that he will ask for City Council “and the mayor’s help” to advocate for more state funding. * NBC 5 | CPS CEO Pedro Martinez appears at City Council hearing as budget battle continues: “We know we have at least 100 schools, between high schools and elementary schools, that are probably at least, you know, at least 100 that are under 200 students enrollment.” * Fox32 | Chicago City Council questions CPS CEO on budget crisis, tensions with Mayor Johnson: Some aldermen also question why CPS is keeping open schools that are virtually empty, including Douglass High School, which right now has only 39 students. Ald. Anthony Beale: “Walgreens is closing 1200 stores because those stores are either underperforming, and so they had to make a business decision that if they’re going to stay afloat, that they have to restructure.” CEO Martinez: “Yes, class sizes are very small. But again, for me, I would, I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.” * Block Club Chicago | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: Alderpeople did use the hearing to ask Martinez about CPS funding decisions, potential cuts, school closures and other issues. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) questioned the school chief’s decision to continuing operating Douglass High School in Austin, which only has a few dozen students enrolled. Last year, the school was spending just over $68,000 per student compared to the district average of $18,287, according to Illinois State Board of Education statistics. Martinez on Wednesday defended keeping the school open, saying he supports further investments in schools like Douglass, not less, especially as many students in Austin currently leave their neighborhood to go to school. “We have to make the investments,” he said. “I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.” * Mayor Johnson’s chief of staff says school CEO and board kept 5th Floor in the dark: Was Pedro Martinez influencing – did he take he take over the board essentially? Cristina Pacione-Zayas: “I can’t say – again, I’m not privy to what his interaction was with the board.”
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A dream come true for White Sox fans, or yet another leverage ploy against the state?
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Brittany Ghiroli at the Athletic…
* Tribune…
* Forbes…
* Sox Machine…
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep in Illinois-centric please!…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois installs supermarket kiosks for license renewals, other DMV transactions. Tribune…
- The 15 kiosks, most in the Chicago area, puts Illinois in line with about 17 other states that use self-service kiosks to conduct similar state business. - SoS Alexi Giannoulias said the kiosks are intended as a convenience for working people and parents who don’t have time to wait in line at a driver’s services facility. * Related stories…
* Sun-Times | The politics of picking a Madigan jury: Prospects asked how they view ‘politicians for life’: For several days over the past few weeks, dozens of people have been led into a room in Chicago’s Loop, where they’ve been asked whether they opposed people being “politicians for life.” Many of them did. They either raised their hands or argued that career politicians “lose touch with reality” and lack fresh perspectives demanded by changing times. Occasionally, their answers seemed to reference President Joe Biden. At others, the U.S. Supreme Court. * Tribune | Jury selection for Madigan trial slows further with no one chosen for second straight day: Two days of intensive questioning this week have yielded no new jurors in the corruption trial of Michael Madigan, as the already sluggish pace of jury selection slowed to a crawl Wednesday. Although U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey has been insistent he would not rush the parties though the important process, the judge for the first time suggested time limits for questioning — which he referred to as a “shot clock” — if things don’t improve. * WMBD | Hauter vs. Gill: 87th District State Rep. candidates share why they should win the candidacy: Independent candidate Dr. David Gill is challenging State Representative Bill Hauter, a Republican. Gill wants to increase ballot access for third-party candidates. “I spent 90 days knocking on 12,000 doors in 30 communities throughout the district, gathering signatures to get myself put onto the ballot so that we could at least have a battle,” Gill said. “I think that most Americans have had enough of these two major parties that make life so difficult.” * WAND | Pritzker administration improving statewide youth behavioral healthcare services: Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law last year calling for a clear, consistent and comprehensive way for families to find mental and behavioral healthcare options for young children and teens. The law created an inter-agency team to improve service coordination, implement new technology to refer families to resources and increase capacity to meet demand for care. * SJ-R | Wet soil, dryer pockets: How climate change is impacting Illinois pumpkin farms: As a farmer carrying on a family legacy of over a century on the farm, Jefferies has been facing insecurities about her abilities as a farmer like never before because of climate change. “When you have year after year of crop failure or reduced crop production you start to question your own ability,” Jefferies said. “It’s pretty mentally challenging, the weather is hard on people. Not just financial hardship, but a mental hardship. You feel like a failure even though there was nothing you can do, and that you’ve let people down.” * Tribune | Pedro Martinez defends CPS work to aldermen in contentious hearing: Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez had the stage to himself Wednesday at City Hall, and used it to go on the offensive in his ongoing fight with Mayor Brandon Johnson over control of the city’s schools. As expected, only Martinez — and none of the Chicago Board of Education nominees Johnson tapped in an apparent bid to get Martinez fired for refusing to borrow money to balance the school budget — showed up to the Education Committee meeting aldermen called to vet the mayor’s picks. * Block Club | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: A focal point of that tension has been Martinez’s refusal to take out a $300 million high-interest loan to cover pension payments for non-teaching staff and upcoming contract costs. The back-and-forth came to a head Oct. 4, when the entire seven-member school board — six of whom were appointed by Johnson last year — resigned en masse. The school board has the final authority to fire the school district’s chief executive. * Tribune | CPS marks second consecutive year of increased enrollment and ‘exponential progress’ in staffing: CPS has enrolled more than 325,300 students this school year, officials announced Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year that the district marginally reversed a long-term trend of declining enrollment, common among public schools across the country. As of the fourth week of school, CPS said more than 2,000 students were attending the district than at the same time last school year, an increase of .64%. * Crain’s | Civic Federation calls on mayor to avoid raising property taxes: Mayor Brandon Johnson should consider every option to avoid raising property taxes to close a $982 million budget gap for 2025, including hiking sin taxes, raising fees on garbage collection, implementing employee furloughs and putting a pause on making an advanced pension payment, according to the Civic Federation. * Block Club | Chicagoans Can Get Help After July Floods With New FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: Two newly opened disaster recovery centers in the Chicago area are helping neighbors affected by flooding in July. Homeowners, renters and small business owners can get face-to-face support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration at the disaster recovery centers, which opened Wednesday in Chicago Lawn, 6120 S. Kedzie Ave., and suburban Homewood, 2010 Chestnut Road. * WTTW | As Chicago clears away its biggest tent city, a former gang leader says he won’t settle for a homeless shelter: City officials say most of the roughly 100 unhoused people in the park will be offered one of those rent-free apartments. Those who don’t get a unit will be given a shelter bed. “The park is being cleared because people are moving into housing,” said Sendy Soto, chief homelessness officer under Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Apartment or not, everyone will have to leave the park by Dec. 1, officials say. * Block Club | Chicago’s Biggest Halloween Parade Turns 10 Saturday With Its Hugest Event Yet: The free Arts in the Dark celebration — annually pegged to the season of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, channeling the vibe of Carnivale and Mardi Gras — unfurls its 10th iteration at 6 p.m. Saturday, stepping off at the corner of State and Lake. Performers march south for about two hours, wrapping up their procession at State and Van Buren. * Block Club | See The Year’s Brightest Supermoon Thursday In Chicago: A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA. It can look up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth. Thursday’s supermoon will be the closest full moon of the year, approximately 222,056 miles from Earth, according to AstroPixels. * Daily Southtown | Under federal scrutiny, Tiffany Henyard announces reelection bid for Dolton mayor: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, the focus of an investigation by federal authorities, said she will seek reelection next year, starting with the February Democratic Primary, and plans to back a slate of Village Board candidates. Elected to her first term in April 2021 as Dolton’s first Black female mayor, Henyard has been the subject of federal subpoenas targeting her and a supposedly philanthropic organization bearing her name meant to help cancer survivors. An attorney representing Henyard has declared she’s done nothing wrong. * Daily Herald | Commissioner faces ethics violation over leaked Bears tax appeal info: Cook County’s inspector general has recommended that a county board of review member take ethics training over the leaking of confidential information about the Chicago Bears’ property tax appeal at Arlington Park to the Daily Herald and other media outlets. Inspector General Tirrell Paxton’s report doesn’t mention Commissioner Samantha Steele by name, but the facts of the case match previously reported details about the internal squabble at the quasi-judicial county agency, which oversees appeals of property assessments. * Daily Herald | ‘New, improved, evolved’: Revised plan would keep remainder of Hawthorn mall intact: The next step in a comprehensive transformation of the Hawthorn mall property in Vernon Hills aims to build on the success of initial work and keep what remains of the existing 1970s-era shopping center intact. The revised concept would keep 130,000 square feet of existing space in the mall core that was to have been demolished in previous plans. * Daily Herald | Officials: Anti-Semitic messages on billboard near Northbrook were ‘unauthorized : A preliminary investigation by officers determined the messages were “unauthorized” and not displayed by the billboard company, Interim Chief John Ustich said in the release. “This disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District, or anywhere in America,” Rep. Brad Schneider, a Highland Park Democrat, said in a tweet. “It is notable that this sign is located in a community with a large Jewish population, in close proximity to a Jewish day school, at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.” * WCIA | Sangamon County Recorder candidates split over future of office: A candidate for Sangamon County Recorder announced Wednesday he’s campaigning to allow voters to decide if his job should be dissolved. The official’s job is to “record all documents transferring land in order to establish legal ownership,” according to a fact sheet from the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners. * SJ-R | Who is on the Massey Commission? A closer look at the 14 members: The commission, an outgrowth of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey by a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy on July 6, recently seated its members and named two new co-chairs, JoAnn Johnson and Shadia Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin, replacing the Rev. T. Ray McJunkins and Nina Harris after an initial listening session. * WCIA | U of I professors and students searching for rare comet passing over: Professor Tony Wong said the comet has been so deep in the solar system for so long that it still has ice surrounding it. As it gets closer to the sun it’ll warm and then start to evaporate its gasses. This means it’ll create a bright light to where people can view it. “We are just starting to get a good show now because the comet has already passed the sun. And as it’s moving away from the sun, it’s becoming visible in our night sky. And so that’s why everyone’s looking at it this week, is because it’s becoming visible to our night sky,” U of I Professor Tony Wong said. * AP | US agency adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions: The “click-to-cancel” rule will prohibit retailers and other businesses from misleading people about subscriptions and require them to obtain consumers’ consent before charging for memberships, auto-renewals and programs linked to free trial offers. The FTC said businesses must also disclose when free trials or other promotional offers will end and let customers end recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them. Most of the provisions take effect effect 180 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register, the agency said.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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