|
Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * First, here’s an update on the baby robins nesting on my front porch…  Won’t be long now. * Have a great weekend… Ain’t nobody cryin’
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Telegraph | Illinois mine subsidence bill passes Senate, goes to Pritzker: A bipartisan bill that would change Illinois’ mine subsidence insurance rules is on its way to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. Illinois House Bill 5376, sponsored by Metro East Republican lawmakers Rep. Amy Elik and Sen. Erica Harriss, would change how mine subsidence insurance is funded and managed, and how coverage applies when homes or businesses are damaged by land sinking above old underground mines. * Tribune | CPD body removal contractor saw license suspended in November, records show: The license of Nakia Wallace-Harrison, president of Wallace-Harrison Funeral Home Inc., was suspended indefinitely in November 2025 by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which cited her “failure to file and/or pay Illinois state income taxes.” The lapse in licensing appears to violate the terms of the $4.4 million contract awarded last year to Wallace-Harrison Funeral Home, the subject of a newly filed lawsuit by the former contract holder, Allied Services Group. * Block Club | 300-Unit Housing Complex Could Be Coming To Busy Lincoln Square Corner, Alderman Says: The pitch isn’t finalized and would still need to go through the ward’s community zoning process and the city’s planned development process if the developer submits a formal proposal. But the rough outline of the plan could lead to at least 60 of the units being set aside as affordable housing based on city rules, Vasquez said. * Tribune | A former Tribune critic’s writings are being adapted into opera for the second time. This time, it’s his life onstage: “That not only was the first time that my friends and colleagues at the Tribune found out that I’m the son of survivors, but kids I went to school with in Skokie told me, ‘Hey, I’m the child of survivors, also’ — and I was 49 years old when that story ran,” Reich, now 72, recalls. “I cannot tell you how little this subject was discussed as I was growing up in the 1950s and ’60s.” The code of silence that surrounded the Shoah is nearly unimaginable today, when Holocaust education can, in some cases, even take the form of an opera. Reaping from his own writing, Reich supplied the libretto for “The Dialogue of Memories,” a one-act arriving at the Studebaker Theater on May 23 and 24. * WGN | Millionaire’s museum sparks legal fight: Fred Eychaner is a prominent philanthropist and Democratic donor. He is also the founder of 659 Wrightwood, an art museum and exhibition space. When completed, the expanded property will sit within a few feet of Lisa Berron’s condo building and extend above her roofline – potentially blocking her views and light. “It’s so upsetting,” Berron said. “Like when they told me what they were going to put next door, I was just, like, crushed.” * WGN | Calumet City mayor answers questions on controversial spending: Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones answered questions and concerns Thursday night regarding tens of thousands of dollars charged to his city credit card for meals and travel. […] Jones had refused to speak with WGN-TV regarding his spending for weeks, but that changed Thursday after City Council voted to require him to submit receipts to prove the money he spent benefited taxpayers. […] “I’m not Tiffany Henyard. I’m not a woman. I’m Thaddeus Jones. He disrespected me by trying to loop me in with Tiffany Henyard,” Jones said. “Tiffany Henyard was a bad elected official. I’ve been in office and brought over $900 million back to my district, $126 million to Calumet City.” * WGN | Aurora Christian Schools board member accused of long-term minor sex abuse: In December, a man in his 20s reported to Aurora police that he had been a victim of child sex abuse beginning when he was an early teen. Police allege that Herbert used a trusted relationship to groom and abuse the victim over several years. Herbert allegedly provided gifts, money and other incentives as part of the abuse. As the investigation progressed, detectives developed information indicating Herbert may have had similar interactions with other juvenile male victims. * Daily Herald | Schaumburg police erase staffing shortage after overhauling hiring process: In May 2025, 13 vacancies among the department’s 119 officer positions were causing problems with overtime and fatigue. Officials realized they needed to cut their six-month hiring process down to the regional standard of two months. Now, there are zero vacancies with 24 recruits at three different levels of readiness prepared to hit the streets this year. * Pioneer Press | Glencoe’s Frank Lloyd Wright cottage, past home to racist lawyer and suffragette, may open to public: However, the historical society also plans to acknowledge that the name of Sherman Booth was stripped from the cottage in 2024 after historical society Board members researching the exhibit “Blacks in Glencoe” discovered Sherman Booth had participated in a racist scheme to keep Blacks, Italians and Greeks out of Glencoe through racially restrictive real estate covenants. * Daily Herald | Elgin to purchase mobile hydration station to provide free water at events: Elgin City Council members on Wednesday approved a plan to purchase a WaterTap trailer, a mobile hydration station that will provide free drinking water to people attending various public events. The hope is to reduce the reliance on single-use plastic bottles. The $40,000 purchase of the trailer will be funded with money the city receives from the Lakeshore Recycling System’s Annual Green Initiatives in-kind fund. That fund contributes $25,000 annually to the city as part of the company’s contract to provide refuse and recycling services. The current available fund balance is $50,000. * BND | New Athens principal resigns amid scrutiny over response to gun found on child: A New Athens principal is resigning amid scrutiny of her actions after staff found an unloaded gun in a first-grader’s backpack. New Athens Community Unit School District 60’s board accepted elementary and junior high principal Stephanie Kennedy’s resignation at its meeting on Monday. She has been on a paid suspension in relation to the incident since it happened in late April, School Board President Karen Meyer said during the meeting. * WGLT | ISU student deposits drop as enrollment cliff arrives: ISU student deposits are down 8% compared to last year, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign atypically had to tap into its waitlist, according to Jeff Mavros, ISU’s executive director of admissions and recruitment marketing. As of a couple weeks ago, most institutions in the state were down in student deposits, he said, although the University of Illinois at Chicago reported positive deposit numbers. A spokesperson for Bradley University in Peoria said its first-year student deposits rose 30%. Heartland Community College headcount for the fall is up by 1% and credit hours are up 3%. Numbers for Illinois Wesleyan University were not immediately available. * WGLT | Normal to vote on 6-month data center moratorium: In a memo to the town council, staff say a moratorium would give the town the necessary time to “study best practices, evaluate local conditions, and develop clear, consistent standards within the Town Code. This will ensure that future data center development, if permitted, aligns with community priorities and infrastructure capacity.” Staff say data centers present “distinct challenges and impacts” that the town’s land-use regulations are not currently built to address. […] Mayor Chris Koos has said the town has not received any inquiries from data center operators. * WCIA | Fuyao Glass expansion to add hundreds of jobs at Mt. Zion facility: Fuyao Glass announced on Thursday plans to expand its Mt. Zion facility. It will make the facility the largest float glass plant in the country and create 200 additional jobs. Officials from the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce said the project is awaiting approval from the federal government before proceeding with the expansion. * Illinois Times | An AI anniversary logo: Sangamon County officials revealed an artificial intelligence-driven logo concept to commemorate America’s 250 years of independence and 100 years of Route 66 at the May 12 county board meeting. The logo, which District 17 board member Annette Fulgenzi said has some things to clean up, appears to depict Sangamon County with Christian County’s borders appended to the capital county’s southeast corner and only has 12 stripes for its colonial flag background. […] The statement prompted some groans from audience members waiting to eventually discuss the county’s April approval for CyrusOne’s conditional permitted use of 280 acres of agriculturally zoned land to build a hyperscale AI data center. But that sentiment wasn’t shared publicly by any board members; there was only praise for the design. * WGLT | After April tornadoes, McLean County continues home repairs with no federal loans: Cathy Beck, director of the McLean County Emergency Management Agency [EMA], said the Small Business Administration [SBA] determined not enough homes in the county met the threshold to provide low-interest home repair loans. “We follow the FEMA guidelines on creating the damage categories, which enabled IEMA to bring in SBA or request SBA to come and do an assessment and see if we can get support,” Beck said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. * Bloomberg | AI Buildout Drives 76% Power Bill Jump on Largest US Grid: The total cost of wholesale power on the 13-state grid managed by PJM Interconnection LLC averaged $136.53 per megawatt-hour in the first three months of the year, according to a report from Monitoring Analytics, the grid’s independent market monitor. That compares to $77.78 per megawatt-hour during the same period in 2025. * Vulture | The Feed Is Fake: That “viral” song, movie, meme, influencer, and celebrity drama was probably the product of a stealth marketing campaign: Joe Lim estimates that 90 percent of what you see on the internet is advertising in disguise, and he should know. For three years, Lim ran a company called Floodify, which at its peak operated 65,000 dummy social-media accounts used to drum up attention on behalf of paying clients. On a typical day, he says, Floodify posted 50,000 videos across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X, all of them designed to pass for the unscripted output of ordinary users. * Post-Tribune | All 22 linked to ‘Greek’ Northwest Indiana gambling ring plead not guilty: Breen said his client was slated to be named man of the year by his parish, but “didn’t want to take on the responsibility” because his relative was sick. He also said Rovito had donated Thanksgiving turkeys in the past. The lawyer was then asked to respond to allegations that Rovito told Gerodemos he would “shove” Victim 2’s head into a machine at a Florida casino. “It didn’t happen,” he replied to the incident detailed in the federal indictment. * CNN | Penile implant specialist with history of far-right comments led Hantavirus presser: As the Trump administration sought to reassure Americans this week that a hantavirus outbreak posed little risk to the public, Dr. Brian Christine, one of the top public health officials in charge of infectious disease policy, stood before reporters in Nebraska promising a response “grounded in science” and “grounded in transparency.” Before he joined the Trump administration last year, Christine was an Alabama-based urologist who specialized in penile implants. He has little public health experience and a history of far-right commentary and promoting conspiracy theories. He’s said the Covid pandemic led to a wider government plot to control people, compared the Biden administration to Nazi Germany and suggested the Covid vaccine had little effect in stopping the pandemic. * NYT | Martin Short and the Secret to Finding Joy While Surviving Tragedy: This particular brand of resiliency — “laughing wild, amid severest woe,” as the poet Thomas Gray put it — is an undercurrent of “Marty, Life Is Short,” which takes its name from Short’s response to a talk-show question about how to cope with the death of parents. He said that you could despair, but that he chose to conclude that life was short and that there were tools developed in disaster. “You became your own therapist,” he told me, adding that this grieving period helped him develop “muscles to survive.”
|
|
A question nobody appears to be asking
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * ABC7…
According to the report, there are 246 “AWOL Individuals with Active Warrants.” More from the report…
* HGOP response…
One of the problems I have with this statement is “if offenders commit a new felony.” People are still supposed to be presumed innocent in this country - until the US Supreme Court decides to overturn another mountain of stare decisis. * I do think this sort of thing should be looked at by the legislature because the locals don’t seem to be doing a very good job. In the meantime, nobody appears to be even wondering aloud why the sheriff and local police departments haven’t rounded these folks up. That needs to be addressed ASAP.
|
|
After initial denial, Pritzker reveals hospital trip (Updated)
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I had heard that the governor had been taken to the hospital yesterday. I called Pritzker’s press office. They called me back a little over an hour later and denied it. I expressed my strong displeasure with them today. NBC Chicago…
* Sun-Times…
And we still don’t know what that procedure was earlier this month and why he had to go to the hospital this week. …Adding… I wasn’t the only one…
|
|
Stop Rx Drug Deserts. Say No To HB 1443!
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] HB 1443 would create a state-appointed Prescription Drug Affordability Board with the authority to review and set upper payment limits on selected prescription drugs. While well-intentioned, this misguided legislation risks harming patients’ community pharmacies without addressing the real drivers of health care costs. Allowing government appointees to intervene in decisions between patients and their physicians raises serious concerns. Moreover, despite being enacted in multiple states, these boards have failed to deliver meaningful savings. Two states have set upper payment limits, yet in the seven years since the first board was established, there is no evidence of a single dollar saved for patients. In Illinois, community pharmacies are essential to the communities they serve, providing access to critical medicines and treatments. If upper payment limits are set below pharmacies’ acquisition costs, pharmacists could be forced to dispense drugs at a loss or stop carrying certain drugs altogether. This puts patient access at risk, especially those who depend on nearby, trusted community-based pharmacies. Illinois’ health care system is already incredibly fragile. HB 1443 advances policy with no record of lowering costs for patients or supporting the sustainability of community pharmacies. Don’t force community pharmacies to choose between financial loss and patient access. We urge you to oppose HB 1443. Paid for by PharmaScript and the Greater Chicagoland Black Chamber of Commerce
Comments Off |
|
It’s just a bill
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Transformer…
* WIRED reporter Max Zeff…
* WAND…
* Sen. Laura Ellman…
* Merrill Cole, president of the Western Illinois University chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois…
* The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies…
* WCIA…
* More… * Press release | Johnson passes measure to expand access to life-saving asthma medication at Illinois schools: “By keeping asthma medication in gyms and practice fields, we allow students to participate in sports and activities without worrying about access to medication,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “Quick access to life-saving medication can make all the difference in an emergency.” House Bill 4247 would allow schools to maintain a supply of asthma medication at practice fields and gyms and permit coaches and athletic trainers to administer undesignated asthma medication. * Press release | Rep. Fritts Joins Press Conference on Affordability; Demands Gas Tax Suspension: Today, State Representative Brad Fritts (R-Dixon) joined his Republican colleagues in a press conference on affordability in Illinois. He championed legislation to suspend the gas tax to provide immediate relief to Illinois residents. “Affordability is the top issue for Illinoisans,” said Fritts. “At any time, Governor Pritzker could join our efforts by temporarily suspending the state sales tax on gas, which is a tax on a tax. I signed onto House Bill 5738, which would suspend the state sales tax on gas for six months, to allow Illinois families to save a little bit of extra money every time they fill their tank. * WSJ | ‘Yimby’ Has Arrived in Illinois, and Some Cities Don’t Like It: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is taking a page from other blue states to combat a housing shortage, proposing that Illinois take some control away from locals. The governor and his allies in the statehouse have introduced legislation that would remove some zoning control from municipalities to clear a path for faster development of multiunit housing. They are facing opposition from a group of cities and towns that have introduced their own bill that they say would increase housing but allow them to keep control over how and where it is built. * WAND | IL Senate committee approves bill requiring diaper ingredients transparency for consumers: This plan requires each package or box of diapers sold in Illinois to include a printed list of all ingredients. Sponsors said the Attorney General or state’s attorneys could enforce this change and collect civil penalties from companies violating the policy. “We will be having a runoff period for packaging on the shelves,” said Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl (D-Northbrook). “The order that the ingredients are listed is from most to least with the exception that the very small 1% elementary can be whatever order, as it becomes hard to distinguish at that level.”
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Advocates, accusing governor of ‘lack of engagement,’ urge passage of data center regulations by end of May. Capitol News Illinois…
- With less than three weeks left before lawmakers are slated to adjourn, however, it’s unclear whether the wide-ranging bill will come together and whether Gov. JB Pritzker will throw his support behind any specific regulatory proposal. - “We are confused and concerned by the Governor’s lack of engagement on the issue of data centers this spring legislative session,” Kady McFadden, lead lobbyist on behalf of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition that has been behind several recent energy reforms, said in a statement. - Pritzker mentioned data centers in his February State of the State address, calling for PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator that covers all or part 13 states from Illinois to the East Coast, to require data center developers to pay for and provide their own energy. * Related stories… Sponsored by American Innovators Network
* Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Telegraph | Illinois warns of rising tick activity and disease risk: The best protective measure against tickborne illness is preventing tick bites, no matter where residents are in. IDPH has created an interactive Tickborne Disease Dashboard that documents Illinois counties where different tick species have been confirmed, along with the diseases they may carry. The CDC noted in April that across the United States, visits to emergency rooms for tick bites are higher than normal, according to the CDC’s Tick Bite Tracker. In all regions except the South Central United States, weekly rates of emergency room visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017. * Capitol News Illinois | Behind the scenes of Illinois’ AI regulatory negotiations: llinois’ bill would take things a step further than California and New York in at least one regard: requiring that large AI companies annually retain a third party for an independent audit of the mechanisms they have in place to mitigate catastrophic risks. “We need to have outside reporting rather than reporting from within,” said state Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, the bill’s sponsor. * Sun-Times | Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover’s bid for freedom is now in Gov. JB Pritzker’s hands: Rev. Michael Pfleger and former Chicago mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green said they’ve lobbied Pritzker to free the onetime gang kingpin. Hoover’s clemency petition poses potential political costs and benefits for the governor as he seeks reelection and mulls a possible run for the presidency. * Center Square | Springfield strains for balanced budget; Illinois revenue forecast shifts down: Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, also brought up a worry she had about the state’s heavy reliance on income from interest to maintain a stable budget. “It’s our job to make sure that we have a sustainable budget moving forward. When I see a bunch of shifting, weakening numbers and only one holding up the fort, I don’t like to put all my eggs in one basket,” Ventura said. Clayton Klenke, director of COGFA, said while being heavily reliant on interest rates may look concerning, he does not expect a sharp drop in interest rates, at least in the coming year. * Stand for Children’s latest newsletter includes an Illinois-themed crossword puzzle that’s “somewhat” inspired by the Italian beef state sandwich bill. Click here to check it out. * Crain’s | Johnson pitches city takeover of stadium authority to keep Bears in Chicago: Hoping to keep the Chicago Bears in the city, Mayor Brandon Johnson has floated giving Chicago more control of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, a complicated plan likely to receive significant pushback in Springfield. The discussion is part of the mayor’s broader effort to convince members of the General Assembly to stall or shoot down a megaprojects bill that would help the Bears move to Arlington Heights and creates new tiers of tax subsidies meant to spur development in Chicago. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson decries further cuts to CPS in district’s budget plan: Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday condemned further cuts to Chicago Public Schools following the district’s latest proposal to address a yawning budget deficit by eliminating teaching staff, arguing the fate of Black enrollment is at stake. During an interview with the Tribune ahead of his three-year mark in office, the mayor responded to questions on planned cuts to teaching positions in the next school year by saying the nation’s fourth-largest school district needs to spend more, not less. Throughout the sit-down, Johnson also stuck to his talking points on Chicago needing more progressive taxation while continuing to refuse to say if he will run for a second term next year. * Block Club | 3 Years In, Mayor Defends Bike Lanes And Talks CTA Safety — But Is Mum On Reelection: “CTA Non-Congregate Bed Program to serve transit-based unsheltered populations, prioritizing high-need CTA locations such as O’Hare, 95th/Dan Ryan, Howard, Forest Park, the Loop, and bus stops,” reads a bullet point in the plan’s first pillar. Few additional details have been released about the program, but Johnson said he hopes it will be up and running “within the next year” — although he admitted budget shortfalls could delay it further. “It could take longer. Because there are some funding challenges that we have,” he said, before reiterating his longstanding call for the state legislature to pass “progressive revenue” measures like a millionaire’s tax. * Tribune | Chicago ‘Dreamers’ say they’re fearful of job loss and deportations: More than 260 “Dreamers,” or children who were brought to the U.S. at a young age and stayed under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, were arrested by the Department of Homeland Security in 2025, according to a Feb.11 letter from former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to Durbin, which he referenced in the May 12 focus hearing. Of those individuals, at least 86 were deported from the U.S. to countries where the “Dreamers,” now adults, may have no familiarity. In the letter, Noem said 241 of them had criminal histories, which the Tribune was unable to verify. * ABC Chicago | Chicago Fire Department member dies during training exercise on North Side, CFD says: “The Chicago Fire Department mourns the loss of a 30-year member who died today during a training exercise,” a statement read. “A procession to the Medical Examiner’s Office is pending.” […] The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the fallen firefighter as 61-year-old Steven Decker. * Daily Southtown | South suburban Black leaders protest redistricting in Southern states, urge higher voter turnout: Guided by Cook County Commissioner Kisha McCaskill, the leaders pointed to low voter turnout numbers in the south suburbs and urged the audience to mobilize neighbors, clergy and even the people sitting around their dinner tables to vote in the November midterm elections. “A voteless people is a hopeless people,” repeated several speakers, quoting a phrase used to mobilize Black voters in the 1930s. Despite Illinois being a supermajority Democratic state, officials, including former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., said they worry the Supreme Court decision could affect Illinois, as the protections that informed the state’s existing voting map are formally gone. * Daily Herald | ‘It’s so pervasive’: Why Cook sheriff is cracking down on expressway shoulder drivers: Dart’s office is using the new, $11 million helicopter added to its fleet last year to identify, track down and ticket drivers using the shoulders to avoid backups on Chicago-area expressways. “You’d have to be an idiot not to know how dangerous it is,” Dart told us Thursday. “And yet it’s so pervasive.” * Daily Herald | ‘Something lasting’: Buffalo Grove developer has big plans for former Walgreens HQ: Shorewood first engaged with Orion about the property roughly a year ago. Orion set the table by demolishing the six office buildings on the campus. “They were a constructive seller — they took the necessary step of demolishing the existing buildings to get the site to a marketable stage, which made the acquisition cleaner,” Schriber said. “We commend Orion for that. It was a big reason we were able to close as quickly as we did.” * WGLT | Bloomington to consider temporary moratorium on data centers: “To allow time for a more comprehensive review process, staff is going to propose a temporary moratorium on applications for hyperscale data centers while updated regulations are considered,” City Manager Jeff Jurgens said in a news release. Mayor Dan Brady said a moratorium, if approved, would give the city time to review standards and gather more public feedback before putting permanent rules in place. * WICS | Logan County recommends another data center moratorium, could kill project as a result: Logan County’s zoning committee is recommending a new moratorium for data centers. This follows months of debate and discussion, and a previous 60-day moratorium. The committee voted 3 to 2, recommending a 90-day moratorium be imposed on data center construction. The vote came after two hours of debate between potential developer Hut 8, committee members, and the public. * Illinois Times | Wyndham plywood gets a paint job: More than six months after the Wyndham Springfield City Centre Hotel had its first-floor windows boarded, city workers began painting those coverings to keep the property compliant with a city ordinance. David Fuchs, director of Public Works, told Illinois Times the city had asked the Wyndham owner to paint the coverings, as required by the city’s ordinance requiring property owners to maintain enclosures of vacant buildings, but the owner had not complied. Now, the city is stepping in and plans to bill the owner for the work completed, Fuchs said. He was unsure how much the city would ultimately charge as city workers were still painting when Fuchs responded to IT on May 14, the day the work began. * WGLT | Divided McLean County Board rejects pay raise for members: The proposal would have increased a member’s salary to $6,400 in 2029 and 2030. The chairman’s pay would have increased from $19,522 to $25,574 in those same years. Administrator Cassie Taylor said in Central Illinois, county board member salaries range from $2,400 in Tazewell County to $11,006 in Peoria County. Champaign County, meanwhile, pays $60 a meeting, and Kankakee County members make $85 per meeting. * WGLT | A new Route 66 book shares stories from forgotten women who shaped the Mother Road: Illinois author and Route 66 historian Cheryl Eichar Jett’s latest book, Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66, documents the roles women have played along the highway’s 2,448-mile stretch—from Chicago to Los Angeles—over the past century. […] Jett said the idea for a book about women’s roles in Route 66 grew out of a pattern she noticed while researching and traveling the famous highway. “Many of the women’s stories along Route 66 were unrecognized or forgotten,” Jett said in and interview for WGLT’s Sound Ideas. * WICS | Decatur police release body camera footage in crossbow incident; Officers cleared of criminal charges: The Illinois State Police released body camera footage linked to the man accused of pointing a crossbow at Decatur police. […] “Officers secured the perimeter of the building, and a short time later, made entry,” Allen said. “Once inside, the officers encountered an armed subject. The subject presented a crossbow in a shoulder ready type position pointed at the officers.” According to the Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office, the officers will not face criminal charges. The state’s attorney said the officers who responded to the incident acted lawfully. * MediaITE | Taxpayers Have Coughed Up $550,000 in Sexual Harassment Settlements for Members of Congress, CNN Reports: “In its initial production to Congress, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights had missed a $220,0000 payment on behalf of former Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who died in 2021. The payment marks the single biggest congressional sexual harassment settlement known to date and nearly doubles the tax-payer funded total for such cases disclosed last week. Hastings previously called the allegations ‘ludicrous,’” Grayer reported. * NBC | Grocery prices jumped more in April than they did in nearly four years: Driving that increase were substantial price hikes for things like fresh veggies. On an annualized basis, fresh vegetable prices are more than 44% higher today than they were three months ago. Other basic necessities like bread and milk have risen by a more modest 8% and 5% over that same time period, respectively. * The Guardian | Illinois Knight Rider car framed for speeding in New York City: A replica of the talking car Kitt from the 1980s US television action series Knight Rider for years has been parked in a museum about an hour’s drive north of Chicago, so how did it get a speeding ticket in New York City? That is the question the Volo Museum is asking after it says it was recently mailed a $50 fine by New York City for a violation caught by a traffic camera, alleging that its Knight Industries Two Thousand – Kitt for short and a black Pontiac Trans Am – got busted going 9mph over the speed limit in a 25mph zone on 22 April. * AP | Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion pill while lawsuit plays out : The court’s order allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining the drug, mifepristone, at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Access is likely to remain uninterrupted at least into next year as the case plays out, including a potential appeal to the high court.
|
|
Good morning!
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Elizabeth Cotten playing a right-handed guitar upside down on one of my favorite hymns from my childhood… Joe Hill’s response to the hymn is here. * Weekend plans?
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
|
Live coverage
Friday, May 15, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
|
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Diesel prices now averaging $6…
* Crain’s…
* Press release | G-PAC applauds Cook County Board vote urging lawmakers to act on DIY Machine Guns: The Gun Violence Prevention PAC of Illinois (G-PAC), the state’s leading gun violence prevention organization, applauded the Cook County Board of Commissioners for voting today to urge the General Assembly to pass the Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act. Sponsored by Rep. Justin Slaughter and Sen. Celina Villanueva, House Bill 4471/Senate Bill 2801 will address the growing public safety threat of do-it-yourself machine guns. […] “We are so grateful to the Cook County Board of Commissioners for their support in urging the General Assembly to pass the Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act,” said Kathleen Sances, G-PAC President and CEO. “This legislation goes to the root of the problem by holding the gun industry accountable for making a product that is easily made into a weapon of war. Just as we hold other companies responsible for their products, gun manufacturers should be held accountable when their product has extremely deadly consequences on American lives.” * WCIA | Illinois lawmakers advance bill to help consumers get cash back on returns: State Senator Rachel Ventura said House Bill 4044 would prohibit retailers from requiring that people accept store credit instead of a refund on unopened or unused products. Eligible products include any machine, appliance, clothing or similar product that was purchased for personal, family or household purpose, the bill reads. […] House Bill 4044 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. * Axios | Illinois bill targets privacy for abortion care records: Lawmakers have had extensive conversations with health care providers about potential risks associated with segregating information about past abortion care, state Rep. Mary Beth Canty tells Axios. Canty says that post-abortion health issues present like — and can be treated as — a miscarriage, so patients wouldn’t feel forced to share that they received an abortion to get the treatment they needed. * WTTW | Pay $13M to Man Who Spent 26 Years in Prison After Being Wrongfully Convicted, City Lawyers Recommend: Twenty-four Black men have been exonerated after being convicted based on evidence developed by former Chicago Police detectives James Halloran, Kenneth Boudreau, Michael Kill, William Foley, James O’Brien and James Clancy. All were trained by Burge who tortured and beat more than 100 Black men, from the 1970s to the 1990s, city officials have acknowledged. * WTTW | City Lawyers Recommend Paying $3.5M to Family of Little Village Vendor Killed by Driver Being Chased by Police: Jose Almanza-Martinez, 67, died in the crash that ended the chase on Aug. 2, 2020, near 26th Street and Pulaski Road, records show. Almanza-Martinez sold garapiñados — caramelized peanuts and pecans — for 25 years outside a Little Village restaurant, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune. Almanza-Martinez, who was married and had two adult sons at the time of his death, was walking to a nearby drugstore when he was struck and killed, according to the lawsuit filed by his family. * Tribune | Ald. Jim Gardiner sues Chicago ethics watchdogs for defamation, wants $1 million: Gardiner sued the city, the Board of Ethics, the Office of the Inspector General and former Inspector General Deborah Witzburg in Cook County court Monday. He is seeking $1 million. He argued in the suit that a series of investigations into allegations he used city resources to retaliate against a constituent were a malicious ploy “to harass, punish, and drive him out of elected office.” The Ethics Board fined Gardiner $20,000 in 2023 for his conduct, only to later clear him and drop the case. * Tribune | City wrongly awarded lucrative CPD body-removal contract to small funeral home, suit claims: The lawsuit alleges the city terminated its contract with Allied more than a month before it was set to expire. Further, Allied claims the city awarded the contract to Wallace-Harrison despite “obvious” failings in its bid, including a skeleton crew staff, a failure to hold insurance and non-compliance with city rules governing women- and minority-owned businesses. Allied alleged its contract with the city lasted until mid-August 2025, but Allied was “prevented” from performing body removal services after July 1. * Crain’s | Developers seek $50M TIF loan for Loop conversion to new W hotel: The local developers getting a $40 million city subsidy to turn part of a Loop office building into apartments are now seeking a $50 million loan from taxpayers to convert the rest of it into a new 308-room W hotel. The Chicago Community Development Commission this week approved a redevelopment agreement for a $50 million tax-increment financing loan to back the proposed office-to-hotel project at 111 W. Monroe St. The TIF money would help a joint venture of Chicago-based Prime Group and Capri Investment Group finance their planned $166.5 million transformation of the former BMO Harris Bank building’s lower 10 floors and penthouse level. * Block Club | South Chicago’s Only Indoor Pool, Closed Since 2017, Could Soon Reopen: Leaders at the forthcoming Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park and P33, a nonprofit aiming to drive global technology and innovation leadership in the city, ignited efforts this month to revive the dilapidated indoor pool at South Chicago’s Salud Center, 3039 E. 91st St. The century-old pool has been closed since 2017, when previous building owners YMCA shut down the South Chicago hub. It was the only indoor pool within miles of the community. * Block Club | Blue Island Data Center Planners Get Booed By Residents: A proposal to build a data center just over the border from Morgan Park was met with boos during a Blue Island City Council meeting Tuesday night. No preliminary concept for a data center has been submitted to the suburb after city officials announced the plan in April, which was initially met with concerns from residents across the South Side. But on Tuesday, a representative from the Washington-based owners of the land, Builders Capital, addressed the council during a public comment session and said a data center was the only financially viable plan for the site, which formerly housed MetroSouth Medical Center, 12935 Gregory St. * Aurora Beacon-News | Still no home for elm tree, plaque in celebration of America’s 250th, as Kane board votes down courthouse site: With the United States’ 250th birthday less than two months away, one part of Kane County’s celebration still remains undecided: where the county will put an elm tree and a plaque recognizing several Revolutionary War patriots buried in the county, donated by the local Daughters of the American Revolution. On Tuesday, at its monthly meeting, the Kane County Board shot down a proposal to build a “Declaration Square” in honor of America’s 250th behind the county courthouse site in Geneva, leaving the tree and plaque still without a permanent home in the county. The county accepted the historical marker and “Liberty Tree” from the Elias Kent Kane Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, meant to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday, in November. * WTTW | Oh Baby, What a Surprise! Bison Calf Unexpectedly Born to New Herd in Kane County: Well, the secret is out. On May 9, one of the herd’s females gave birth to a calf, the first baby bison born on tallgrass prairie in the county in 200 years, officials estimate. “These things aren’t always planned, as you can imagine,” said Laurie Metanchuk, spokesperson for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County * Capitol City Now | Central Illinois shoppers feeling the pinch of rising costs: Jacob Garecht, a Decatur resident, said he’s seen a lot of price hikes on beef and other meats. As gas prices near $5.00 a gallon in central Illinois, he’s focusing on driving less to save money. “There’s no way around it, and it just seems like it’s just going up and up and up,” Garecht said. “Grocery prices are reflected in that as well. What used to cost maybe $100 for a full cart. Now you’re seeing it’s like 150.” * WAND | Fuyao Glass announces major expansion proposal in Decatur: Fuyao Glass announced a major expansion proposal that representatives said will make it one of the largest glass producers. Rick Price, the Human Resources Vice President of Fuyao Glass Illinois, announced the plan during the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce State of the Community luncheon Thursday. Price said pending federal approval, the facility will be built right next to the current facility in Mt. Zion. It will be a duplicate facility with brand new, up-to-date technology. According to Price, the new facility would create 200 new jobs, including jobs that come from construction. * WAND | Logan County approves 90-day moratorium on large data centers amid resident concerns: The Logan County Zoning Board has voted to approve a 90-day moratorium on large data centers in the county. Some county residents are concerned that data centers could strain the power grid, water supply and farmland. “Thirty to 50 years from now, the decisions they make are going to affect the young children and the young adults that are raising those children now and grandchildren,” resident Tonjia Ritchie said. Many called for a year-long moratorium. However, the Zoning and Economic Development Chairman, Dale Nelson, said the county will lose the deal with Hut 8 if it waits too long, something he said they cannot afford. * BND | If you drank beer, he probably delivered it. Remembering Bob Fritz: His son, Robert L. Fritz, later took over the business, moved it to Belleville, modernized with the times, expanded brands and territory and turned Robert “Chick” Fritz, Inc. into one of the largest beer distributors in Illinois south of Chicago. Known as “Chick” like his father, Bob Fritz died April 28 at age 86. He had never fully recovered from a fall in January, according to his son, Robert G. “Bobby” Fritz, who serves as company president. But he was working several days a week, talking to customers and salesmen, making good on the company’s tagline, “Your friendly distributor.” * AP | Trump has hindered offshore wind while China and other countries invest heavily: There are more than 40 federal offshore wind leases. The Trump administration is buying some leases back, giving payouts to energy companies to walk away from offshore wind. Trump has erected other roadblocks for the industry, while going all-in on fossil fuels. […] China added 6.6 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity in 2025, according to GWEC. China’s total offshore wind capacity stood at 48.4 gigawatts by the end of 2025, the group said. * NYT | Green Card Holders Targeted for Deportation by New ‘Removal Apparatus’: The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to deport at least 50 green card holders through a new unit dedicated to revetting thousands of immigrants with permanent residency across the country, according to internal data obtained by The New York Times. Those cases represent a small fraction of the total number of green card holders who have been reviewed so far. About 2,890 cases had been reviewed or were still being assessed as of May 7. Eighty percent of those cases were deemed as requiring “no further action.” More than 500 green card holders were still under review.
|
|
Madigan pens op-ed from prison
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s Chicago Business op-ed entitled “Pritzker should say ‘yes’ to Trump’s tax credit for students”…
Who wrote it? Check this out…
Not sure that having MJM advocate for this action was such a good idea. Then again, President Trump is mulling a round of 250 pardons as part of the July 4th national celebration.
|
|
CPS budgetary chickens finally come home to roost, but Mayor Johnson blames Statehouse
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WGN earlier this week…
* Mayor Johnson in the Sun-Times today…
* Rich has been warning about this inevitable problem for years. The Tribune lays it out…
From Rich: They put temporary federal aid into their spending base. As you can plainly see, bad things happen when you do that. And, to be clear, this started before Johnson was elected.
|
|
Musical interlude
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Boat Drink Caucus performed the Jimmy Buffett favorite, “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” during the Annual Dave Caucus party on Tuesday…
|
|
Pass 340B Protection Bill – HB 2371 SA 2 – To Support Patients And Healthcare Providers
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] When it comes to healthcare, there’s a lot at stake this legislative session. Illinois faces up to $57 billion in federal Medicaid cuts over 10 years due to H.R. 1, with as many as 300,000 vulnerable Illinoisans expected to lose health coverage. Many Illinoisans are struggling to make ends meet, with higher gas and grocery prices resulting from harmful federal actions. These are the same people served by hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) participating in the federal 340B program. Yet hospitals and FQHCs also face increased costs—from supplies to staffing. The federal government created the 340B Drug Pricing Program in 1992 to help hospitals and FQHCs caring for many low-income patients to expand access to care and provide more comprehensive healthcare services. Hospitals and FQHCs put 340B savings into needed services, such as free health screenings, free transportation to medical appointments, new mobile clinics and freestanding clinics, and more. Recent drugmaker restrictions have complicated the ability of hospitals and FQHCs to continue offering the healthcare historically marginalized communities deserve. Legislator support is critical to ensuring 340B survives and communities thrive—at NO cost to taxpayers and with NO budget appropriation needed. Vote YES on House Bill 2371 SA 2. Patients and providers are counting on you. Learn more.
Comments Off |
|
It’s just a bill
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* Mayors from Sesser, Des Plaines, Lexington and Oak Park in the Tribune…
* WMBD….
* WGLT…
* Tribune…
* Subscribers know more. Center Square…
* Jim Dey…
* More…
* Capitol City Now | Proposals could bring AI out of ‘the wild, wild West’: An emailed statement, attributed to OpenAI vice president of global policy Ann O’Leary, says “OpenAI supports the Illinois legislature’s efforts to advance frontier AI safety through SB 315. As AI systems become more powerful, clear rules around safety, transparency, incident reporting, and accountability are increasingly important. We believe the U.S. should ultimately have national standards for frontier AI safety, but in the absence of federal action, state efforts like this one in Illinois — alongside legislation already in place in California and New York — are helping to create a de facto nationwide approach.” * Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Jackson Potter | Bears-related megaprojects bill is worse than Richard M. Daley’s parking meter deal: Instead of learning from that lesson, Gov. JB Pritzker is pushing to repeat it. Imagine taking the rotten parking meter deal statewide. What’s been presented to all of us as a last-ditch effort to keep the McCaskeys, majority owners of the Bears, from moving the team across the state line is actually a tax rewrite that would include any major development in the state over $100 million. That includes rail lines in Granite City, new warehouses built by Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, a stadium for the Red Stars or another team, and any new corporate headquarters, whether in Chicago or a suburb. * Press release | Villanueva leads measure to strengthen identity protections for youth in state’s care: House Bill 4966, also known as the SECURE Act, would enshrine enforceable standards of conduct for DCFS staff and caregivers of youth in care and ensure children, especially LGBTQ+ youth, receive the same services if placed out of state as they would in Illinois. Under Villanueva’s proposal, the department would be required to protect youth in care from unnecessary and unapproved disclosure of their sensitive identity information, including personal data that is linked or reasonably linkable to a child and identifies the child’s sexual orientation. It would also create a process for DCFS to abide by if it discloses sensitive identity information and would require the department to provide notice to the youth. * Press release | Stadelman leads legislation that protects ticket buyers: Senate Bill 318 would create the Prohibition on Bots Purchasing Tickets Act to prohibit the use of bots, multiple accounts or email addresses to circumvent posted ticket purchasing limits during online ticket sales. The legislation would also prohibit ticket resellers from falsely representing that they are affiliated with an artist, team, venue or event organizer in a way that could mislead consumers. […] Senate Bill 318 – which is part of the Senate’s AI protection package – passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday. For more press releases on legislation and other matters, click here.
|
|
No Cuts. Increase Funding. Save Lives.
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] These hospitals are lifelines for Black and Brown communities, providing critical care, supporting local jobs, and stabilizing entire neighborhoods. After years of chronic underinvestment, many are already operating on the edge. Even small cuts could lead to closures, fewer services, and dangerous gaps in care. The message is urgent and clear: Illinois cannot balance its budget on the backs of vulnerable communities. Protecting these hospitals means more than preventing cuts, it means increasing investment so they can meet the growing needs of the people they serve. Fully fund and strengthen safety-net hospitals. Lives depend on it. Paid for by Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals
Comments Off |
|
Agreed
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Eschaton…
Discuss.
|
|
Credit Unions: Expanding Financial Opportunity Through Community Partnerships
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Strong communities are built through trusted relationships, and partnerships play a critical role in expanding access to financial knowledge and opportunity. These partnerships allow credit unions to meet people where they are and deliver meaningful, practical financial education in spaces where trust already exists. As Michelle Balog, President/CEO of NuMark Credit Union shares, “We’re very proud of a couple of relationships that we’ve built recently… we’re able to bring financial literacy workshops to them, focusing on homeownership and mortgages and being able to have checking accounts and to do more with their money.” The goal is simple: to equip individuals and families with the knowledge and confidence to make informed financial decisions. This work is about more than education; it’s about expanding access, strengthening financial stability, and creating pathways to long-term opportunities. By partnering with our community, we can help ensure more individuals have the tools they need to build a stronger financial future. For more information, visit https://betterforillinois.org/ Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Illinois’ budget picture tightens in final stretch amid economic uncertainty. Capitol News Illinois…
- Pritzker’s budget office decreased its FY27 revenue projection by $173 million to $55.9 billion. The change leaves projected revenue $149 million short of the spending Pritzker proposed — provided lawmakers approve the measures Pritzker proposed in February to bring $728 million in new revenue. - COGFA revised its FY27 projection down by $190 million to $55.3 billion. That doesn’t include Pritzker’s proposed revenues, meaning COGFA’s estimate is actually about $180 million more optimistic than the governor’s office. Sponsored by PhRMA  * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Tribune | Chicago hopes Trump will cooperate as it bids to repeat as host for Democratic National Convention in 2028: Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson offered assurances Wednesday that their ongoing animosity with Republican President Donald Trump wouldn’t hamper security planning with federal agencies if national Democratic officials choose Chicago to repeat as host for the party’s 2028 nominating convention. The two Democratic officials’ comments came as Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, and other party officials wrapped up a three-day visit to Chicago to assess which of the five competing cities will be the best site to host the national convention Aug. 7-10, 2028. Party officials already have been to Atlanta, Denver and Philadelphia, with a site visit to Boston still to come. * Sun-Times | ComEd electric customers brace for double-digit s pike in bills: The average monthly residential bill is $107, according to ComEd, but that charge will jump to at least $120 as more high-tech operations suck up electricity. A credit related to nuclear power and renewable energy that was a temporary relief from high rates is also set to end at the end of this month. The majority of the monthly increase is due to the credit expiring, but as much as a quarter of that jump in cost is due to the high demand of power and prices set by a multistate grid operator known as PJM Interconnection. * Illinois Soil News | Illinois Conservation Leaders Push for Funding Ahead of Budget Deadline as House Panel Prepares to Consider $10 Million SWCD Proposal: The Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts, or AISWCD, said the state’s current SWCD operations funding — approximately $4.5 million statewide, or roughly $40,000 per district annually — has remained largely stagnant for years despite growing conservation demands. “Illinois cannot afford to treat conservation as an afterthought,” said AISWCD Executive Director Eliot Clay. “Communities across Illinois are dealing with increasing pressure on farmland, water resources, and local infrastructure. At the same time, conservation districts have spent years trying to do more with limited and inconsistent funding.” * CBS Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reflects on first three years on the job: Asked if his poll numbers give him pause for concern, Johnson asked, “Why are you worried about that?” TYE: “I’m just asking you.”JOHNSON: “I’ve already expressed that, though.” TYE: “You are both a government leader and you’re a politician, and we’re talking about the vocabulary of politics.” JOHNSON: “And I’m talking about the people of the city of Chicago and their ability to feel safe and affordable in their communities.” * NBC Chicago | How the Chicago Park District would reimagine Soldier Field post-Bears: In an exclusive interview with NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern, Chicago Park District leader Carlos Ramirez-Rosa discussed how the city would pursue, and ultimately use, a $630 million infusion of capital from the state of Illinois to transform the lakefront stadium from a sports venue into a world-class music destination. * Sun-Times | Nominee for city transportation commissioner confirmed after getting an earful from alders: Cheaks said Hopkins is “not the only one who has voiced displeasure” with the traffic nightmare on Cortland, Grand, Kinzie and Halsted caused by those bridge closures. “I have been meeting with my team, and we’re gonna look at what happened there so as not to repeat that in the future,” the new commissioner said. * Chalkbeat Chicago | CPS CEO King subpoenaed to appear at congressional hearing on parental rights, ‘legal abuses’: Rep. Tim Walberg, a Michigan Republican and the chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, notified King about the subpoena in a Wednesday letter. It comes about three weeks after the committee first invited King to testify at a hearing titled, “Breaking Trust: Attacks on Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, and Legal Abuses in America’s Schools,” according to the letter. * Sun-Times | As CPS cuts staff to plug deficit, educator unions and school board members press for more state funding: School board members and union leaders called on Chicago Public Schools Wednesday to pressure the state for more funding as the district faces a projected $732 million budget deficit. The calls came a day after CPS officials outlined plans to cut regular teachers and more than 100 assistant principals in the 2026-27 school year. Kia Banks, the president of the Chicago principals union, said that the budgets presented to school leaders were “disappointing” and “frustrating” and will lead to more instability for schools. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago school board members voice concern about school budget cuts and debate state funding resolution: During the meeting’s public comments section, district officials got an earful from labor leaders on the proposed school budgets. Kia Banks, who leads the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, said the union will fight assistant principal cuts and other reductions. She said many school leaders were taken aback by their budgets after delays in their release. “What we saw was disappointing, frustrating, and sad, and it’s actually self-defeating,” she said, arguing leaner budgets could spur more families to leave the district. * NBC Chicago | University of Chicago offers free tuition for families making less than $250,000: Starting with the university’s autumn quarter next fall, undergraduate students from families with an annual income less than $250,000 are eligible for free tuition and students from households that make less than $125,000 can also get free housing and meals from the school. * NYT | In Chicago, a Big Name Art Show Where the Drawings Dominate: Next month, the Art Institute of Chicago offers a notable exception: “Willem de Kooning Drawing,” on view June 14 to Sept. 20. In the fall, a version of the exhibition goes to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The Chicago show will feature 210 works, largely drawings by the 20th-century master de Kooning (1904-97), with some paintings, sculptures and hybrid works on hand for good measure. * Tribune | Sheriff’s license plate reader deal draws opposition, while AI cameras for Cook County Jail delayed: While they eventually advanced that deal to a final vote Thursday, commissioners deferred another proposed contract from Dart that drew strong opposition from various community groups, to fund artificial intelligence-fueled video surveillance at the Cook County Jail. Dart requested approval for a $1.12 million deal with Safeware for the use of Briefcam, video software powered by artificial intelligence. It is supposed to use facial recognition technology to “detect various types of potential security breaches throughout the Department of Corrections,” according to the proposed contract legislation. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights elected officials set for pay raises after three-decade freeze: The mayor’s salary will increase from $8,500 to $33,000, and trustees’ salaries will go up from $2,800 to $11,000, village board members agreed this week. The increases wouldn’t take effect until after the April 9, 2029, municipal elections — whether the current officials are still on the board or not. * Daily Southtown | Effort to save Blue Island mobile home park culminates in demolished homes, unclear property plans: As 66 homes are set to be demolished by the end of May, what’s next for the more than 15-acre parcel at 13800 Division St., is unknown to the city. An attorney for the property owners, Charles Zivin, said Tuesday he has not heard any recent plans for the property. He said the company received an industrial-use offer from a truck parking company months, but said that is no longer active. Joe Cervantes, one of the residents who advocated for saving the park, said most residents have been priced out of Blue Island and plan to move to Harvey. * Lake County News-Sun | Medline adds solar installation as federal rebates disappear: Although Grayslake Mayor Elizabeth Davies said a significant portion of the building’s electricity now comes from the solar installation, company representatives declined to give specifics. The solar installation, built by PowerFlex, broke ground last summer and wrapped up this spring. The Medline distribution site first opened in 2022 and makes deliveries throughout the Great Lakes region. It sits on the Cornerstone property in the village’s “central range,” which Davies said is bookmarked for “property tax diversification.” * Daily Southtown | Markham files for restraining order against Park District following prom helicopter photoshoot: The city of Markham filed for a temporary restraining order Tuesday in response to Markham Park District Executive Director Quintina Brown arranging a helicopter landing on public property for her daughter’s prom photoshoot. […] Quintina Brown “unilaterally” approved the helicopter landing, the filing said. A letter regarding the authorization, included as an exhibit, was printed on Park District letterhead and signed by Brown. “Please allow this letter to confirm that QuaMyra Brown, has been approved to allow Summer Skyz to conduct a prom photo at our location on May 8, 2026, at 7:00pm,” the letter read. “We understand that this will involve a helicopter being on the premises.” * WGLT | Illinois has 279 new lawyers. The huge 4th judicial district got only 5: The 41-county district encompasses much of Western and Central Illinois, extending from Ford County west to the Iowa state line and running north-south from the Wisconsin border to Macoupin and Jersey County. […] White presided over the swearing in ceremony. She said there are usually more people in the November ceremony, but the trend is real: Most lawyers opt to work in Cook County and its surrounding “collar counties.”The Fourth District fared worst in the most recent pool of graduates, with 93% of newly sworn in lawyers assigned in the northeast corner of the state. The Fifth District, comprised of 48 counties extending from Champaign to the state’s southern tip, got 12 new lawyers this round. * Illinois Times | New mentoring program aims to turn around juvenile offenders: The ceremony marked the first graduating class of a pilot mentoring program created through a partnership among the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office, juvenile court officials, probation services and The Outlet youth center in Springfield. The initiative targets children – many as young as 10 to 12 years old – who have begun getting into trouble but are still early enough in life to redirect. In an interview with Illinois Times, Tharp said the program grew out of discussions among judges, prosecutors, probation officials and community organizations searching for alternatives to formal juvenile prosecution. “What can we do to divert them from court?” Tharp said. “The earlier we can catch them, I think the better.” * ABC Chicago | Kankakee County residents still recovering 2 months after deadly tornado leaves devastating damage: Other homeowners are making significant progress, like Chuck Mathis, who has already replaced his roof and some other parts of the home. He has a hefty cost, already surpassing $45,000, with more work still needed. “I just feel darn lucky I’m still alive, because that was nasty,” Mathis said. “I’ve been through some rough things in my life, but that was enough to scare me.” Aroma Park Mayor Brian Stump says they did not meet the threshold for federal or state funding. He says it’s a day-by-day effort from the whole community, trying to get back to normalcy. * Illinois Times | Historians dispute accuracy of new video at the ALPLM: An exciting tale is told in a new $73,000 state-funded video presentation at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The animated production brings to life the story of Robert Smalls, an enslaved man who purloined a Confederate boat, picked up other enslaved people, and piloted the boat to freedom as they reached the Union naval blockade outside of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1862. The drama is intense, especially the part in the video where Fort Sumter’s cannons fire on the fleeing boat. The video has most of the elements that bring this dramatic and inspiring story to life. What it doesn’t have, according to historians, including at least one from the Presidential Museum, is historical accuracy – especially the part about cannons being fired at the freedom-seekers on the boat. * San Antonio Express | Waymo recalls robotaxis after vehicle swept away in San Antonio flood: The vehicle swept away was unoccupied and there were no injuries, but the incident prompted Waymo to review similar scenarios and issue an interim update to its self-driving software. It also suspended operations in San Antonio, a city prone to flooding and where the April 20 incident was the second recent local instance of a Waymo vehicle struggling with flooding. * NYT | Honda Posts First Ever Annual Loss After Pullback From E.V.s: The automaker reported a net loss of $2.7 billion for the fiscal year that ended March 31. Earnings were weighed down by more than $9 billion in restructuring charges and write-downs following a retrenchment of its E.V. strategy. It is the first loss that the 77-year-old company has reported since listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1957.
|
|
Good morning!
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Senate President Don Harmon last night at the COWL event… * This is an Illinois open thread. What’s up?
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
|
Live coverage
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
|
| « NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |
