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The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications announced today the creation of the Medill Illinois News Bureau, which will provide local news outlets with coverage of the state legislature and government agencies.
Working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois (CNI), Medill graduate and undergraduate journalism students will develop expertise in covering state government, producing stories and multimedia content that will be distributed to news organizations statewide and in bordering states. CNI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization based in Springfield that is operated by the Illinois Press Foundation. Its vast distribution network includes about 700 newspapers, digital-only news sites and broadcast outlets throughout Illinois and in border state cities such as St. Louis.
“This new Medill Illinois News Bureau is intended to help strengthen coverage of state government at a time when the Statehouse press corps has been depleted and after most newspapers have closed their Springfield bureaus,” said Medill Dean Charles Whitaker. “Medill is stepping up to help fill some of that void, and to provide students with invaluable, real-world experience and classroom expertise covering one of the largest and most complex state governments in the nation.”
A team of Medill students will be based in Springfield during the legislative session and will work out of CNI’s newsroom. When the legislature is not in session, these students will develop enterprise pieces and cover breaking state government news from Chicago.
* Personal PAC…
Just six weeks before the general election, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi will keynote the annual luncheon for Personal PAC, one of Illinois’ leading abortion rights advocacy organizations. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the trailblazing organization, which has played an instrumental role in building Illinois into a bulwark against efforts to destroy access to abortion rights and other reproductive healthcare in the Midwest.
WHEN: Monday, September 23, 2024
11AM - Registration and VIP reception
12PM - Lunch and awardsWHERE: Chicago Hilton & Towers, 720 S. Michigan Avenue
* Pantagraph…
A federal judge told a group of Illinois State University students that, contrary to their argument, the university was not imposing a violation of their constitutional rights with its chosen punishment for trespassing as part of a protest last spring.
As part of a lawsuit filed against the university, the seven students had sought to restrain ISU from imposing disciplinary measures that included writing an essay about how the students could have expressed themselves without violating university rules. […]
The filing was entered in McLean County court 11 days after ISU Police Department officers and other law enforcement agents arrested and removed demonstrators from campus, culminating days of pro-Palestine protests seen at universities across the nation. Police said students wouldn’t cooperate with their demands to vacate Hovey Hall in Normal at least 90 minutes after it closed, during an action arrestees refuted as a silent sit-in protest to show solidarity with Gaza.
The plaintiffs in the civil case argued their constitutional rights were violated when the university suspended them and demanded, as part of disciplinary sanctions, they write a thousand-word essay that describes plans for demonstrating on campus without violating university policies. […]
The plaintiffs claimed the no-trespass orders were unconstitutional prior restraint in violation of their First Amendment rights, and that writing an essay would amount to compelled speech and self-incrimination in the misdemeanor trespass case, stripping them of their First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights.
* SJ-R | Illinois Republican claims new state flag would ‘advance the far-left’s political ideology’: A Secretary of State official said there have been more than 370 designs submitted so far. Submissions will be accepted until Oct. 18.
* WGN | Chicago enacts citywide hiring freeze to address 2025 budget gap: In an official statement from Budget Director Annette Guzman Monday, the city has enacted a citywide hiring freeze and “stringent limitations” on non-essential travel and overtime expenditures outside of public safety operations.
* WBEZ | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson floats a hiring freeze ahead of a $982 million budget gap: “There are sacrifices that will be made,” Johnson said. “This budget gap does present us with a challenge, but it does certainly present us with an opportunity to transform the structure of our budget to ensure that, again, working people in this city can ultimately thrive.” Despite savings this year, the nearly $223 million end-of-year deficit in the city’s corporate fund is affected by a $417.7 million underperformance of revenue, primarily from a decline in personal property replacement taxes and the refusal of Chicago Public Schools to make a pension payment that the city was counting on. The new end-of-year deficit comes after budget officials had passed a $16.77 billion dollar budget to close an previously estimated $538 million gap for 2024.
* WBEZ | Turnover roils Chicago’s cultural affairs department under new commissioner: At least 13 staff members, including some top deputies, have departed Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) since March, according to public records and interviews. That means about 18% of the department has turned over in the six months since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed a new commissioner. Departing staff include three deputy commissioners, the department’s second-in-command, a creative director and three program directors. The department oversees large-scale events, such as Taste of Chicago and Blues Fest, and neighborhood programming, as well as directs grants to artists and organizations.
* Block Club | Celebrate 75 Years Of Garrett Popcorn By Getting A Bag For $1.75: Popcorn fans can celebrate Garrett Popcorn Shops’ 75th anniversary with $1.75 bags of their signature flavors, available for a limited time as part of a special promotion. Between 1 and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday this week, fans can pop into any Garrett shop to purchase a small bag of their favorite popcorn — like CaramelCrisp, CheeseCorn and the Garrett Mix, a blend of those two — for just $1.75, according to a news release from the company. The offer is limited to one bag per person per transaction.
* Pioneer Press | Voters will decide Nov. 5 whether Glencoe should have home rule: Village trustees unanimously approved a measure to put a home rule referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot at their Aug. 15th meeting. Under the State of Illinois constitution, home rule municipalities have more local decision-making authority and can opt out of some types of state legislation and mandates unless prohibited to do so by the legislature or the constitution.
* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect factory responsible for odor complaints agrees to temporary halt: Prestige Feed Products agreed to the shutdown during a hearing Friday on the village’s emergency motion for a temporary restraining order against the company. The hearing is scheduled to resume Monday. Prestige attorney Riccardo DiMonte expressed concern about the company losing revenue and workers losing wages by calling off shifts Sunday and Monday morning, but said it was willing to do that “grudgingly” as an act of good faith.
* Crain’s | Naperville medical office building sold for $28 million: A real estate firm betting on the future of health care properties has picked up its first medical office building in the Chicago area, paying $28 million for a nearly full property in Naperville. MCB Science + Health last week acquired the 72,468-square-foot iMed Naperville Medical Office building at 1331 West 75th St. in the western suburb, the company confirmed. MCB bought the property from Naperville-based DynaCom Management, which developed the four-story building in 2015 and leased up 96% of its space. Hospital system Endeavor Health occupies almost half of the property.
* WAND | Springfield protestors ‘demanding accountability’ from police: Demonstrators are currently gathered outside the Municipal Center East building in Springfield to demand accountability from the Springfield Police Department. The protest, originally organized by Intricate Minds, is meant to address multiple issues regarding policing in Springfield, most recently the case of a retired Springfield Police Sergeant who severely injured two people on a motorcycle last week.
Demonstrators are currently gathered outside the Municipal Center East building in Springfield to demand accountability from the Springfield Police Department. Read more here -> https://t.co/W1C4M4s7LJ pic.twitter.com/QVRPK3yybP
— WAND TV News (@wandtvnews) September 9, 2024
* STL Today | Biden may block U.S. Steel sale to Nippon Steel. Questions remain for Granite City plant.: The news, which was first reported by The Washington Post, comes while the blast furnace at Granite City’s U.S. Steel plant remains idle after the Pittsburgh-based company announced its indefinite closure last fall. The Granite City’s plant has two blast furnaces, used to make steel. One was previously shut down and the second was temporarily closed for six months last year, but now no longer has a reopening date. The company’s steel rolling and finishing operations, using metal slabs from other facilities, continue at Granite City Works. The 128-year-old mill in Granite City has 850 workers. Hundreds were previously let go or are on layoff due to the closure of the blast furnace.
* BND | Officials silent on conflict and upheaval in Freeburg’s elementary school district: A school principal quits abruptly, citing a “toxic environment.” A superintendent tries to resign but is persuaded to stay and honor her contract. A parent files a complaint, prompting police to launch an investigation into the superintendent. Police are called to the elementary school about a disturbance involving a school board member. Another board member goes to court to get a stalking no contact order against him. Now others are pushing for the second board member to be removed from office. The past two years at Freeburg Community Consolidated School District 70 have been full of conflict and upheaval, yet officials won’t talk about it publicly.
* WCBU | Justice, order and safety top of mind for Peoria County State’s Attorney candidates: For the first time since Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos was appointed to the office in 2019, she faces a challenger from outside of her own party. Peoria trial attorney Robert Boucher is running as a Republican in November’s General election. The third generation Peorian says the position is mainly one of leadership, and claims he’s a strong leader with administrative abilities.
* WAND | U of I launches new awareness campaign to highlight research’s impact on local communities: There will be billboards, bus ads, digital ads, and a new website where community members can learn more about how Illinois research impacts their lives. The website is broken down into eight themes: water, health, economy, agriculture, kids, pets, aging, and vibrant communities. Each theme page contains stories, stats, Q&As, and more to show how Illinois research impacts Central Illinois.
* WGLT | McLean County school administrators ponder a countywide sales tax after failed effort in 2014: Bloomington-Normal school superintendents are entertaining the idea of returning a one-cent per dollar countywide sales tax for education to the ballot. The Illinois County Schools Facility Sales Tax is an option to add a 1% sales tax that would shift facility funding away from property taxes. Fifty-seven Illinois counties have passed the ballot question since the option became available in 2007, including nearby counties such as Peoria, Livingston, Logan, Champaign, Piatt, Macon, Sangamon and Woodford.
* WCIA | Decatur Park Police looking for tips on 9/11 memorial vandalism: Officials said the vandalism happened overnight on Friday and Saturday. Several people damaged the area around the 9/11 Memorial and the Beach House in Nelson Park. Bushes and greenery were knocked over, and some items were left in the water. Surveillance footage captured images of two people believed to be involved with the incident.
* STL Today | Third former East St. Louis cop charged in connection with macing sleeping juveniles: Police department surveillance video of men in police uniforms spraying a substance on a sleeping teenager surfaced in police circles in 2022. It’s not clear why the video surfaced or who released it. The beginning of the video shows an officer pulling something from his belt and opening the cell door. He reaches into the cell but a wall obstructs part of the view of what is happening inside. The officer then closes the cell door, and seconds later, the young man in the cell reacts in distress.
* WAND | New plan will connect parks for over 80 acres of green space in east Urbana: Master plans approved by the Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners will update Weaver and Prairie Parks and connect green space in the city. “We will connect 22 acres of Prairie Park with 60 acres of Weaver Park to create over 80 acres of green space in east Urbana,” said Tim Bartlett, Executive Director of Urbana Park District. He added, “The new Health and Wellness Center will serve as a focal point for the plans.”
* WAND | University of Illinois homecoming week underway: The homecoming festivities started Sunday and run through Saturday. The week kicked off with the annual dying of the fountain and flying pancake breakfast. The homecoming parade is on Friday, Sept. 13.
* AP | GOP lawsuits set the stage for state challenges if Trump loses the election: Before voters even begin casting ballots, Democrats and Republicans are engaged in a sprawling legal fight over the 2024 election through a series of court disputes that could even run past Nov. 5 if results are close. Republicans filed more than 100 lawsuits challenging various aspects of vote-casting after being chastised repeatedly by judges in 2020 for bringing complaints about how the election was run only after votes were tallied.
* CBS | Texas sues to block federal rule protecting health records of women crossing state lines for abortions: In the suit filed Wednesday in Lubbock, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the federal government of attempting to “undermine” the state’s law enforcement capabilities. It appears to be the first legal challenge from a state with an abortion ban that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the nationwide right to abortion. “With this rule, the Biden Administration makes a backdoor attempt at weakening Texas’s laws by undermining state law enforcement investigations that implicate medical procedures,” Paxton said in a news release.
* Tampa Bay Times | DeSantis’ election police questioned people who signed abortion petitions: Isaac Menasche remembers being at the Cape Coral farmer’s market last year when someone asked him if he’d sign a petition to get Florida’s abortion amendment on the ballot. He said yes — and he told a law enforcement officer as much when one showed up at the door of his Lee County home earlier this week. Menasche said he was surprised when the plainclothes officer twice asked if it was really Menasche who had signed the petition. The officer said he was looking into potential petition fraud.
posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 2:24 pm
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Illinois Republican claims new state flag would ‘advance the far-left’s political ideology’:
Cuckoo Cuckoo
Comment by don the legend Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 2:45 pm
The flag argument is silly but I do think think one of the option for the flag contest should be none of the above keep the old flag
As to the protesters at ISU make your argument while doing time show that you accept consequences of a law you believe unjust. Not that you are anywhere close but read Letter From a Birmingham Jail
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 2:50 pm
=== Illinois Republican claims new state flag would ‘advance the far-left’s political ideology’ ===
Legend, one web reference for cuckoo “is slang for being mildly crazy or silly.” The MAGA GOP has gone way beyond “mildly,” and that is just WEIRD.
Comment by Norseman Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 3:30 pm
- I do think think one of the option for the flag contest should be none of the above keep the old flag -
The contest isn’t binding, the general assembly still has to decide if it will be changed.
Comment by Excitable Boy Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 3:41 pm
When you start seeing the boogeyman in a potential new flag…
Comment by Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 4:32 pm
Brandon’s hiring freeze better not include police or fire department hiring, if he truly wants to put the people first.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 4:45 pm
Re: MBJ’s Hiring Freeze: How many unneeded Deputy Mayors does Chicago have? Just a quick check on Google shows there is a Deputy Mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights; Deputy Mayor for Community Safety; Deputy Mayor of Education, Youth, and Human Services; Deputy Mayor of Business and Neighborhood Development; Deputy Mayor of Intergovernmental Affairs … etc.
I counted 12 Deputy Mayors/Assistant Deputy Mayors, and 12 more Deputy Chief Of Staff, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff. Wondering what value add these roles play?
Comment by Old IL Dude Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 4:58 pm
The Medill project gives me some hope. I want to see it thrive and have some legs, like Pro Publica.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 5:34 pm
@ PublicServant -
According to the Sun-Times, the police and fire departments are included in the freeze: https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2024/09/09/hiring-freeze-city-government-police-fire-mayor-brandon-johnson-budget-shortfall
Comment by JoanP Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 5:35 pm
So, one of the most liberal college campuses is going to send students down to Springfield to report on Springfield?
I’m sure it’ll be totally objective.
Nothing expresses confidence in me more than 20-23-year-olds whose entire adult viewpoints on policy and what real people are going through have come from living and partying at a liberal college on the lakefront on the Northshore. It should be totally unbiased. sn/
Comment by Frida's boss Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 9:37 pm
I like the old Illinois flag, but rather than resisting the change, I submitted a new design. Cheers to all those who did! #PROUDILLINOISAN
Comment by Fivegreenleaves Monday, Sep 9, 24 @ 10:32 pm