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* ICYMI: UAW president announces strike vote against Stellantis. Washington Post…
- Fain told union members that Stellantis breached the terms of the contract that was reached after last year’s six-week strike.
- Following the strike last year, the union won historic wage gains along with a commitment from Stellantis to reopen its idled assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill. Fain said Tuesday that Stellantis did not honor that commitments among others — which had prompted the UAW to recently file grievances against the company.
- Fain also said Stellantis confirmed last week that it is planning to move Dodge Durango production from Detroit to Canada, another contract violation.
* Related stories…
Governor Pritzker will be at the Merchandise Mart at 11:45 am to take part in a panel discussion at Climate Tech Week. Click here to watch.
* Tribune | US EPA investigates whether carbon dioxide leak at ADM storage complex in Decatur violated water regulations: In an Aug. 14 notice of violation, the EPA said that “the information currently available” suggests the ADM facility in Decatur violated the Safe Drinking Water Act as well as carbon storage regulations and an EPA permit. The EPA alleges that CO2, which ADM injects deep underground to prevent global warming, was allowed to move into “unauthorized zones,” that ADM failed to monitor a CO2 well in the required manner, and that ADM failed to follow the proper emergency response and remediation plan.
* Capitol News Illinois | Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban: An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms. James Ronkainen, a former engineer for the Remington Firearms, said the AR-style rifles and many other weapons that are now heavily restricted under the Protect Illinois Communities Act, are classified in the industry as “modern sporting rifles,” or MSRs, and he said ordinary users of such weapons cannot easily convert them into fully automatic weapons.
* Stateville Prison is closing. Here’s how men incarcerated there will remember it:” Once I got on the bus and found out I was going to Stateville, I was happy, because I knew I had potential to educate myself and also work better on my case than I could in Menard prison. So, yeah, certain things worked out good, but under the conditions I had to live through… I’m forever traumatized. Like I need to drink bottled water. I like filtered water, I have to see it. It’s things that you shouldn’t have to go through, that you go through, that I wouldn’t want nobody else to go through. I risked me dying in Stateville to get out of prison.”
* WTTW | Chicago-Area Transit Agencies Won’t Be Getting More Financial Help Any Time Soon, Illinois House Speaker Says: Speaking at a City Club event Tuesday, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said any financial assistance is likely at least eight months from resolution. […] “I do believe we’re going to get it right,” Welch said, but he noted that probably won’t be until the end of May, just before the legislature adjourns its session next year.
* WTTW | White Sox Should Seek Private Funding for New Stadium — Not Taxpayer Money, Illinois House Speaker Says: But even though Welch called it a “beautiful baseball field with a great view,” he told a full room at City Club on Tuesday that it wasn’t enough to change his mind that Illinois won’t provide big bucks to make it happen. “The reality is, we still represent the taxpayers of the state of Illinois,” Welch said. “How do you pay for it?”
* Tribune | Legislators say they’re still skeptical about public funding for new White Sox stadium after team-sponsored cruise: While some lawmakers acknowledged being impressed by the presentation and the site, where team groundskeeper Roger Bossard’s crew has carved out a makeshift diamond, several said they remain skeptical about the use of public money for such a project. “We say ‘no’ because we all want a shiny new car,” said state Rep. Marcus Evans, a Democrat from Chicago’s South Side who is part of House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s leadership team. “Shiny new cars don’t move me. It’s all about the finance.”
* Sun-Times | Jurors begin deliberations in trial of former AT&T chief accused of bribing Michael Madigan: The jury of eight women and four men began deliberating at about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday in the case of Paul La Schiazza, the former head of AT&T Illinois. They will resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
* Tribune | Jury now weighing whether former AT&T exec accused of bribing Madigan played politics or committed crime: But all the wheeling and dealing left just one constituency in the lurch, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sushma Raju said Tuesday in her closing argument in La Schiazza’s bribery trial. “It shorted the people of Illinois, who deserved a fair, transparent and honest legislative process,” Raju said. “What we got instead was a legislative process that was tainted by this defendant, who paid for the result he wanted. It was not lobbying … it was a crime and Paul La Schiazza knew it.”
* Sun-Times | Chicago police detective faces firing over ‘hundreds’ of racist, transphobic social media posts: The report includes screenshots of around 20 offensive X posts, including an image Popow admitted creating that showed a Black man in a coffin with the text: “THAT FACE YOU MAKE WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT ‘STOP RESISTING’ MEANS.” Popow said the meme was “intended to point out the potentially fatal consequences of not obeying lawful police orders,” according to COPA. […] The report states that when interviewed by COPA investigators, Popow denied any racist or other bigoted beliefs, and claimed he did not recall making some of the posts because of memory problems related to a medical condition.
* WTTW | ‘What’s the Plan?’ Alderpeople Demand Answers as Cost of Police Misconduct Soars: ld. Daniel LaSpata (1st Ward) said city officials must reform the Chicago Police Department to stop the payouts. “They stem from the culture in the Chicago Police Department,” LaSpata said. The Chicago Police Department is in full compliance with approximately 7% of the 2019 federal court order known as the consent decree, which requires CPD to change the way it trains, supervises and disciplines officers.
* Crain’s | Chicago biotech incubator tapped by feds as health care accelerator hub: As part of the designation, Matter landed a $2 million contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority, or BARDA, a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response. The money will be used to help cover the operating costs of participating in the program, dubbed the BARDA Accelerator Network.
* Block Club | Ramova Theater Landmarking, Six Corners Peoples Gas Project Secure Key City Approval: The clock was ticking on the zoning change. If the project had not been approved, it would have been considered denied on Oct. 9, according to city code. A sticking point with the project came as Ald. Jim Gardiner’s (45th) office insisted on a project labor agreement, Goltz previously said.
* Crain’s | United Center owners detail apartments, hotel vision for 1901 Project: The owners of the United Center have revealed more details of their $7 billion plan to redevelop the arena’s surroundings, seeking city approval for nearly 9,500 apartments, more than 1,300 hotel rooms and a residential high-rise that would dwarf buildings in the surrounding area.
* Tribune | Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett case: On Tuesday, Supreme Court justices fired questions at attorneys for both Smollett and the state, digging into the matter of what constitutes an agreement with prosecutors. “Prosecutorial agreements that induce a defendant’s specific performance should be enforced irrespective of how unpopular a defendant is in the public eye,” Smollett’s attorney Nenye Uche said during the proceeding in the state capital. “In essence, we harken back to the age-long principal of a deal is a deal.”
* WGN | The historic operation that placed dozens of unaccompanied migrant children in Chicago: In the 1960s, Chicago played a pivotal role in a secret operation known as Pedro Pan or Peter Pan. The project removed thousands of children from Communist Cuba and brought them to the U.S. where they were placed with temporary foster families. Operation Pedro Pan is believed to be one of the largest exodus operations of unaccompanied minors in history. By 1962, more than 14,000 minors had been sent to the U.S by their parents.
* Tribune | How many more losses do the Chicago White Sox need to match the modern-day record?: The ’62 expansion Mets went 40-120 in their first season. The Sox are 36-116 — four shy of tying the mark. Those 116 losses are a franchise record. The Sox need to go 7-3 in their final 10 games to avoid drawing even with the Mets.
* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin strikes back at comments by Kane County sheriff: On Tuesday, Irvin called a press conference with the Aurora police command staff to say Hain “selfishly and recklessly” turned the memorial last week into “a platform” for himself. Irvin drew attention to statements made after the memorial by Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, who was standing next to Hain during the event, who said, “I respectfully disagree with the statements made by the Kane County sheriff …”
* Daily Herald | With incentive deal reached, redevelopment of Arlington Heights gateway set to begin: A developer will get $17.8 million in tax increment financing incentives from Arlington Heights to help fund its $130 million residential and retail redevelopment at the south gateway to the village. Approval of public subsidies — through agreements inked by the village board this week — is seen by developer Bradford Allen as the last hurdle to getting shovels in the ground at the southeast corner of Arlington Heights and Algonquin roads.
* WGN | Mayor of south suburban Steger dies: A spokesperson for the Village of Steger announced Tuesday that Mayor Kenneth A. Peterson Jr. died on Monday, leaving behind his wife, four children and a grandchild. […] Peterson also coached the Steger Recreational Basketball team and was involved in the Boy Scouts of America and Steger Kiwanis.
* WSIL | Southern Illinois University’s Day of Giving is on Wednesday: The Southern Illinois University’s Day of Giving is happening on September 18. This is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the university. The event allows people to give to the university, but also indicate what programs they want to support with their donation. At the time of this article, more than 130 have already donated with a total of more than $26,000, and growing.
* STLPR | Chief judge in St. Clair County says Illinois is safer after a year without cash bail: In the year since Illinois got rid of cash bail, St. Clair County’s chief judge says the new system is working — and it’s making the Metro East county safer. “Those who perhaps were dangerous had the ability to bond out — if they had enough money — and many of those people did,” said Judge Andrew Gleeson, chief judge of Illinois’ 20th Circuit based at the Belleville courthouse. “They actually got to be on the streets, making our community less safe.”
* WCIA | U of I granted over $135k for specialty crop research: The grant will focus on improving specialty crops, including fruits, vegetables and herbs, and crops that help to make Illinois agriculture healthier and more diverse. U of I researchers will work to develop rapid agricultural water testing to identify and reduce microbial contamination in specialty crops.
* Pantagraph | Heartland Community College OKs $44.76M operating budget, up $5.3M from 2024: Heartland Community College’s operating budget for fiscal 2025 of almost $44.76 million is more than 10% higher than last year’s with officials citing higher salaries and increases in other expenses. The college’s board of trustees voted Tuesday for the budget, which is $5.3 million higher than last year’s and more than $3 million more than the tentative version presented in June. The district has the revenue to balance the spending plan for the fiscal year that began July 1, however, officials told the board.
* WAND | Central Illinois manufacturing leaders prove women drive industry innovation: TCCI and DCC hosted the IMA’s third edition of the 2023 women makers series in TCCI’s future electric vehicle innovative hub Tuesday. Rivian has 8,000 manufacturing workers in Normal, Illinois. Public policy manager Maura Freeman said many women are leaving traditionally feminine roles to work on electric vehicles. Freeman has seen homemakers, nurses and teachers become great assembly line workers.
* WICS | Rep. Mike Coffey hosts pizza party for successful young readers in 95th District: State Representative Mike Coffey hosted a Pizza Party for students who successfully completed his Summer Reading Program. Rep. Coffey encouraged students in the 95th District to read eight books over the summer to improve their reading skills.
* WIFR | Neighborhood rallies to keep playground as Rockford Park District equipment expires: Of the Rockford Park District’s (RPD) nearly 80 playgrounds, about 27 face impending expirations – one of those includes Alpine Meadows, reaching 30 years old in 2024. According to Laura Gibbs-Green, RPD’s communications manager, upgrading and replacing each play area isn’t financially possible – Alpine Meadows alone could cost up to $300,000.
* BND | Who was ‘Mother’ Jones and why is this southwest Illinois town dedicated to her memory?: Many travelers through the metro-east can recall a large, hand-painted white sign with crudely sketched words signaling a historic monument near Mount Olive. Few know that the sign directed them to the grave of the person who coined the phrase “pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.” More official-looking signs now lead the way to the memorial and final resting place of “Mother” Mary G. Harris Jones, a woman once dubbed the “most dangerous woman in America” and one of the nation’s first prominent labor organizers and activists.
* Investing | US Retail Sales Show Slight Increase, Defying Negative Forecast: When compared with the previous retail sales data, the 0.1% increase is a slowdown from the 1.1% growth seen previously. This indicates a deceleration in the pace of consumer spending, which could potentially signal caution among consumers. However, the fact that retail sales have remained in positive territory despite this slowdown is a reassuring sign for the economy.
* The Atlantic | Leonard Cohen’s battle against shameless male egoism: For Cohen, worldly maturity ushered in an altogether different woundedness, a mesmeric—and distinctly not adolescent—sadness, deep-seated and temperamental but intensified by crippling doubts about his gifts, about his singing especially. “I hated the sound of my own voice. I thought it was weak and full of self-pity,” he said later. He enjoyed celebrity status in England and parts of Europe, but his wasn’t a traditionally radio-friendly voice, which meant relative obscurity in America, the largest commercial market for recorded music. As the decade came to an end, Cohen would not have disputed the judgment that he was yet another spent force of the 1960s.
posted by Isabel Miller
Wednesday, Sep 18, 24 @ 7:50 am
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– statements made after the memorial by Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, who was standing next to Hain during the event, who said, “I respectfully disagree with the statements made by the Kane County sheriff …” –
I hope Kane County is aware how lucky they are to have someone like Jamie Mosser running their State’s Attorney office.
She’s an excellent example of the extreme contrast within the Democratic Party, when held up in comparison to Jim Glasgow or Hain. I’d prefer to see more in the mold of Mosser, and fewer in the mold of Glasgow and Hain.
Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Sep 18, 24 @ 8:45 am
Not only should it not receive public financing but also 78 is a bad location for any new stadium. 78 should remain a welcoming place for families to move into just like the rest of the South Loop.
Comment by low level Wednesday, Sep 18, 24 @ 9:10 am
A number of years ago, I was driving to St. Louis, saw the sign for the Mother Jones historic monument, and immediately detoured to the cemetery, which is itself a monument to Illinois’ labor history.
Folks should read her autobiography.
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Sep 18, 24 @ 9:38 am
Common knowledge that the Dirksen Federal Building is where media curiousity goes to die, but give a hat tip to Capital News IL for making the only media election that ORGANIZED LABOR changed positions on on AT&T bill and passage ensued. Not surprised no one surveyed the lobbo list — about 30 names — to see if active nite life was on the resume like Acevedo.
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Sep 18, 24 @ 10:15 am