Mayor Johnson’s reaction to North Lawndale mass shooting mentions weekend incidents in other states
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. Mayor Brandon Johnson yesterday…
* The full list is here, but Moms Demand Action has a partial roundup…
Your thoughts?
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s | Stellantis battery plant gives Pritzker momentum to land more EV deals: Gov. J.B. Pritzker has landed deals for two EV battery plants in as many months. Stellantis plans build a battery plant as well as an EV assembly facility in Belvidere that are expected to employ more than 3,000 workers. Chinese battery maker Gotion Hi-Tech plans a battery plant in Manteno with 2,600 jobs. He isn’t done. Pritzker says the state is in talks with other companies, and he hopes to land more deals, though he declined to name the prospects. … “Every survey has Illinois in the bottom five for business climates,” says John Boyd Jr., a principal with The Boyd Company, a site-selection consultant in Boca Raton, Fla. “But success breeds success. These announcements will translate into suppliers and others having incentive to consider locating in Illinois.” * WAND | Illinois community colleges see second largest fall-to-fall enrollment increase in 30 years: Overall, the Illinois Community College System’s opening Fall 2023 enrollments had an increase in both headcount (+5.7 percent) and Full-time Equivalent (FTE) (+5.2 percent) from the previous year. The Fall 2022 to Fall 2023 increase of 5.7 percent is the second largest Fall-to-Fall enrollment growth in the last 30 years. Only the Fall 2008 to Fall 2009 increase of 7.4 percent during the Great Recession was higher. * Capitol News Illinois | Latest state school report card shows proficiency gains, persistent gaps on racial lines: A significant gap still existed between Black and white students in English language arts proficiency. But on a percentage basis, Black students saw the biggest gains in proficiency rates, rising from 12.1 percent to 16.1 percent – a 33-percent increase. * Daily Herald | ‘The good news is we’re recovering’: Illinois School Report Card shows second year of post-pandemic gains: This year’s results show a 16% change statewide year-over-year in English language arts from 29.9% to 34.6%, meaning an additional 39,000 students have mastered grade-level standards. Black students posted the largest gain with a 33% change in proficiency rates, according to report card data. * Block Club | Key City Committee OKs Purchase Of Far South Side Lot To Become Migrant Camp: Alderpeople on the Committee on Housing and Real Estate approved the city buying a 6.5-acre site for $1 from New Albertons LLC during a Monday morning meeting. The deal needs the full City Council’s approval, and it will go before council during its Wednesday meeting. * Tribune | Judge rules ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s comments on Jewish lawyers can be heard by jury: “Given the heightened sense of alarm” after the Hamas attacks, “any member of the jury sympathetic toward what the Jewish people have endured might find Mr. Burke’s comments to be particularly distasteful” and unfairly hold it against him, argued Burke attorney Kimberly Rhum at an Oct. 16 pretrial hearing. * AP | Illinois man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on Muslim mother and son: His attorney George Lenard entered the not guilty plea after the judge read the 8-count indictment. Czuba did not speak, looking down at the podium with his hands folded behind his back as he stood before the judge in the court in Joliet. * Sun-Times | No testimony from Highland Park massacre suspect at dad’s trial next week: “I don’t see any reason why he should physically be here to do that,” said Strickland, who will be presiding over the bench trial. The father’s lawyer, George Gomez, said he had subpoenaed the son’s attorneys to call him as a witness. One of the son’s attorneys, Gregory Ticsay, said he still hasn’t received the subpoena. * Daily Journal | Homeless advocates learn from Rockford: A new light shone on how Kankakee County may be able to assist those who are homeless on a recent trip to Rockford. Several area officials traveled some 150 miles to the northern Illinois city to observe and learn how that community has served its homeless population. * NBC Chicago | Housekeepers walk out of downtown Chicago hotel, demanding fair pet policy: Workers are demanding that management revert to the previous policy regarding guests with pets, the labor union, UNITE HERE Local 1, said in a statement. The policy would alert housekeepers at the beginning on their shift if there is a pet staying in the room they are assigned to clean. * Crain’s | Cook County residential property taxes in northern suburbs shoot up by 15.7%: Homeowners are now taking on the lion’s share of the tax burden countywide this year, with 81% of Cook County property owners paying higher taxes this year. Overall taxes in Cook County rose 5.4%, or $909 million, with residents taking on $599 million, or two-thirds, of that increase. * Daily Herald | How Metra is working harder to stop suicides on tracks: Interventions to save lives and prevent death by suicide on railway tracks increased substantially in 2023, Metra reports. Through mid-October, police and train crews trained in crisis management reached 85 people in time to help prevent a tragedy. * Press Release | Rep. Rashid Invited to White House by President to Discuss Artificial Intelligence: “I am honored to have received an invitation to the White House to discuss the future and regulation of AI,” said Rashid. “In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping our world, our duty as lawmakers is clear: we must prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens by mitigating the risks that AI presents. The public is counting on us to enact safeguards that ensure their security, privacy, and fundamental rights in this rapidly evolving landscape.” * ABC | Biden speaks on AI development: Pres. Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discuss the administration’s commitment to the safe and secure development of AI. * Tribune | Snow showers, chilly temperatures expected for Halloween; experts say to ‘bundle up’ while trick-or-treating: Periods of snow showers will start mainly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, with new snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible, according to the National Weather Service in Romeoville. If it snows Tuesday, it would be the ninth Halloween with snow recorded in Chicago and the eighth in Rockford. * The Atlantic | The Secretive Industry Devouring the U.S. Economy: That may not have been such a big deal when private equity was a niche industry. Today, however, it’s anything but. In 2000, private-equity firms managed about 4 percent of total U.S. corporate equity. By 2021, that number was closer to 20 percent. In other words, private equity has been growing nearly five times faster than the U.S. economy as a whole.
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Question of the day
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
The bill is here. * Sun-Times editorial…
* The Question: Pay them an adequate salary, give them a “modest stipend” or don’t pay them anything except expense reminbursements? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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The answer you’ve all been waiting for
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Last Friday, Senate and House staff held their annual Capitol Trick-or-Treat. I was asked to judge best trick-or-treat area by the Senate President’s office. ![]() I was told the Senate President’s office had stepped up its game this year. They didn’t take top prize… But they do win best candy. Take a look at those full-sized candy bars. ![]() * And the big winner is…. The Senate Democrat Policy & Budget Department! (The alien stuck on the roomba cinched it.) Sorry for the dark and blurry pictures. There was a princess behind me and I didn’t want to keep her waiting. On to honorary mentions… Over in the Stratton C wing, the Senate Democratic Member/Legislative Assistant Office “killed it.”
Finally, House Republican Leadership office cracked me up…
* On to my unofficial costume contest… Congratulations to Donald and Eleanore Mitchell! ![]() And some honorary mentions…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - A look back and ahead
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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ISBE says chronic absenteeism ‘remains alarmingly high’
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * ChalkBeat Chicago on the Illinois State Board of Education’s latest school report card…
* Chart… ![]() * From the ISBE…
Also, one thing that might help is if ISBE fixes its bungling of the after-school program.
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Bailey continues touting Trump ties while Bost struggles to keep up
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Donald Trump, Jr. spoke at two Illinois locations on Friday. First up, Marni Pyke’s report from McHenry County…
Yeah, that’s the solution. Make the party smaller. But, hey, that’d work to his advantage in his congressional primary. Pic… ![]() * Rick Pearson at the Tribune…
From Mar-a-Lago… ![]() * Some local Effingham coverage…
* Pic from the Effingham event… ![]() Caption? * Mike Bost is trying to keep up…
The Bailey campaign, however, says Bailey is also a Trump delegate.
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Please, stop doing this
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * On Friday, the City of Chicago revealed that just 16 buses carrying asylum-seekers arrived in Chicago during the previous seven days. Just a few weeks ago, we were told to expect as many as 25 buses per day. * So, maybe news outlets like ABC 7 might wanna turn down the hype machine just a wee bit…
The extent of the “protest”… ![]() * Back to the story…
NBC 5 also quoted “community activist Patrick Gibbons”…
“Sanctuary city” hokum debunked here. * Thanks to an alert commenter, it turns out that the Patrick Gibbons in the above story appears to be the same guy who, until fairly recently, was running for 31st Ward Republican committeeperson on Chicago’s Northwest Side - far, far away from the Jewels in Morgan Park/Roseland. I mean, this Patrick Gibbons?… ![]() From our commenter…
* And even without the Gibbons stuff, a tiny handful of disgruntled people milling about a giant parking lot is hardly a compelling teevee visual. From NBC 5’s wide-shot… ![]() Zoom in… ![]() Hilarious. * More from Isabel…
* WTTW | Vote Set on Plan to Transform Former Jewel, Parking Lot on Far South Side Into Migrant Shelter: Mayor Brandon Johnson will ask a key City Council panel to purchase the now-vacant Jewel and surrounding parking lot near 115th and Halsted streets and transform it into a shelter for some of the 3,344 men, women and children being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport. * Block Club | Ukrainian Village Neighbors Suing Mayor, City Officials To Block Migrant Shelter: In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, James Cole and Danielle Roberts argue the city has illegally skirted zoning and building permit regulations to convert a privately owned building at 526 N. Western Ave. into a temporary shelter for asylum seekers. * Block Club | More Than 3,400 Migrants Have Been Flown Into Chicago Since June, City Data Shows: Most people were flown in from San Antonio, Texas, with a few hundred others coming from Houston, New York City and Denver. The majority of the flights have come to O’Hare, bringing in 2,705 people, according to city data. * WTTW | With Temperatures Set to Dip Below Freezing, Warming Buses Set to Shelter Migrants: Warming buses will be sent to 16 Chicago police stations to shelter some of the 3,344 men, women and children being forced to sleep on the floors of police stations across the city and at O’Hare Airport, as cold weather settled over the city in earnest and temperatures dipped below freezing, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said late Sunday. * The Hill | Tensions rise between new and established migrants: The tension is especially felt in Democratic strongholds such as New York and Chicago, where community leaders and elected officials have spent decades organizing their constituents with limited success. “Mixed-status families, people who have lived here for 10, 20, 25, 30 years, who have been working, paying taxes, sending money back to Mexico, abiding by the laws, laying low — probably being better citizens than most Americans — are frustrated,” said Illinois Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D).
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*** UPDATED x1 - Ford to invest $430 million in local factories *** Stellantis coverage roundup
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* Tribune…
* UAW VP Rich Boyer says the plant will produce a new midsize truck and will run two shifts, according to Motor1.com…
* WIFR…
* ABC7…
* Gov. Pritzker…
* US Rep. Bill Foster…
* US Sen. Dick Durbin…
* US Sen. Tammy Duckworth…
* Meanwhile, General Motors has reached an agreement as well…
*** UPDATE *** Crain’s…
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Clean Air, Big Savings Central To Fleet Electrification Policy
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] North Illinois has some of the worst air quality in the country, in large part due to heavy freight traffic. Converting just 3 in 10 heavy-duty trucks in Illinois from gas to electric would save $5.8 BILLION in health care costs and over 600 lives. Incentivizing fleet owners to go electric improves air quality, especially in heavy transit corridors. States like Nevada have incentivized the transition of school bus fleets from gas to electric, and Illinois can do the same to prevent children from breathing dirty air on their ride to school. Illinois children deserve clean air now and a healthy future. Fortunately, there are bills in front of the Illinois State House and Senate right now that can help transition whole fleets of large trucks to electric – saving lives and saving money. Our legislators must support. More here.
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Bold crime-reduction promise falls way short, so now what?
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Discuss.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * I hope you all had a relaxing weekend. What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: UAW-Stellantis agreement may include a new vehicle, EV battery facility for idled Belvidere plant. Crain’s…
- The Belvidere plant was idled in February. - Stellantis will likely receive a more than Gotion’s $536 million tax incentive package from the state since it involves an assembly facility and a battery plant. * Related stories… ∙ Rockford Register Star: Illinois leaders sound off on UAW, Stellantis tentative agreement, impact on Belvidere ∙ WEHT: Gov. Pritzker issues statement on UAW contract deal ∙ Tribune: UAW-Stellantis tentative agreement to include a new vehicle, EV battery facility for idled Belvidere plant ∙ WIFR: Local leaders react to agreement that could reopen Belvidere’s Stellantis plant * Isabel’s top picks…
* Daily Herald | ‘Taking the side of peace’: Suburban Muslim and Jewish women try to find common ground here amid Middle East war: “Even the word for peace is so similar in our religions,” said Shazia Khan, co-leader of the Northwest suburban group that aims to build relationships between Muslim and Jewish women. “And that’s the point … that 99% of what we do and say is common, and it’s the 1% difference that has divided our societies and our political leaders have politicized and taken to extremes. But we’re trying to remind everybody of that 99%.” * Thoughts on the Governor’s Halloween costume?
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * ABC Chicago | Morgan Park residents raise concerns over city’s plans for migrant shelter at vacant lot: But, the people living in Morgan Park say they want the city to provide critical resources for current residents, echoing the same message people have had in other neighborhoods that are being discussed as shelter options. “The people here in the community, they’re afraid they’re going to lose jobs. They’re afraid there won’t be shelter for the homeless. And so, this is a big thing for this community,” said Pastor Anthony Wilson. “I don’t oppose migrants or foreigners. I’m not against that, but the citizens of Chicago come first.” * NBC Chicago | Roseland residents frustrated over proposal to build migrant shelter: At a meeting in September, 21st Ward Ald. Ronnie Mosely, which represents the community, listened to residents concerns about the proposed tent city. In a statement, the alderman expressed his disappointment over the plan and said his “ward will not tolerate the prioritization of a crisis over our needs and voices!” * South Side Weekly | UN Specialist Warned City Council that Tent Camps Could Become Permanent: Emails obtained by the Weekly reveal that Committee Chair Andre Vasquez (40th Ward) discussed the camps with Joseph Ashmore, the IOM specialist, last month. In an email exchange following the discussion, Ashmore provided materials on mass shelters that explain topics such as preparedness, violence prevention, and community involvement. Ashmore emphasized that tent camps are “a last resort,” adding in his email to Vasquez, “They can be unsustainable, can last for much longer than expected, and are expensive to run and maintain.” Ashmore declined requests for an interview. * Sun-Times | Danny Solis’ rise and fall, from promising activist to disgraced Chicago politician to FBI mole: The former 25th Ward alderperson sold his political soul for small favors, then tried to reclaim it by wearing a wire on two of the biggest powerhouses in the history of Illinois politics. * Sun-Times | 15 shot at unsanctioned Halloween party in North Lawndale; suspect in custody: William Betancourt, commander of the Chicago Police Department’s Ogden District, told reporters the “senseless act of violence” occurred around 1 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Pulaski Road. Some of the roughly 100 partygoers told officers that the alleged shooter “was ejected from the party, and he came back a few minutes later with a gun and he began to shoot,” Betancourt said during a news conference Sunday afternoon. * Cook County Record | Union League Club hit with class action over worker fingerprint scans: The Union League Club of Chicago has become one of the latest employers in Chicago targeted by a class action lawsuit under the state’s biometrics privacy law, because the Club allegedly improperly required workers to scan their fingerprints when punching in and out of work shifts. The club’s biometric timekeeping system “includes the dissemination of biometrics to each other and third parties, such as data storage * Tribune | As Mayor Brandon Johnson invests in mental health, questions linger about funding for other public health crises: Johnson’s 2024 plan devotes relatively few additional city resources to keeping the systems that were created during the pandemic in place. Instead, the new mayor’s 2024 Department of Public Health proposal pledges to boost spending on mental health by more than $15 million. * Tribune | North suburban homeowners seeing biggest property tax increase in 30 years, treasurer’s analysis finds: After months of delay, nearly 1.8 million property tax bills for Cook County home and business owners are landing in mailboxes this week, and many homeowners in the north and northwest suburbs are in for jarring news. A new analysis from county Treasurer Maria Pappas’ research team found the median residential tax bill there increased by 15.7%, according to the report, “the largest percentage increase in the last 30 years.” * Tribune | Chicago-area environmental activists, experts seek to protect region’s trees after bur oak removal in Kane County: For years, Maher and a group of activists have tried to stop the removal of bur oak trees at a proposed industrial park development in Kane County near Geneva, contacting local elected officials, starting a petition and even climbing on machinery. They say almost all of the historic trees were cut down in the two weeks after Labor Day, calling it a “colossal failure” for the “Tree City USA” community. * Block Club | Columbia College Adjunct Faculty Plan To Strike Monday: The decision comes as a result of the school administration’s plans to cut hundreds of class sections, which union leaders said would decrease adjunct faculty’s workload — and therefore pay — or increase class sizes without a corresponding pay increase. Diana Vallera, union president and a part-time faculty member in the photography department, said about 340 class sections would be eliminated. * Fox 2 | George Harrison’s long-lasting impact on southern Illinois: Lead guitarist George Harrison ended up in southern Illinois for several days. Archives from BeatlesBible.com note that he flew into New York and caught a connecting flight to St. Louis before a roughly hour-and-a-half car ride to southern Illinois. At the time, Harrison’s sister, Louise, had recently moved to Benton, Illinois, with her husband, Gordon Caldwell. He was a passionate engineer and found opportunities within Illinois’ coal mining industry. * AP | Biden administration encouraging conversion of empty offices to affordable housing: The Biden administration is launching a multi-agency effort to encourage states and cities to convert more empty office buildings into housing units, with billions of federal dollars available to help spur such transitions * WaPo | Faced with abortion bans, doctors beg hospitals for help with key decisions: Huntsberger said she called six administrators before she finally got ahold of someone, her patient awaiting help a few rooms away. When she asked whether she could terminate a pregnancy under Idaho’s new abortion ban - which allows doctors to perform an abortion only if they deem it “necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman” - the OB/GYN said the decision was punted back to her. * The Atlantic | What Financial Engineering Does to Hospitals: Watkins and other Riverton residents concluded that, instead of dividing specialties between the two hospitals and beefing up the ones remaining at each location, hospital managers were simply stripping away essential services from their community. The drive to Lander isn’t hard in the summer, Watkins told us, but in the winter, the roads are often closed. Many more patients needed to be transported out of the county altogether.
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Live coverage
Monday, Oct 30, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The last track of what may be the last Rolling Stones album is this gem of a Muddy Waters cover performed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. As David Browne wrote, it has “a palpable and obvious full-circle feel to it.” Check it out… Well, my mother told my father just before I, I was born
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Sen. Preston accused of altercation with school official
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Jeremy Gorner at the Tribune…
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Afternoon roundup
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. Pritzker’s senior political adviser confirms a story in the Atlantic about how Team Pritzker turned thumbs down on Minnesota US Rep. Dean Phillips’ presidential fantasies…
* Center Square…
* Press release…
* ABC 7…
* Is anyone actually buying the claim that Fields is still too injured to play?…
* For commenters and everyone else…
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup… * SJ-R | Bill that passed Illinois Senate could resolve SHS project tangled in property dispute: A project allowing new offices, an auxiliary gym, and classrooms for Springfield High School is caught up in a dispute over the fair market value of two properties needed for the construction. A bill advancing in the Illinois Senate would resolve the dispute in favor of Springfield Public Schools District 186. * Crain’s | Talks over new PTO law for Chicago employers hit a bump: With a committee vote on expanding Chicago’s paid leave policy looming next week, business groups issued a statement saying the current proposal “ignores the business community and would have a devastating impact” on local industries. The statement came Friday after weeks of negotiations with the Chicago Federation of Labor, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration, and other unions and worker advocacy groups. * Chalkbeat | Schools have struggled to add learning time after COVID. Here’s how one district did it.: A year ago, school would have been over around this time, and the students at Columbus East Elementary would be walking out the door. But this year, a group of fifth graders were instead sitting on the school’s stage, reading aloud about the life of Rosa Parks as they worked on reading fluency and comprehension. Similar activities were taking place in nearly every corner of the school: In another classroom, students rolled dice to practice two-digit multiplication and huddled close to their teacher to review their work. * WTTW | Jefferson Park Man Spent Night in Jail After Harassment Campaign Led by Police Brass, Misconduct Agency Finds: A Jefferson Park man spent a night in jail in November 2018 after being subjected to “an improper campaign of harassment” after criticizing a Far Northwest Side business group on Facebook for their response to the conviction of a White Chicago police officer for the 2014 murder of Laquan McDonald, a Black teen, according to evidence gathered by the agency charged with investigating police misconduct. The probe by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability concluded that two Chicago police lieutenants, including one who twice ran unsuccessfully for the Chicago City Council, “may have directed an improper campaign of harassment against (Pete Czosnyka) in retaliation for the exercise of his First Amendment rights.” * Shaw Local | Mystery of McHenry County Jail inmate death: Officials decline to give details of man’s demise in July: Following weeks of questions, and nearly three months after Sabo’s death, the sheriff’s department responded to an email inquiry on Oct. 18 by saying the case is still “open and under investigation.” The coroner’s office, in an Oct. 10 email, said “Colton’s cause and manner of death are still pending.” * Press Release | Paxton Media Group Acquires The Southern Illinoisan Newspaper: Paxton Media Group is a growing media company, having purchased numerous newspapers over the past few years in the Midwest and Southeast. PMG operates more than 120 newspapers in 14 states. Paxton owns six other newspapers in Illinois. * WaPo | Mysterious bylines appeared on a USA Today site. Did these writers exist?: Staffers at Reviewed, a USA Today-owned website devoted to shopping recommendations, were about to end their workday Friday when one of them noticed something strange: Articles were publishing on the site by writers none of them had ever heard of — and using suspiciously similar language. Jaime Carrillo, a senior staff writer, couldn’t figure out where the reviews — for products like insulated drink tumblers and scuba gear — were coming from. “I stayed at my desk for the next hour, just kind of panicking over this new website that none of us had a hand in,” he said. * Sun-Times | After 47 years, longest-serving Latina in CPS has no plans to retire: Myers has worked as the clerk at Ebinger on the Northwest Side for more than two decades. This fall, she celebrates 45 years at the school in various roles. And with 47 years overall working for the Chicago Public Schools, she’s the longest-serving Latina in the system. * Lake and McHenry County Scanner | Lake County Sheriff’s Canine Dax scores multiple 1st-place awards at multi-state competition: Forlenza and Dax placed first in obedience, article search, suspect search, tracking and cadaver detection. The two also placed third in criminal apprehension, Covelli said. * Milwaukee Business Journal | Quad closing Illinois plant, idling hundreds and shifting work to Milwaukee area: Commercial printer and marketing firm Quad will close a plant in Illinois with 350 employees and transfer production to plants in West Allis, Pewaukee and Pennsylvania. * Fox 2 | This Illinois town ranks among America’s ‘most haunted’: Alton has fully embraced its haunted heritage, and visitors have the opportunity to explore it through various haunted tours. Alton Odyssey Tours, established in 1992 by local psychics Antoinette and Marlene Lewis, offer an array of experiences for ghost enthusiasts. These tours include Trolley Ghost Tours, a Haunted Beer Walk in partnership with Old Bakery Beer, and Haunted Walking Tours. * Crain’s | If you’re dying to live in a former tombstone factory, here’s your chance: Mike Quinlan is asking just under $4 million for the house, a five-bedroom, roughly 7,500-square-foot contemporary he built inside the limestone walls of Anderson Monument Company beginning in 2017. It’s represented by Morgan McDermott of Coldwell Banker. * Tribune | Luxury retailer Hermès reopens, further boosting Oak Street as the Mag Mile works to come back: Most of the retail space in the surrounding Gold Coast neighborhood, especially along Oak Street between Rush and Michigan Avenue, is now occupied, with several retailers such as Bottega Veneta Chicago and Burdeen’s Jewelry recently signing new leases, said John Vance, principal at Stone Real Estate Corp. * AP | U.S. economy accelerated to a strong 4.9% rate last quarter as consumers shrugged off Fed rate hikes: Thursday’s report on the nation’s gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — showed that consumers drove the acceleration, ramping up their spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals. Even though the painful inflation of the past two years has soured many people’s view of the economy, millions have remained willing to splurge on vacations, concert tickets and sports events. * Crain’s | Cannabis operators sue feds over intrastate commerce: According to the statement, the coalition seeks to urge the federal government to not enforce the CSA in a manner that interferes with the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of cannabis, pursuant to state law. * The Atlantic | The Huge Multistate Lawsuit Against Meta Isn’t Serious Enough: Teenagers are experiencing a mental-health crisis. And though the science is messy and the matter isn’t settled, many suspect that social media is, in some substantial way, tangled up in the problem. Following this instinct, legislators and regulators at both the state and federal levels have suggested a slew of interventions aimed at protecting young people from the potential harms of social platforms. Many of these efforts have so far fallen short on legal grounds, and broadly speaking, the status quo remains. * The Verge | Hertz is scaling back its EV ambitions because its Teslas keep getting damaged : Part of the problem is linked to Hertz’s plans to rent EVs to ridehail drivers. Of the 100,000 Tesla acquired by Hertz, half were to be allocated to Uber drivers as part of a deal with the ridehail company. And drivers said they loved the Teslas! But Uber drivers also tend to drive their vehicles into the ground. This higher rate of utilization can lead to a lot of damage — certainly more than Hertz was anticipating.
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Report: 6,000 kids - so far - have lost after-school program access after ISBE blunder
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders back in May…
* Resulting coverage from ChalkBeat Chicago…
* Closures have begun, the Tribune reports…
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*** UPDATED x1 *** House sponsor indicates SEIU Healthcare is winning legislative battle against nursing homes
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sun-Times…
* Much of the information in the piece was covered by Crain’s Chicago Business a week ago. From that story…
The House voted to concur on the amendment six days after the Senate passed the amended HB2507. It ended up clearing both chambers without a single vote against. The governor has suggested that members didn’t quite know what they were voting for. * But here’s something not mentioned in either story: While it’s true that the Health Care Council of Illinois has contributed $115,000 to three of Harmon’s campaign committees since early August, the chief opponent to the amendment, SEIU Healthcare IL/IN, has contributed a total of $137,000 to Harmon’s personal and caucus committees since late August. And SEIU Healthcare has contributed a total of $373,000 to state legislative committees since the start of August, including $137,000 to Speaker Chris Welch’s personal and caucus committees. Those contributions appear to have had an impact. * The House’s chief sponsor, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, told Crain’s that she would move for an override, but also said she’d be willing to pull out the nursing home language if that’s what her colleagues wanted. Well, a week later, she indicated to the Sun-Times that her colleagues weren’t thrilled about voting to override the governor’s veto. But Rep. Kifowit’s quote was buried near the end of the story…
If the bill’s sponsor in the originating chamber is saying that, then SEIU Healthcare has likely won the floor fight, regardless of any shenanigans in the spring. There’s still almost two weeks left to go, though. *** UPDATE *** I asked the Senate sponsor of the amendment in question, Celina Villanueva, if Harmon or his chief of staff had anything to do with the nursing home language. Sen. Villanueva’s response…
A whole lot of ink may have been spilled for nothing.
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The CCS Opportunity In Illinois
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Carbon capture and storage, or “CCS,” is a technology that captures carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at their source and stores them deep underground. CCS is a proven and safe process and the Illinois State Geologic Survey has confirmed that our state’s geology is perfectly suited for this technology. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) enforces federal requirements to regulate the safety of the pipelines that will support CCS. In addition to delivering a cleaner environment, CCS will generate $3.3 billion in value for the region and could spur 14,440 jobs. Now is the time to bring carbon capture technology and its environmental and economic benefits to Illinois. Policymakers must pass legislation to advance CCS and bring this opportunity to Illinois.
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These staffing contracts, and the people who oversee them, need a much closer look
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From a July 28, 2023 memo to IEMA Division of Operations staff sent by Acting Chief of Operations Mike McPeek…
* IEMA’s response to my questions, including if the resignations had anything to do with staffing contracts, including one (click here) with Favorite Staffing…
* Lauren FitzPatrick at the Sun-Times kept digging. This is from August…
Interesting. Three of Director Tate-Nadeau’s very top people were initially praised by IEMA, but two of them were barred from ever working there again? Swinford and Sullivan had worked with Tate-Nadeau when she was a brigadier general in the Illinois National Guard. March worked for Tate-Nadeau at Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications for years. Tate-Nadeau is still running IEMA. * FitzPatrick today…
So, if Gentry was so good, why did she quit? Also, Elizabeth Findley served as Tate-Nadeau’s private secretary, but she was ousted in August, according to the Sun-Times…
Hmm. Do you get the feeling that you can’t trust anything IEMA is saying? * Let’s move on to a Tribune story from last week…
This is definitely a crisis requiring lots of staff working long hours amidst a national worker shortage. The question is if the people are actually putting in all those hours. * Tribune today…
* Gov. JB Pritzker was asked yesterday whether he thought the Favorite Staffing contract should undergo a performance audit and whether the state was going to look at its own contract with the company…
Please pardon all transcription errors. Asked if people were doing good work if they were working 12-hour days for 56 days straight taking care of people, Pritzker said…
Again, there is no doubt that the country has a worker shortage. There’s also no doubt that emergency situations require people to put in long hours. The question here and with the IEMA contract is whether people are actually putting in the work. And considering how IEMA’s stories keep shifting, it’s a legit question. Hopefully, the internal IEMA rumors about an ongoing investigation by the Office of Executive Inspector General are true and somebody will get to the bottom of this.
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West Town residents file lawsuit to delay shelter for asylum-seekers
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ABC Chicago…
* Block Club Chicago…
South Shore residents re-filed a lawsuit to stop the city from housing asylum-seekers in public buildings earlier this month. * Related…
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Open thread
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Happy Friday! What’s going on with y’all today?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Oct 27, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: The first week of veto session is all wrapped up. Capitol News Illinois…
- Rep. Larry Walsh announced Wednesday that he would not pursue a veto override vote for a policy that would have granted downstate electric utilities right of first refusal. - When legislators return, they’ll consider reforms to the state’s nuclear policy and a potential extension of a controversial tax credit program that funds private school scholarships. * Related stories… ∙ WAND: Illinois senators share stories of constituents, family impacted by Israel-Hamas war ∙ WTTW: Illinois House Approves Proposal Clearing the Path for Legislative Staff to Unionize But Future in Senate Is Unclear ∙ Center Square: Illinois lawmakers have yet to address expiring Invest in Kids scholarship program * Isabel’s top picks… * Sun-Times | Assistant in Pritzker’s emergency agency quits amid questions over pay that peaked at $48K a month: Illinois taxpayers have been paying $28,000 to $48,000 a month for the executive assistant to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s director. Between February and August, the assistant has accounted for $240,761.30 in billings — double the salary of her boss, Alicia Tate-Nadeau — during that period. * Sun-Times | Senate President Don Harmon gives back red-light-camera company’s campaign cash after Sun-Times report: “They returned those two contributions,” the spokesman says, referring to Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate and the ISDF fund for Senate Democrats. Each of those campaign funds is run by Harmon, D-Oak Park. Each accepted a $2,500 contribution from Redspeed Illinois on June 30, about six weeks after the General Assembly, with Harmon’s support, passed what was portrayed as reform legislation that banned political contributions from the red-light camera industry and company executives. At 10:45 Governor Pritzker will be in Libertyville to launch a new Illinois-made EV charger at EVBox’s North America Headquarters. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * ABC Chicago | Maine mass shooting reignites debate over ‘Red Flag’ gun control laws in Illinois: “I think we need to start with a federal ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines,” said Gun Violence Prevention PAC President Kathleen Sances. “Every state should implement a Red Flag Law.” […] “Obviously… you have to have somebody who’s willing to report it if somebody’s willing to go through that process in order to have those red flag laws go into effect,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said. * Sun-Times | ‘Power and control’ frame Edward Burke’s legacy. A federal jury will soon decide that legacy’s coda.: From his perch as 14th Ward alderman, he controlled judicial slate-making, a position that propelled his wife to rise to the job of chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court even as he faced indictment. Even mayors who despised Burke didn’t dare to depose him as chairman of the council’s Finance Committee, fearing the potential he had to stymie their legislative agendas. * WBEZ | Chicago officials are defending a contract extension with a Kansas-based company to staff migrant shelters: The city’s Department of Family and Support Services signed the yearlong contract extension Monday with Favorite Healthcare Staffing, the city’s procurement website shows. The city has paid the vendor at least $56 million, with numerous hours of overtime paid at a higher rate, the Chicago Tribune previously reported. * Tribune | Chicago officials say trip to Texas helped build collaboration with border cities in addressing migrant crisis: In a briefing with reporters Thursday, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s deputy chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas said the group’s biggest takeaway from the trip included the need for a coalition made up of border and interior cities, such as Chicago, to advocate for a comprehensive federal resettlement plan that includes increased and flexible funding for sheltering operations and overall expenses. * Sun-Times | Highland Park massacre suspect’s father wants to call his son as a witness in his own trial next month: In a series of motions filed last week, Robert Crimo Jr.’s lawyer also asked a judge to use video of the son’s eight-hour interrogation with police as evidence. The shooting suspect’s father is set to go to trial Nov. 6 on counts of reckless conduct for signing his son’s gun-ownership application in 2019 when he was underage. * TSPR | Farmer, former AFSCME president Crowl enters race in 17th Congressional District: Scott Crowl of Milan has joined the field of candidates for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District in next year’s election. Crowl touts himself as a lifelong farmer and former AFSCME union president, and not a career politician. “I am entering the political arena to try to save our country from economic disaster and social ruin,” Crowl said in a statement announcing his candidacy. * Block Club | Bally’s Casino Gets Permanent Gaming License: In addition to greenlighting Bally’s casino license, the gaming board voted to allow Bally’s to extend its lease at Medinah Temple by an a year. This means Medinah Temple will remain a temporary casino until 2026, giving Bally’s another year to complete its permanent site. * Sports Handle | Betway Withdraws Application For Online-Only Sports Wagering License In Illinois: The withdrawal by Betway again leaves all three online-only licenses unclaimed. It also again raises the question of whether the $20 million fee for an online-only license is too expensive an entry point despite Illinois being the No. 2 market nationally. Illinois welcomed its eighth mobile operator in late September with the launch of Circa Sports, which was followed by Circa’s retail launch at The Temporary in Waukegan earlier this month. * WTTW | With a Comprehensive Overhaul for Chicago’s Pension Woes Elusive, Small Fixes on Tap for Veto Session: The working group formed by Mayor Brandon Johnson in June to tackle Chicago’s acutely underfunded pensions has yet to craft a comprehensive plan to address one of the major fiscal challenges facing the city — but small fixes could be on tap during this month’s veto session, members told WTTW News. * Tribune | Suburban school district allows Hampshire students to perform musical featuring gay teens: ‘A lot of excitement and relief’: Susan Harkin, the superintendent of District 300, said in a statement Thursday that the district developed a “comprehensive safety plan” alongside law enforcement and the village of Hampshire that “provides the necessary protections for ‘The Prom’ to be performed within a safe and supportive environment.” * Sun-Times | Brown Sugar Bakery opens new manufacturing facility, eyes nationwide expansion: Brown Sugar Bakery has been a mainstay on Chicago’s South Side and has operated at other locations, including at Navy Pier, that have closed. Its current storefront selling cakes, chocolates and candies is based in Greater Grand Crossing, at 328 E. 75th St. But now Hart will be able to sell her products nationwide with the new manufacturing facility, formerly the home of Cupid Candies’ factory, near 76th Street and Western Avenue. The new plant will likely employ 50 people by the end of the year, she said. * Tribune | Former Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks named manager of the Windy City ThunderBolts: Jenks earned Pioneer League Manager of the Year honors after leading the Grand Junction Rockies to the championship in 2022. He served as pitching coach for the Princeton WhistlePigs of the Appalachian League last season. “I love baseball and I want to put a winning product on the field,” Jenks said. “I believe I can do that and my track record has shown that I can do that.” * Block Club | Historians Push For Recognition Of Black Panther Party Site In Chicago: The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party is now working to update the listing of the church in the National Register of Historic Places to commemorate its Black history. The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council will consider the proposal Friday. If it recommends the amendment, the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer will decide whether to nominate the change to the National Park Service, which would make the final determination about updating the listing. * Tribune | UAW-Ford tentative agreement will bring thousands back to work at Chicago Assembly Plant in coming days: The UAW said Ford workers will return to work while the agreement goes through the ratification process. The strike will continue at Stellantis and General Motors. “There was a lot of excitement last night when we heard the news,” said Chris Pena, president of UAW Local 551, which represents workers at the Chicago Assembly Plant. “There was a giant sigh of relief that we’re going back to work.”
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