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* Sun-Times | Illinois child care centers face crisis with loss of federal dollars: ‘They’re setting us up for failure’: That nightmare could become a reality for many Chicago parents as pandemic-era federal funding that helped stabilize the child care industry expires Sept. 30, triggering a crisis for providers and the families who depend on them. For Illinois, that could mean nearly 130,000 kids without child care, about 2,800 shuttered centers and over 11,300 child care providers without jobs, according to a study from the Century Foundation, a think tank headquartered in New York.
* Sun-Times | Police pledge ‘special attention’ after bomb threats force public libraries in city and suburbs to close: All city libraries closed after “unfounded” bomb threats Thursday. “The disturbing rash of threats against libraries in Chicago and elsewhere and against all who work in or visit them are nothing less than a cowardly attempt to silence our democracy,” said Roberta Lynch of AFSCME Council 31.
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois House Speaker’s staff could test limits of Workers’ Rights Amendment: Brady Burden, a staffer in the speaker’s office who is part of the organizing committee of the Illinois Legislative Staff Association, said efforts to unionize have thus far been stymied by a provision in state law that specifically exempts the General Assembly from the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act. […] But at least one expert in Illinois labor law says relying on that amendment may be more difficult legally for the workers than it might first appear.
* WGN | City Club of Chicago: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul: Attorney General Raoul launched his legal career as a Cook County prosecutor and went on to be a partner at two national corporate law firms. He also served as an Illinois State Senator for 14 years, leading to this “dream job.”
* Capitol News Illinois | ‘Thunderdomes of controversy and strife:’ Giannoulias testifies before U.S. Senate committee: “We want our schools and libraries to be open and welcoming settings for education, not cultural battlefields,” he said during his testimony. “This legislation aims to unify our communities and seeks to restore a right that some of us may have grown to take for granted – the freedom to think for ourselves.”
* Jim Dey | Is state preparing to make another go at pension fix? But serious people are trying. Three legislators — state representatives Stephanie Kifowit, Steve Reick and Mark Walker — have been holding hearings and proposed legislation calling for contributing an additional $500 million a year on top of the state’s regular contributions to pensions for teachers, state employees, university employees, judges and legislators.
* Fox News | DeSantis launches billboards in Illinois urging law enforcement to ‘make the smart move’ to Florida: The billboards tout a $5,000 signing bonus for out-of-state police officers who relocate to the Sunshine State as part of its law enforcement recruitment bonus payment program signed into law by the Republican governor in 2022.
* WBEZ | How Thursday’s Chicago City Council was a big moment for progressives: Proposals that hit City Hall Thursday run the gamut from efforts to fund homeless prevention to increasing the minimum wage for tipped workers to a working group to explore the so-called Treatment Not Trauma mental health initiative.
* Sun-Times | City Council OKs spending another $34.5 million on burgeoning migrant crisis: In companion votes that rubbed the same old wounds, alderpersons authorized a $33 million federal Homeland Security grant for the care and feeding of asylum-seekers and agreed to spend $1.5 million in tax increment financing funds to buy a 10.7-acre property at 3034 W. Foster Ave. formerly used by the U.S. Marine Corps and convert it into a shelter for up to 550 migrants.
* CBS Chicago | Roseland residents express concerns over plan to house migrants in tents nearby: The priority is to relocate people who are sleeping on the floors of Chicago police stations, but Roseland residents said the community is already in a crisis and adding migrants into their neighborhood would make things worse.
* NBC Chicago | You and AI: The use of AI in political campaigns: With the 2024 U.S. presidential election just over a year away, NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern dives into why voters should think twice about what they may hear or see online due to advances in artificial intelligence.
* Tribune | Only 9.6% of Chicago’s waste was recycled last year. A new facility could improve rates, but stumbling blocks remain.: The majority of other large U.S. cities have not released their most recent rates, but Minneapolis reported it recycled 19% of its waste last year. In past years, several West Coast cities have reported recycling rates above 70%, with San Francisco leading the way with more than 80% recycled since 2008, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Even New York City recycled about 20% in 2020, The New York Times reported.
* Crain’s | What dollar stores cost Chicago’s South and West side communities: From an economic standpoint, South Shore is not oversaturated with these types of businesses. The stores would go under if it were, community development experts say. South Shore’s 54,000 residents spend their money there. But from a community health standpoint, some say these businesses number far too many. They are also more likely to be owned by non-residents.
* AP | About 13,000 workers go on strike seeking better wages and benefits from Detroit’s three automakers: The strikes will likely chart the future of the union and of America’s homegrown auto industry at a time when U.S. labor is flexing its might and the companies face a historic transition from building internal combustion automobiles to making electric vehicles.
* AP | Wisconsin Senate votes to fire official targeted by 2020 election skeptics: The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Senate voted Thursday to fire the battleground state’s nonpartisan top elections official, prompting a legal challenge from Democrats who say the vote was illegitimate. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a lawsuit that Senate Republicans don’t have the authority to oust Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe and accused them of attacking the state’s elections.
* SJ-R | Closing time: Sportsman’s Lounge calls it a day Friday: Sportsman’s Lounge, 229 W. Mason St., will close to make way for a 24-unit apartment complex. Although a bar has operated at the address since 1935, the building dates to before the Civil War. The Sportsman’s Lounge name has been on the building since 1957.
* AP | Egon Schiele work seized from Art Institute of Chicago, believed stolen from Jewish art collector during Holocaust: The art was seized Wednesday from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh and the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College in Ohio. […] The three works and several others from the collection, which Grünbaum began assembling in the 1920s, are already the subject of civil litigation on behalf of his heirs. They believe the entertainer was forced to cede ownership of his artworks under duress.
* WAND | Stratton says Japanese businesses find Illinois workforce, infrastructure attractive: “Over 1,000 Japanese companies are in the state of Illinois,” Stratton told reporters Thursday. “We have over 42,000 Japanese employees here in the state of Illinois.”Stratton’s delegation spoke with other U.S. leaders, Japanese governors, and business executives about the state’s recent investments in manufacturing, technology, and other emerging industries. Japanese companies were also very interested in learning more about investments from the state’s monumental Climate and Equitable Jobs Act.
* Tribune | Netflix documentary on Mike Veeck’s life is a balm for angst-ridden Chicago White Sox fans: Mike Veeck had a documentary to promote, but he couldn’t start without getting one thing off his chest. “What’s going on with my White Sox?” he asked. “Man, they are killing me.”
posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 7:36 am
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===(Michael) LeRoy said that from a legal standpoint, he believes the Workers’ Rights Amendment is not a convincing argument for those trying to form a union. But he added, “Politically, it is very convincing.”
“I mean, in effect, this is really calling out the Democratic-controlled General Assembly as a group of hypocrites,” he said. “You’re legislating for thee, not me. And I think in the court of public opinion, that’s where this battle can be waged with a better chance of success.”===
This is the ball game for Staff.
If they try to go through a legal challenge and fail, yeah, that’s not great.
The idea of putting political pressure on the Speaker, ok, now you have some leverage.
This is of interests for me;
===Among the issues they’d like to negotiate, Burden said, are wages and hours. He said the starting salary for Democratic House staffers is around $43,000 annually, which he said is significantly lower than comparable jobs in the Senate or even for House Republican staff. He also said they would like better compensation for overtime.===
I’m not taking anything away from the right to organize, and if one would like to talk to me about my union support (or lack of) I have receipts, thanks… but these asks of Staff shoulda been addressed well before any of this got this far, since we all are talking about the 4 caucuses, and that work pool and job pool should have equal (or close to equal) work measures in pay, overtime, etc.
So, the disclaimer, yes, if they feel they want to organize, do so.
The watch will be if labor as a whole decides to weigh in to support this effort, the political pressure, or will many use the legal obstacles to either stay silent or not weigh in, all but removing pressure that could help.
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 8:06 am
The threats against libraries are particularly disheartening. I hope library directors and law enforcement can come up with a way to more accurately distinguish legitimate threats from fake ones to prevent constant unnecessary closures of libraries.
Comment by Techie Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 8:11 am
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/15/23870185/mwrd-john-sudduth-metropolitan-water-reclamation-district-chicago Just popped up. wow. this takes double dipping to a whole new level.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 8:27 am
It is comforting to see that Mr. DeSantis perfers Illinois Law Enforcement Officers to his own and is willing to pay to replace Floridians with Illinoisans.
Comment by H-W Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 9:04 am
== What’s going on with my White Sox?” he asked. “Man, they are killing me.”==
Well said Mike Veeck
Comment by low level Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 9:08 am
=willing to pay to replace Floridians with Illinoisans.=
Careful, you may be starting a new conspiracy theory- the yankee replacement theory.
I have not seen one of the billboards, but if there is truth in advertising trheyu would read something like… “Come to Florida where we tell you exactly what you can and cannot say or think, guns everywhere, and we will pay $5,000 of the $15,000-$20,000 it will cost to relocate. And you will make less money with fewer rights (banned punctuation).
This campaign sounds like a real winner.
Comment by JS Mill Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 9:26 am
@ JS Mill -
“Plus you get hurricanes.”
Comment by JoanP Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 9:37 am
== “Come to Florida where we tell you exactly what you can and cannot say or think, guns everywhere, and we will pay $5,000 of the $15,000-$20,000 it will cost to relocate. And you will make less money with fewer rights (banned punctuation).==
==“Plus you get hurricanes.”==
“LGBTQ need not apply. Leave your books in Illinois.”
Comment by Teacher Lady Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 10:36 am
Shedding a tear for Sportsman’s Lounge. That place had character. I’ll miss their delicious and enormous breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.
Comment by charles in charge Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 10:53 am
===That place had character===
Yes, it did. I’ll miss it, too.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 10:55 am
Sportsman’s lounge was a classic neighborhood joint, got a lot of state worker traffic from the nearby office buildings and the training center. The sandwiches were indeed epic, some of the best I ever had. The decor was memorable.
I suppose the closest replacement would be Westwoods on Jefferson but that’s a drive, not the two-three block walk from work we used to enjoy. I’m sure covid and more people doing work from home is what killed it. I’m sad to know another historic building is being lost.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 12:00 pm
I’m trying to imagine Lindsey Graham in a Thunderdome fight…
Comment by Dotnonymous x Friday, Sep 15, 23 @ 12:28 pm