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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (updated)
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller …Adding… John Kim announced his retirement to his staff more than two weeks ago…
* The team at Capitol News Illinois will be posting live updates from the RNC. Click here for those updates. They spoke with ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy this afternoon…
* WTTW’s RNC live blog is here. * Let the countdown begin…  * RNC updates…
* Tribune | ‘We’re not intimidated’: Chicago protesters head to Milwaukee for RNC: David Phelps, an abortion rights advocate from the Chicago area who works in tech, said he boarded an early morning train to Milwaukee because he felt the upcoming presidential election in November could be “very depressing” for the future of reproductive rights in the United States. […] “My way of dealing with it is doing something about it,” Phelps said. * Daily Herald | ‘We can’t stay divided’: Rally shooting on minds of RNC delegates: Trump’s close call “got people riled up,” former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said. “So I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement at the convention.” Delegate Richard Lawrence, a former Aurora alderman, said the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally will probably inject “a lot more emotion into the convention,” for the former president, his family and attendees. * Sun-Times | Energetic Illinois Republicans thank ‘an angel’ for Trump’s survival, push for unity: Illinois Republicans roundly celebrated the dismissal of the classified documents case, viewing it as a sign of the former president’s innocence — despite the federal judge not taking up the legality of the actions. The case was dismissed because U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the appointment of Jack Smith as special counsel was unconstitutional. State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said he was not surprised to hear about the classified documents case dismissal — and claimed “this is all because they don’t like the president.” * Borderless | Illinois Law Makes Housing Discrimination Based On Immigration Status A Civil Rights Violation: The law prohibits housing providers from discriminating against a person based on actual or perceived “immigration status” during a real estate transaction, including when renting an apartment, buying a home, applying for a mortgage, or receiving housing-related services. Diana Mendoza Pacheco, a real estate attorney based in Naperville, Illinois, has focused her work around the intersection of immigration and real estate. “There are not a lot of Spanish-speaking attorneys who can explain everything to our community and then individually explain to them how certain immigration consequences can affect their real estate transactions,” she said. * Press Release | Rep. Barbara Hernandez-Backed Firearms Restraining Order Enforcement Grants Issued to Local Police Departments: The Illinois State Police (ISP) is issuing a third round of firearm restraining order enforcement grants-totaling $1.5 million-to law enforcement agencies across the state following a law state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, fought for. “Further funding to ensure law enforcement professionals have the tools they need to enforce firearms laws is a step forward for our community,” Hernandez said. “Following the events of the 2019 Henry Pratt shootings, Aurorans personally know the tragic consequences of guns being in the wrong hands. Our system of firearms restraining orders serve a vital role in Illinois’ public safety system, and it must be strong, or else we’re inviting further tragedy.” * Tribune | Johnson hopes to tap progressive Southwest Side alderman as next Zoning chair: Johnson and his administration recently began calling around to see whether aldermen would be on board with Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, chairing the Zoning Committee, and vice mayor Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, leading the Housing Committee, the Tribune has learned from sources familiar with deliberations. Johnson spokesman Ronnie Reese declined comment Monday. […] Sigcho-Lopez said “conversations are ongoing” Monday morning and added that he did not want to “get ahead” of his potential appointment by discussing it further, while Burnett told the Tribune the administration is “still working on that” and “looking at votes” regarding his potential leadership post. * Chalkbeat | Amid anxiety about Chicago charters’ fate, CPS proposes a slight overall budget boost: But in a $9.9 billion proposed budget for next year released this week, Chicago Public Schools has avoided this approach. The district increased funding at charter schools by about 2.5% — even as some charters with shrinking enrollments are in line for steep cuts in the new budget blueprint. This year, CPS overhauled budgeting for traditional campuses to deemphasize enrollment size and prioritize student needs. But for now, the district is sticking with so-called student-based budgeting for charters, which is more closely tied to enrollment; CPS says state requirements make it trickier to change budgeting for charter campuses. Yet as the district prepares a strategic plan to revitalize neighborhood schools, anxiety about how that vision will impact charters persists. * Sun-Times | Chicago faith leaders react after Donald Trump assassination attempt: Chicago-area faith leaders called for prayers and action following a suspected assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, of St. Sabina Church in the city’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, told congregants Sunday they were waking up to an America where “nobody is safe.” “We’re in a country where hate and violence and, most of all, guns have become a norm,” Pfleger told the Sun-Times. * Sun-Times | Chicago Air and Water Show full lineup for 2024 lakefront event revealed: This year’s show runs 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 10-11, one week earlier than usual, due to the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22 at the United Center. More than 1 million people attend the free lakefront show each year. (Less crowded and also exciting is the practice run held on Aug. 9.) The show is centered at North Avenue beach. * Sun-Times | Mayor’s grooming bill grows: Johnson’s campaign spends another $8,200 on makeup artist: That brings the total amount paid by Johnson’s campaign to the business — based in a South Side home and run by makeup artist and self-described “skincare enthusiast” Denise Milloy — to more than $36,000 in 2023 and 2024, records show. […] Asked about the overall expenses, [Johnson campaign spokesman Bill Neidhardt] said, “I know you are very interested in the mayor’s personal hygiene, but there isn’t much to say beyond that the mayor’s campaign expenditures — not taxpayer funds — are used in a similar manner to other high-profile elected officials who pay people at a fair rate for their services in preparation for frequent public appearances.” * Daily Herald | Former suburban police chief wounded protecting Reagan expects ‘deep dive’ into security failures: Former Orland Park police Chief Tim McCarthy said he expects a “deep dive” investigation into the handling of former President Donald Trump’s security Saturday, when he was shot and another person killed during a rally in Pennsylvania. “I expect it to be no holds barred,” said McCarthy, who retired from the south suburb’s police department in 2020 and now is president of a security firm. “If the protectee is injured, it’s a failure. So you have to look and find out why.” * WGN | Dolton meetings devolve into chaos while residents decry village hall lockdowns: It’s become more difficult for residents of south suburban Dolton to attend village board meetings. They now face roadblocks, barricades, long lines, capacity limits, metal detectors and a heavy police presence that some say is being deployed to discourage opposition to Mayor Tiffany Henyard. Dolton’s acting police chief has said the steps are necessary to protect Henyard from “countless” threats she’s faced. However, the police department’s own records show only four threats resulted in police reports from February 1 through April 7, around the time the extra security was put in place. Two of the alleged threats were sent to Mayor Henyard via social media, the others came in the form of an email and phone call. None appear to have resulted in an arrest or charges, according to the police reports. * Daily-Journal | Sheriff’s department estimates a $634K cost for river patrol: Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey agrees that the recent drowning on the Kankakee River was an unspeakable tragedy. He also said having a sheriff’s department river patrol, as in the past, would not have prevented it. […] For the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department to patrol the Kankakee River like it did more than a decade ago, Downey said it would cost the county $634,000 for four deputies, two jet skis, life vests, boat safety equipment and training. * SJ-R | Springfield hotel found not in compliance with ADA, will have to make renovations: In addition to the renovations, Driftwood Hospitality will also create an ADA policy and provide ADA training for all hotels it owns, operations, and manages, including the Crowne Plaza. Without admitting to violating the ADA, the hotel also agreed to a monetary payment to the complainant to fully resolve the matter. * AP | Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers: The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube. […] Most of the pits seem to be located in the moon’s ancient lava plains, according to the scientists. There also could be some at the moon’s south pole, the planned location of NASA’s astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters there are believed to hold frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Feds approve Medicaid coverage for state violence prevention pilot project
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Coming a bit late to this, but Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) mentioned the July 3rd announcement during an anti-violence press conference last week, and a prominent Statehouse lobbyist mentioned it in her client newsletter today. From a press release…
* More from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…
* This match should help augment the state’s existing efforts. From the FY25 budget…
The R3 program is funded by adult-use cannabis state tax revenue. * During that press conference last week, civic leaders announced they had raised $100 million in private funds for violence prevention…
That Medicaid match could help. The private effort was announced last year by Jim Crown, who has since died. Background on that effort is here and here. * Related…
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Question of the day
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I have not been to a White Sox game this year, and I’m betting that I’m not the only one…
The first All-Star game was played in 1933. Heckuva job, Jerry. My Sox hat is starting to look rather tatty of late, but I refuse to buy another one. Between the team’s losses and the owner’s stadium drama, I’m just beyond reluctant to give them any money. * Lately, the team has been sending me increasingly desperate emails. The latest…  * The Question: How should I respond?
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Bost and Bailey set aside feud as Illinois Republicans tout unity at RNC delegate breakfast
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * It’s opening day at the RNC in Milwaukee…
Bailey and Bost had a turbulent primary, click here to get a taste. * Ben Szalinski followed up…
Bailey said in March he was putting his campaign signs in storage. * More from reporters in the room…
* Tribune…
* Related… * ABC Chicago | No changes made to RNC security plan after Trump assassination attempt, Secret Service says: The RNC Secret Service Coordinator Audrey Gibson-Cicchino said they’ve made no change to their security plan and officials remain confident in the plan they’ve put forth. “This event is designated as a national special security event, which is the highest level of security for an event that can be designated by the government. So this is a whole of government approach. We’ve had an extensive planning process, to include many organizations,” Gibson-Cicchino said. * Daily Herald | Former suburban police chief wounded protecting Reagan expects ‘deep dive’ into security failures: “I expect it to be no holds barred,” said McCarthy, who retired from the south suburb’s police department in 2020 and now is president of a security firm. “If the protectee is injured, it’s a failure. So you have to look and find out why.” McCarthy was shot in the abdomen on March 30, 1981, when John Hinckley Jr. attempted to kill Reagan outside a Washington, D.C. hotel. […] “It doesn’t take a security expert to ask the question why wasn’t that building better covered. And there will be an investigation to determine that,” he said. * Daily Herald | GOP convention opens Monday; meet the suburban delegates: Trump’s popularity among GOP voters aside, it’s still up to the more than 2,400 delegates expected to attend the convention, which opens Monday, to make his nomination official. The delegates from Northeast Illinois are a diverse bunch: political operatives; restaurateurs; attorneys; local elected officials; congressional candidates. * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | A list of all politicians and celebrities speaking at the Republican National Convention: Over 50 individuals are expected to speak at the RNC over the course of the four days. These include Republican politicians and candidates from across the country, high-ranking business leaders, members of the Trump family and administration, and conservative personalities and celebrities. * Variety | ‘Daily Show’ Cancels On-The-Ground RNC Plans After Trump Assassination Attempt: The “Daily Show” decision may raise pressure on several late-night programs to recalibrate their tone this week. CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” plans to broadcast live — in New York — on Thursday. And Fox News Channel had planned a week of live-in-Milwaukee broadcasts of the satirical roundtable program “Gutfeld” each evening during the RNC. “The Late Show” also had plans to broadcast live from Chicago, the site of the Democratic National Convention, later in the summer. “The Daily Show” also has plans to visit Chicago for tapings during the event.
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State pre-pays $422 million in pension payments
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
Discuss.
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Dillard’s gambit
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois pharmacists, State Medical Society split over new test and treat practice. WAND…
- The Illinois State Medical Society argues that pharmacists do not have proper training to provide certain exams or diagnose illnesses. - Advocates said the new law will help pharmacists fill a critical gap in care. * Crain’s | Sidewalk plaques will memorialize 1919 race riot victims: The plaques will highlight victims of a horrific episode in Chicago’s history that “we need to know about because it literally explains why we’re so segregated,” said Peter Cole, a professor of history at Western Illinois University in Macomb and a part-time Chicago resident who heads the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project. The anger and mistrust that followed the riots contributed heavily to the patterns of segregation that became entrenched in the 20th century, Cole said. Until now, the only monument to the event has been a bronze plaque on a knee-high boulder near the beach where the riots started. * Tribune | Alderman wants explanation for low arrest rates on cyberstalking, electronic harassment complaints: Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th, who heads the City Council’s women’s caucus, raised the issue this week in response to a Tribune investigation that found Chicago police made arrests in only 2% of the domestic-related electronic harassment and cyberstalking complaints received in the past 10 years. The arrest rate last year was about 1%. “I certainly want to have a conversation with CPD about it, to just better understand what their processes are and what the challenges are,” Lee said. “I know that we’ve got challenges across the city. … I think there’s a lot that needs to be done to better understand how we can support the police in providing more resources to address these issues. It seems like we’ve got the right laws on the books, but enforcement is key in terms of the actions that are taken.” * WaPo | ‘Everyone is drinking it’: Why this type of ‘forever chemical’ seems to be everywhere: A growing body of research has raised concerns about a forever chemical known as TFA, which is short for trifluoroacetic acid and has been found in increasing amounts in rainwater, groundwater and drinking water. […] Recently released research by the Pesticide Action Network Europe, an organization that advocates against the use of pesticides, found strikingly high levels of TFA contamination in 23 surface and six groundwater samples from 10 European Union countries. The researchers found that the TFA levels were 70 times higher than those of other, better-known forever chemicals in the water. * WSIU | A Deep Dive Into This Years Illinois Fiscal Budget and Beyond: A little more than a week into the new Illinois fiscal year, CNI Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Center for Tax and Budget Accountability Executive Director Ralph Martire. The discussion includes a look at the high points, the low points, and what Martire and others are keeping an eye on for future budget negotiations. * Tribune | Advocates criticize bid by Illinois power grid operator to skip some federal reforms: Last year federal regulators approved a long-awaited set of reforms designed to ease waitlists for new power sources seeking to come online and deliver electricity to homes and businesses. Such waitlists have emerged as one of the leading barriers to clean energy — including wind and solar power — and the federal reforms were widely viewed as an important step forward. But now PJM Interconnection, the powerful but little-known company that runs the waitlist in northern Illinois, is pushing back, with requests for exemptions from aspects of the reforms, including a new timeline for key studies. * WTTW | From the Uihleins to Prominent Business Owners, Who Are Illinois’ Biggest Republican Donors?: Craig Duchossois, whose billionaire family previously owned the Arlington Park horse racing track, has given more than $9 million to an array of candidates and committees this cycle. According to federal records, Duchossois gave $3 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which backs GOP House candidates; $2 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which supports Republican Senate candidates; and $1 million to the PAC associated with the Koch Brothers-founded group Americans for Prosperity. He also gave $13,200 to Ricketts’ campaign and an associated fund. * Sun-Times | Johnson rejected by Board of Education on CPS loan, pension payment: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appointed Board of Education has refused to take on a pension payment that the mayor had insisted be paid by the school district. And the board and Chicago Public Schools leaders are strongly opposing a City Hall request that they take out a loan to cover the payment and a new Chicago Teachers Union contract, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ. The stunning rejections from Johnson’s own school board and district leaders come as discussions continue on the short-term, high-interest loan CPS officials and board members fear could impact the district’s financial health. * Block Club | Loretto Hospital Executive At Center Of COVID Scandal Charged With $15 Million In Fraud: The federal charges came after a Block Club Chicago investigation that began with allegations Ahmed funneled hard-to-get vaccines early in the pandemic to his neighbors at Trump Tower and to workers at high-end businesses he frequented. The vaccines were meant for the city’s poorest people but ended up in areas where Chicago’s wealthiest lived and played. * Sun-Times | 3rd piping plover chick dies in 5 days at Montrose Beach: Late Saturday, the chick was seen “lethargic and struggling” by observers near Montrose Beach after “feeding and moving normally” throughout the day, according to the statement. After being cleared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the chick was collected and taken to Lincoln Park Zoo for observation. Despite no signs of external or internal injuries, the chick died overnight after being given warmth, fluids and oxygen. * Block Club | Dogs And Cats Scared Of Fireworks Overcrowded Chicago’s Animal Shelter. Now They Need Your Help: Armando Tejeda, the public information officer for the [Chicago Animal Care and Control Department], said there were 251 dogs and 234 cats staying in the shelter as of Thursday. That’s 21 percent more than average, and the highest number of animals in their care in five years. * Daily Herald | ‘A big win for the community’: How $6 million project aims to end decades of flooding in Wheeling: “There are no pipes in the neighborhood,” Wheeling Public Works Director Dan Kaup said. “The water has nowhere to go.” As a result, water accumulates on streets and in yards during every heavy rainstorm, typically two or three times a year, Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said. Houses rarely take on water, but cars driving down flooded streets can create wakes that splash up to front doors and into garages. The new project should change that. * Shaw Local | Storm damages downtown Joliet buildings, knocked down several trees: An exterior section of the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 was damaged in a freakish development during a storm that blew through downtown Joliet on Sunday morning. The storm intensified when it reached the near West Side of the city, blowing down trees that blocked at least one section of Broadway Street, which also serves as Route 53, before doing more damage downtown. * WCIA | ‘She was like a fresh breath of air’: Springfield community remembers Emma Shafer one year after her death: “Everywhere we went, Emma was there,” said Pastor Susan Philips from First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. “This last year has been really hard for many of us because we go to those same places and her absence is so profound. And it’s also inspired so many people to get more involved and to show up in deeper ways, and to make sure the things that have been part of Emma’s vision continue to be part of our future, too.” * The Atlantic | AI Has Become a Technology of Faith: An important thing to realize about the grandest conversations surrounding AI is that, most of the time, everyone is making things up. This isn’t to say that people have no idea what they’re talking about or that leaders are lying. But the bulk of the conversation about AI’s greatest capabilities is premised on a vision of a theoretical future. It is a sales pitch, one in which the problems of today are brushed aside or softened as issues of now, which surely, leaders in the field insist, will be solved as the technology gets better. What we see today is merely a shadow of what is coming. We just have to trust them.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Illinois react (Updated and comments opened)
Sunday, Jul 14, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller [Comments are now open, but please take a deep breath.] * Presented in no particular order. Gov. Pritzker…
* Sun-Times…
* NPR Illinois…
* Leader McCombie…
* US Rep. Darin LaHood…
* Sen. Chesney…
* Rep. Ugaste…
* Daily Herald…
* More…
…Adding… More…
* US Rep. LaHood…
* Rep. Niemerg…
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The knock on Elvis in his later years was that he took himself too seriously while not taking his music seriously enough. I was at the June 30 Rolling Stones concert (full show is here), and they still take their music seriously after all these years, while putting on a spectacular show. From that night… Burns like a red coal carpet
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated x2)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Kathy Salvi was elected chair of the Illinois Republican Party today…
Some people are mad…
…Adding… ILGOP…
…Adding… DPI…
* Crain’s | Retail marijuana lottery winners avoid losing their licenses: Just one winner of a cannabis dispensary license is at risk of losing it today when a deadline hits for pot-shop licensees to have found a location for their stores. It’s a far lower number than many had feared. The state used lotteries to award 185 new dispensary licenses in the summer of 2022, which would nearly double the number of marijuana shops. Winners originally had up to a year to get stores open or find a location, but the deadline was extended last year by legislators. * Block Club | As Tent Cities Are Cleared, Unhoused Residents Ask Why It Took DNC For City To Offer Housing: Encampment residents told Block Club city outreach workers have been visiting in recent weeks to offer them rooms in coveted city-run shelters, including the former Tremont Hotel, 100 E. Chestnut St. in the Gold Coast, which was bought by the city last year and has only 60 beds. Those who accept the beds can keep them until Aug. 31, Berg said. The convention is Aug. 19-22. * Jinx Press | 14th District Oath Keeper cop interfered with DCFS investigation, removed from SWAT for unknown incident: As detailed in that investigation, Sergeant Nowacki was suspended for three days in 2008 after sending insulting, racially charged emails to a Black community member in Englewood who was soliciting donations for area families. Rather than serve the suspension, Nowacki forfeited three days of banked compensatory time. Records detailing a December 2020 incident, however, also illustrate his disturbing animosity on duty toward a Department of Child and Family Services worker. The worker, identified as a Black male, filed a complaint after a well-being check where Nowacki was belligerent. * Tribune | Mayor Johnson to name former progressive North Side alderman Shiller to zoning board: The former alderman — a close ally of current 46th Ward Ald. Angela Clay — was both lionized and lambasted for campaigning as a “champion of the poor” in Uptown as it underwent much transformation. Johnson tapping her addresses his stated values on railing against rich elites while also potentially smoothing over an earlier snafu with a homeless shelter proposal in Uptown that failed. * Shaw Local | Joliet police officer wins part of federal appeal in privacy lawsuit case: A federal appeals court reversed the dismissal of a Joliet police officer’s claim that a detective intruded on her privacy by intentionally accessing a nude photo on her cellphone. […] The ruling followed an April 3 court hearing where the Will County search warrant for the officer’s phone was sharply criticized by U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Kirsch. […] “I can’t believe a judge signed this warrant to say, ‘You can search the entire contents of someone’s phone to look for one text message.’ And then McKinney just happens to be searching around in Cellebrite. …And guess what? He happens upon the naked pictures that everybody is talking about in the police department. It’s weird. It’s troubling, right?” Kirsch said. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora to buy seven properties along Bilter Road: City officials have said they are interested in assembling the land in the hopes of marketing it to a residential developer, in an effort to keep potential industrial uses out of what the city considers more of a residential area. Officials have said an industrial user was interested in the properties, and would generate too much truck traffic for the area. * BND | $20 million Belleville training center part of vision to make Illinois a manufacturing hub: Construction of the academy on the northwest corner of the Belleville campus began in September 2022. Now outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, the facility will officially open its doors in the upcoming semester to provide students with more training opportunities in the growing manufacturing sector. According to a recent Deloitte study, U.S. manufacturing could need as many as 3.8 million new employees by 2033 as investment drives the sector’s growth, but half of those jobs could go unfilled if workforce challenges aren’t addressed. * WCIA | Protestors rally at Sangamon Co. Sheriff’s Office after woman’s death: Two sheriff’s deputies responded to [Sonya] Massey’s home just after midnight on July 6. Family and friends at the rally say Massey was the one that called the police. She was allegedly worried there was someone trying to break in, according to the county. After being on scene for half an hour, one of the deputies shot Massey. She was taken to the hospital, where she died from the gunshot wound, according to the Coroner. * Capitol City Now | Attorney Ben Crump retained by family of Sonya Massey: Attorney Ben Crump, who specializes in civil rights and personal injury cases such as wrongful death lawsuits, announced Thursday the family of Sonya Massey has retained his services. Some of the well-known cases Crump has been a part of include Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and George Floyd. Crump is known for taking on cases involving police misconduct. The investigation into Massey’s death by Illinois State Police is ongoing. Wednesday, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell urged the public and media to be patient as ISP completes its investigation. * WCBU | Peoria County Board isn’t keen on a 15-year delay to build new landfill: There’s essentially two parallel stories happening in the ongoing landfill saga. On one track, the regulatory process to start construction of the new landfill is still slowly moving forward. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources doesn’t believe abandoned underground mines pose an impediment to continuing development on the proposed site, but the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency still needs to sign off. * KSDK | ‘It’s shocking’: Gov. Pritzker after Alton sinkhole swallows soccer field: “We’re working very hard to make sure that’s not a problem going forward,” [Pritzker] said. “Of course, we got the federal government involved. We’re going to make sure we’re doing everything we can. It’s shocking, really. I’m so glad nobody was on the field when it happened. But, the question is why did it happen, and what is the federal government going to do to make sure it never happens again?” Our newsroom has seen chatter online and reporting by other news outlets that the Alton sinkhole is growing. Our reporter checked in with a representative for the New Frontier crews on the ground to verify this on Thursday. The company representative tells us the sinkhole itself hasn’t grown in size since the initial collapse. * AP | Small Nashville museum wants you to know why it is returning artifacts to Mexico: When Bonnie Seymour took a job as assistant curator of Nashville’s Parthenon museum, one of the first things she did was to look through the collections. Among paintings by American artists and memorabilia from Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition — the event for which the Parthenon was built — she found a random assortment of pre-Columbian pottery from Mexico. The artifacts had almost no identifying information, and Seymour knew next to nothing about them. But she knew they did not belong in a Nashville storage room.
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Keep calm and Dolt-on
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and here for some of our past roundups. WGN…
* The money problems don’t end there for Dolton. NBC Chicago…
* More…
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Saying the quiet part out loud (Updated)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Andy Shaw…
Emphasis added. * Meanwhile, I’m not at all saying that President Biden is not in political trouble and that he’s not weighing down his fellow Democrats. He’s obviously in trouble and people are most definitely freaking the heck out. All I’m saying is hyping a partisan congressional district poll of just 309 likely voters taken 9-10 days ago and calling it “new” doesn’t really add much to the debate, but does feed into the national news media/consultant narrative…
…Adding… The 11th is no longer the overwhelmingly Democratic district it was in 2020. When you look at the district’s current precincts, Biden won in 2020 by 15 points - which is 11 points less than he won the old district. Also, while JB Pritzker won the district in 2022 by about 13 points, he only won it by 2.5 points in 2018. Foster won the new district in 2022 by 13 points. I should’ve checked those numbers in the quoted story above, but made the mistake of relying on what was written.
* Also, reputable polls in battleground states haven’t yet shown a dramatic impact on down-ballot races. And then there’s this from yesterday…
Deep breaths, please.
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Study: Illinois has the most diverse cannabis business ownership in the US (Updated)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * IDFPR…
* Recommendations from the study…
* Forbes…
* Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton…
* More…
…Adding… Press release…
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Open thread
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: US Reps. Brad Schneider, Eric Sorensen call on President Biden to drop reelection bid. Tribune…
- Following the news conference freshman U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, who represents the Quad Cities and Rockford areas, said it was time for Biden to step aside. - The National Republican Congressional Committee called Sorensen’s statement “an election year stunt.” Click here for our updated recap. * WGN | State Rep. Bob Morgan: How the Healthcare Protection Act will reform health coverage in Illinois: State Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) joins John Williams to talk about Governor Pritzker signing the Healthcare Protection Act into law. Rep. Morgan explains how this new law will reform health coverage in Illinois, how it will impact people’s healthcare, what this new law covers, and how this law will no longer allow insurers to stand in the way of the health care you need. * Pantagraph | Illinois lawmaker recap: Sen. Dave Koehler lauds education investments: Koehler said lawmakers “did a good job” funding education, particularly early childhood and K-12. An additional $350 million was included for the evidence-based funding formula, which seeks to close the funding gap between rich and poor school districts. That brings total invested up to $2 billion since it was enacted in 2017. More funding was also included for the state’s Smart Start initiative, which will create an additional 5,000 pre-K slots across the state. […] While touting pre-K and K-12 investments, Koehler said he was disappointed by the comparatively flat higher education budget. The amount allocated to the state’s public universities and community colleges only increased by 2%. Funds for need-based scholarships through the Monetary Assistance Program increased by just $10 million. * Pantagraph | Illinois lawmaker recap: Sen. Chapin Rose disappointed to see carbon capture legislation pass: Rose said the biggest disappointments from session were the budget and the carbon capture bill passing through both chambers. Rose said he’s actively spoken out about the carbon capture legislation and how this would negatively impact certain areas around the state. “I don’t want to hear anything more from the supposed environmentalists about how they care about the environment when they deliberately had the choice. We gave them (a bipartisan) letter 10 days out that said ‘don’t forget this. Make sure you’re not including sequestration on the Mahomet Aquifer.’ They knew about this, and they did it anyway.” * ProPublica | Two Reporters Covering Education in the Midwest Followed the Money … to a School in New York: Shrub Oak International School in Mohegan Lake, New York. Black eyes and bruises. Insufficient staffing. Medical neglect. No kitchen. At least 15 Illinois students were enrolled there this past school year using state and local taxpayer dollars at $573,200 each. No state outside of New York sends more students to Shrub Oak than Illinois. * Tribune | Illinois GOP set to select one of three finalists for state chair: The Illinois GOP has long been beset by fighting between moderate and conservative wings. That conflict also has become a geographic battle between hard-core conservatives downstate and the more populous suburban areas, even as that region’s reputation as a moderate Republican stronghold has faded and Democrats have made major inroads. Democrats now control all statewide offices, the Supreme Court and have supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate. * NBC Chicago | Yuengling weighs in on rumors that popular beer brand is coming to Illinois: Yuengling is aware of the speculation, but a representative for the brand wouldn’t confirm the rumors– or even if the company plans to expand at all. “Yuengling has not announced when or where its next expansion will be,” said Yuengling Director of Communications Paul Capelli. * WBEZ | Mayor Johnson rejects cuts in CPS’ proposed budget meant to fill a half-billion deficit: The day after Chicago Public Schools officials released a budget proposal that filled a half-billion dollar deficit in part by some cutbacks in staff and other areas, Mayor Brandon Johnson made the surprising declaration that he would not accept cuts by the district. […] It is highly unusual for the mayor, who appoints the schools CEO, to suggest he is unhappy with the school district’s budget after it is presented to the public. It also is unclear what options Johnson has to fill the deficit, though his deputy mayor for education, Jen Johnson, said the administration was “working on something.” * Tribune | Bally’s Chicago secures casino financing, unveils new hotel design: Bally’s announced a deal Friday with Gaming and Leisure Properties, a Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust, to provide $940 million to fund the construction of the permanent casino. In addition, Bally’s has also finalized redesign of its planned 500-room hotel tower, which has been shifted from north of the casino to the south to avoid damaging city water pipes along the Chicago River, pending approval from the city’s planning department. * Daily Southtown | Dolton insurance would only cover a third of $33.5 million judgement from fatal police chase lawsuit: Under state law, municipalities are “entitled and directed” to pay the judgments owed and may do so by issuing bonds or levying taxes. The plaintiffs’ attorneys are requesting Dolton float a municipal bond to allow their clients to be paid upfront, while the village repays the bond over multiple years at an interest rate lower than what the court judgement is accruing. […] Dolton has also been penalized for failing to fulfill an agreed settlement of $220,000 in a whistleblower lawsuit from 2019 despite the Village Board approving the payment. After a June 24 hearing, a Cook County court froze double the amount of the settlement in a village account. The attorney for the plaintiff in that case said the check “is just sitting on the mayor’s desk.” * Daily Southtown | Will County committee seeks to end ‘divisive’ proclamations, then proposes ‘non-sanctuary’ designation: At the same time some Will County Board members want to eliminate proclamations from their monthly meetings because they can be divisive and political, a board committee passed, along party lines, a resolution declaring Will County a non-sanctuary county, which some board members said was both divisive and political. The Will County Executive Committee, which includes about half of the Will County Board, recommended 7-5 Thursday to advance a resolution to declare the county a non-sanctuary county for asylum seekers and illegal immigration. * SJ-R | Popular low-cost airline temporarily ending route from Springfield: Breeze Airways, a low-cost airline headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been busy adding flights to its roster of 29 states in the past couple of months, but the company plans on shuttering one of its flights: the nonstop service from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield to Tampa International Airport in Florida. The planned end of nonstop service to the popular destination will be on August 12, 2024, according to Breeze, but it won’t be forever. According to Breeze to communications specialist Ryan Williams, the flights to Tampa were seasonal for the summer and will be returning in 2025. * Tribune | US appeals court says some NCAA athletes may qualify as employees under federal wage-and-hour laws: College athletes whose efforts primarily benefit their schools may qualify as employees deserving of pay under federal wage-and-hour laws, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday in a setback to the NCAA. The court, in the latest challenge to the NCAA’s long-held notion of “amateurism” in college sports, said that a test should be developed to differentiate between students who play college sports for fun and those whose effort “crosses the legal line into work.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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