Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Shaw Local…
* HuffPost…
* Shaw Local | Debate on IHSA transfer policies seems likely to intensify: It has been in the Rules Committee since March 2023. State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, became the chief sponsor on April 15, 2024, the day the committee approved it for consideration and sent it to the Elementary & Secondary Education Committee. Lilly filed the floor amendment that has the IHSA on high alert: “An association or other entity that has as one of its purposes promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among schools and students within this state may not adopt any policy restricting a student from participating in interscholastic athletics when the student transfers from one school to another school.” * KWQC | Illinois ranks 2nd highest in number of tornadoes so far this year in the US: Iowa has had 15 tornadoes so far this season, all of which occurred during the severe weather outbreak on April 16. Illinois, on the other hand, has had 40 preliminary reports of tornadoes so far this year, trough April 22. * NBC Chicago | Multiple Chicago, Illinois high schools land on new ranking of ‘Best High Schools’ for 2024: While suburban schools didn’t rank as high on the national list, many topped the report’s list of best high schools for 2024 in the state of Illinois, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills New Trier Township High School in Winnetka and Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale. * Chalkbeat | Chicago’s low-income families of students with disabilities eligible for new $500 grants: The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities is partnering with Ada S. McKinley Community Services to distribute $5 million through the new Diverse Learners Recovery Fund, supported by American Rescue Plan dollars, which the federal government distributed to help cities and states recover from the pandemic. Chicago received nearly $1.9 billion in those funds, which must be allocated for spending by December 2024, according to the city. * Block Club | Only Half Of Black Seniors Approved For Home Repair Or Refinance Loans To Age In Place: Between 2018 and 2022, Black neighbors 62 and older were twice as likely to be denied home loans as their white counterparts in Chicago, an analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data by the Investigative Project on Race and Equity shows. Over that time, 48 percent of older Black residents across the city were denied a mortgage loan compared to 23 percent of white applicants, the data shows. * Crain’s | With precious few existing homes for sale, buyers shift to new construction: When they bought a Wicker Park site a year ago with a plan to build 10 condos there, one of the development principals expected that when the units were ready to go up for sale, they would take about six months to sell. Wrong. It took three months to get buyers under contract for all 10 units of the Crystal Street condos, at asking prices of $650,000 to $1.25 million. * Sun-Times | Loop’s weekend foot traffic exceeds level before pandemic, but retail vacancies still at record high: The average weekend pedestrian activity on State Street was 107% of 2019 levels. During the work week from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., foot traffic was about 91% of pre-pandemic activity. Total pedestrian activity on State Street was up 7% compared to the first quarter of 2023, representing 1.5 million “impressions” per week, and 94% of 2019 levels. The impressions are counted by analytics firm Springboard MRI, which collects data daily from counters on top of buildings along State Street, from Ida B. Wells to Wacker Drive, that track silhouettes of people but not any identifying features. * Crain’s | Paris Schutz to join Fox 32 Chicago after departing WTTW: He will help fill the void left by recently retired political editor Mike Flannery. “I’m really excited about the opportunity at FOX to do creative and unique things . . . like long-form interviews, roundtables and enterprise stories,” said Schutz. “I was really excited by the management at FOX, talking about how they wanted to be really entrepreneurial, and they really wanted to move into the future of local TV news.” * WBEZ | Here’s how some Chicagoans are taking an eco-friendly approach to funerals: Green burial is a catchall term for many new far-out interment options, including human composting and aquamation, also called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis. But for many, green burial simply means placing a body directly into the ground, according to Sam Perry, a mortuary science professor at Southern Illinois University. He is also president of the Green Burial Council, a nonprofit that sets burial standards. * Chicago Daily Law Bulletin | Suspend attorney over baseless lawsuits, ARDC board says: An attorney who filed frivolous lawsuits against the village of Tinley Park and one its attorneys after being denied employment should be suspended for six months, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board.Stephen E. Eberhardt was charged with filing frivolous claims and engaging in conduct that had no substantial purpose other than to embarrass and burden the village of Tinley Park and several of its officials, in violation of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct. * Daily Herald | Controversial Downers Grove library trustee removed from board: Bill Nienburg’s controversial tenure as a Downers Grove Library Board trustee ended last week when the village council voted 4-3 to remove him from the board. The April 16 vote came roughly six weeks after library trustees censured Nienburg and recommended his removal from the board. * Sun-Times | Finding early morel mushrooms is underway: Ryan Leonard found morels in the past week, noting, “I think they were the earliest I have found them. Found four tiny ones Thursday. This morning I found about 20 on my Sunday morning walk in Park Ridge. They were fresh and I think with more rain this week they should really come out. I’m hoping for a good season.” * Daily Herald | ‘A transformative force’: Lurie Children’s Hospital breaks ground on outpatient center in Schaumburg: The project is an expansion for Lurie in the Northwest suburbs as well as a replacement for its smaller facilities in Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Huntley, which will close upon its completion. In a letter outlining the project last year, Lurie officials cited a 150% increase over the past decade in patient visits to their satellite locations, which have limited access and extended wait lists. * WICS | Generation X nostalgia exhibition earns top honors at Illinois State Museum: “Growing Up X” won an Award of Superior Achievement, the highest award given in the exhibits category, and the Innovation Award for the interactive rec room component of the exhibit. The exhibit explored the toys, technology, and cultural touchstones familiar to those born between 1965 and 1980 in their youth. It was the first museum exhibition in the country to focus on Generation X. * SJ-R | Springfield-area man who is part-time police officer slams Jeep into school, leaves scene: McIntire insisted he was sober at the time of the crash. McIntire, who was driving westbound on Temple Street and crossed North Miller Street, said he swerved to avoid a collision with “a bunch of deer and dogs” in the road. McIntire stated he had a case of beer in the trunk of the jeep and started drinking on his way home. He told deputies that he had drunk around 10 beers and consumed “a large amount of vodka” before deputies arrived at his home. * SJ-R | Springfield school district employees to have choice of insurance plans as costs rise: School District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill insisted it wasn’t the district that was responsible for increased health insurance rates for employees who take the plan. That came from the carrier, Cigna, because of high claimants in the district and the overall spiraling costs of health care in the country, she said. * WICS | Jacksonville hospital hosts flag-raising to emphasize organ donation importance: According to Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, which serves Illinois and northwest Indiana, nearly 5,000 Illinoisans are currently waiting for an organ transplant. “April is National Donate Life Month,” said Carrie Carls, chief nursing officer at JMH. “We hold the flag-raising ceremony each year as a way to honor organ and tissue donors for giving the gift of life to others.” * Tribune | Navy Pier announces summer 2024 music, fireworks and sports events: Chicago: Home of House Exhibit (May 1 to Oct. 31): Commemorating the 40th anniversary of house music, an exhibit devoted to the artists from Chicago’s South and West Sides who helped create the style. Presented in partnership with the Design Museum of Chicago and Vintage House Show Collective. * STL Today | Busch Stadium food: Which menu items score and which strike out?: Farmtruk chef and owner Samantha Mitchell knows how to feed a stadium. Her food truck has already established a presence at Enterprise Center for the Blues and Citypark for City SC. And beginning this season, you can find Farmtruk in the right-field upper deck at Busch (429). Yes, you’ll need to make a pilgrimage there if you’re sitting elsewhere, but Farmtruk will repay the effort with the best food in the ballpark — by far. * AP | US government agrees to $138.7M settlement over FBI’s botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations: The U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest. When combined with other settlements, $1 billion now has been set aside by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who said Nassar assaulted them under the guise of treatment for sports injuries. * Capitol B | Flint’s Warning to America: The federal Environmental Protection Agency and officials with Flint’s mayor’s and city attorney’s offices did not respond to multiple requests from Capital B for comment. Residents argue that even though they’ve brought the country’s water woes to the forefront, they’re in a worse position today despite hundreds of millions of dollars of investment — and they want you to know that your city can be next. * WaPo | Why this summer may be especially hot in the United States: The hot summer forecast is linked to the probable switch from the El Niño to La Niña climate pattern by the summer’s second half. While La Niña has a small cooling effect on the planet overall, it has boosted summer heat in the United States, especially in recent years when human-caused climate change has also fueled higher temperatures. * Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi | Countering Chinese cyber threats of tomorrow demands we prepare today: Recent reports revealed that the Justice Department and FBI were authorized to disable hundreds of U.S.-based routers hijacked by Volt Typhoon. This operation protected everyday citizens from malicious PRC-sponsored cyber actors and is exactly the type of action necessary to counter cyber threats before they escalate. Second, we must deter our adversaries. As the “father of information theory” Claude Shannon once said: “assume the enemy knows the system.” Although malicious Chinese code has yet to disrupt our networks, any cyberattack leading to physical harm or loss of life would invoke our inherent right to self-defense.
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McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally abruptly aborts reelection bid without explanation
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Shaw Local…
* Here’s a February, 2023 op-ed by State’s Attorney Kenneally…
* That’s… not how he has always behaved. From a CBS2 story on November 30, 2020…
* I also don’t recall him speaking out about this…
Except to say this…
* And then there was this 2023 op-ed by State’s Attorney Kenneally that undercut state cannabis laws…
Gov. Pritzker’s office released a statement in part saying that the governor, “is disappointed to learn that the McHenry County State’s Attorney prefers focusing on spreading disinformation instead of tackling the issues that keep actually keep residents safe.” * He has, however, filed his share of lawsuits. 2022…
* ABC 7…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I still call it “pop.” You?…
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* KSDK…
* SJ-R…
* Riverbender…
* Rep. Sharon Chung…
* WSPY…
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Protect Illinois Hospitality – Vote No On House Bill 5345
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] “Making the Southland a destination for people visiting Chicago is a top priority for the groups we represent. We are building a new casino that will employ hundreds, bring in millions in local revenues, and increase employment opportunities for our community in the hospitality industry. This is why we need to find ways to help support these businesses – the restaurants, hotels, and now casinos, but eliminating the tip credit is not the answer. Instead of passing unnecessary solutions for a problem that doesn’t exist, let’s work together to find better options that will benefit our local businesses, help reduce the possibility of empty storefronts, and support our neighboring communities.” Cornel Darden, Jr. Tell your state legislators to VOTE NO on House Bill 5345 and Protect Illinois Hospitality
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You gotta be kidding me
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s back in February…
Hilarious. He’s doing neither right now. * More from that February story…
* Three wins and 19 losses later, here’s Crain’s again…
Wait, what happened to the $2 billion in total public funding that Reinsdorf himself talked about?
$200 million in private funding for a publicly owned stadium is not “significant.” It’s an insult. * Frankly, I’ve begun to believe that the White Sox are only floating this South Loop idea to prevent the Bears from tapping into the excess bonding authority at the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. All we’ve seen so far from the team is a couple of quickie AI renderings (complete with misspellings). And then a few hours after the Bears announced that they’ll lay out an actual stadium plan on Wednesday, supposedly with $2 billion in private money, the Sox come up with this little press pop. Makes you wonder.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Beth, who serve their communities with dedication and pride. For more information, click here Happy Dog Barkery - We Are RetaIL (irma.org)
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Moody’s revises Illinois outlook from stable to positive (Updated)
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
…Adding… Comptroller Mendoza…
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Open thread
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago Bears to announce plans Wednesday for new domed stadium on lakefront. Tribune…
- The team said it plans to present a “state-of-the-art, publicly owned enclosed stadium, along with additional green and open space with access to the lakefront for families and fans, on the Museum Campus.” -The team has pledged to spend $2 billion in private money for the project. The cost of the stadium is estimated at $2.5 billion to $3 billion, plus $1 billion for associated roads and other infrastructure. * Related stories…
∙ Daily Herald: Bears to unveil plans for domed stadium on lakefront Wednesday ∙ Crain’s: Reinsdorf offers to open wallet for new Sox stadium ∙ WGN: Illinois: We like our sports teams more than our jobs, study shows At 11:45 am, Governor Pritzker will be at the Rockford OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center on his state-wide tour to promote the Healthcare Protection Act. Click here to watch. * Sierra Club Chicago calls for new CTA leadership… * Tribune | Illinois residents encouraged to destroy the eggs of invasive insects to slow spread: The spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, has been in Illinois for decades and can strip leaves and kill trees, sometimes defoliating large swaths of land. Kathryn Bronsky, a national policy manager with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said while it’s important to stop spongy moths from killing trees in the 20 states in which they are currently established, it’s even more important to limit the insect’s expansion across the United States. * STLPR | Pritzker, local lawmakers tout health insurance reform in Belleville hospital visit: Dr. Jennifer Neville, an internal medicine specialist based at BJC’s location in Shiloh, treats women with osteoporosis who have an increased risk of fracturing their bones. Often Neville prescribes a higher-tier medication to her patients, but it’s usually denied right away, she said. “Unfortunately, this process is the norm,” Neville said. “I spend an inordinate amount of time and resources fighting with the insurers to get the patients the care they need.” * SJ-R | As Illinois weighs carbon dioxide pipeline moratorium, feds recommend technology: Following visits to Archer Daniels Midland facilities in Decatur and Springfield, U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Brad Crabtree touched down in the Illinois State Capitol on April 16. The state, he said, plays a major role in helping the Biden administration’s goal of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Carbon capture can help in its aim, Crabtree added, while not hindering manufacturing. * Capitol Connection | Keicher gives update on Republican priorities heading into final month of session: Lawmakers are preparing to head into their last month of the Spring Legislative Session. The budget will take center stage, as the state deals with a tight fiscal year. Representative Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) joined Capitol Connection to talk about the rest of session, the role Republicans will play in the final days, and a couple of his own legislative priorities. * Center Square | Bill enhancing penalties for threats against librarians stalls: Long pauses were taken by state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, when she was questioned by a fellow Democratic representative on the House floor Friday. The bill would enhance penalties for those who transmit lewd or offensive behavior against a librarian in any manner. State Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, said Murray didn’t have a clear definition for lewd and offensive behavior. * High Times | Illinois Governor Cites Cannabis Reform While Campaigning for Biden: At a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, Pritzker said that cannabis policy reform can have significant economic benefits in states that legalize marijuana for adults. “I wanted to come up here on 4/20, because we, too, legalized cannabis in the state of Illinois, and I know that’s been a boon to not only state revenues but also to business and job creation in the state of Michigan,” said Pritzker, according to a report from Michigan Advance. * Daily Herald | Congressional primary winners vastly outraised and outspent their opponents: The fundraising front-runner of the group, Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville, already has raked in more than $2 million and spent more than $1 million to retain his 11th District seat. Foster’s primary challenger, fellow Naperville resident Qasim Rashid, was the only defeated candidate in either district to spend in the six-figure range. Even so, he lagged far behind Foster. * Capitol Connection | Rape Crisis Centers in dire need of life raft from the state: The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault is asking the state for $20 million dollars, which is more than double what they get from the state currently. They need additional money because the federal government cut down the amount of money going to a fund for victims of crimes. Several facilities have already closed their doors because of the shortfall. * Austin Weekly News | Rep. La Shawn Ford spotlights opioid crisis with Harm Reduction Solidarity Week: At a news conference in Springfield April 17, Ford was joined by the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Sameer Vohra, and the Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition, along with other advocates, to spotlight the crisis and efforts to stop it and to save lives. “We were educating the Springfield members, and all those that listen, about how important it is to have what you call harm reduction tools in our community,” Ford said. * Tribune | Senators show confidence in Johnson’s O’Hare rebuild plan: Johnson wants to change the sequencing of construction on the long-awaited Global Terminal and two new satellite concourses. That idea had initially drawn pushback from the congressional leaders when first reported earlier this month. But Durbin and Duckworth rallied behind the plan Monday. “We’re in a better place. There’s been an effort to increase the conversation,” Durbin said at a groundbreaking for a separate O’Hare redevelopment project. “I think we have a proposal that will reach our goal of 25% increased capacity.” * Sun-Times | Makeover of O’Hare’s Terminal 3 takes off as airlines mull deal on expansion, Global Terminal: The project calls for wider concourses, renovated restrooms, a revamped baggage claim area, more concession space and a host of other passenger amenities. Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints will also be reconfigured into a single screening area. * Sun-Times | Chicago police union files notice of appeal in case that would open serious discipline cases to the public: At the Police Board’s meeting Thursday, President Kyle Cooper announced that the board would hold off on making final decisions on disciplinary matters in anticipation of an appeal. Cooper noted that 16 officers with pending disciplinary cases have filed motions to transfer their cases to arbitration. * Sun-Times | Chicago police release photos, video of person of interest sought in probe of Officer Luis Huesca slaying: A community alert asks for help in identifying the male “subject,” noting that he “should be considered armed and dangerous.” Meanwhile, those who knew Huesca have been left reeling. Rocio Lasso said she leaned on Huesca after her own son, Andres Vásquez Lasso, was killed in the line of duty last year. * Illinois Review | Steve Boulton Says he’s not Running for Chicago GOP Chairman After IR Exposes his Past Comments Comparing Trump to Hitler, Blames “Far Right” for his Downfall: The embattled chairman lost his election to save his 27th Ward Committeeman seat this past March after he was originally knocked off the primary ballot for submitting an “insufficient number of valid signatures.” Boulton then tried to run as a write-in candidate, but only received 24 votes – falling far short of the 111 required to remain a committeeman. * Sun-Times | Judge OKs $12.25 million class-action settlement over Hilco’s Little Village dust storm: One resident, Elizabeth Rodriguez, told U.S. District Judge Young B. Kim that her husband still has difficulties breathing four years after the event. She and her family were left out of the agreement because she was just outside of the agreed boundaries for payouts. Rodriguez said she lives directly across the street from residents eligible for payments for either property damage or personal injury. Kim told Rodriguez that although she cannot benefit from the agreement, she is not bound by its restrictions, meaning that she can individually sue the companies because she’s not part of the class action. * Crain’s | Raising Cane’s in talks to lease Fulton Market space: The Baton Rouge, La.-based fast-casual restaurant chain is in talks to lease the space at 820 W. Randolph St., formerly home to the Little Goat diner, according to people familiar with the negotiations. A Raising Cane’s spokesperson confirmed that the chain has “a deal moving through out process, but it is still very early to share timeline or anything involving the lease.” * NBC Chicago | Are cicadas already emerging? Images, videos show large sightings in Chicago area: Sightings of cicadas, many still in the ground, have already been reported in numerous parts of the city and suburbs. A wall of what may be cicadas was spotted over the weekend on Wisconsin Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and Old Town Triangle neighborhoods. In Downers Grove, gardeners reported seeing several just underneath the surface in the soil. * WBEZ | Toni Preckwinkle is unanimously re-elected head of the Cook County Democratic Party: In a brief victory speech, Preckwinkle touted how well Democratic Party-backed candidates did in the March primary, winning 21 out of 23 races — the best “win ratio” for the party in at least 25 years, she said. She acknowledged some narrowly defeated candidates, including Clayton Harris, III, whom she and the party backed for State’s Attorney. He lost to retired judge Eileen O’Neill Burke. Preckwinkle also made a nod to the preparation the party will take on for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, and November’s general election. * Daily Herald | DuPage County clerk won’t attend board meeting to discuss no-bid contracts: DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek says she will not attend a Tuesday meeting to answer questions from county board members about two no-bid contracts, totaling more than $250,000, for materials related to the April primary. In a letter sent Monday to DuPage County Board Chairwoman Deborah Conroy, Kaczmarek said she is not an employee of the county board and that she has the authority to make decisions about how she spends her budget. She also suggested that a courtroom, not the county board room, is the proper venue to discuss the issue. * Tribune | Logistics Campus at former Allstate headquarters off to slow start, with plans for lab-grown meat plant on hold: The slower-than-expected start for the $500 million project, one of the largest urban logistics developments in the U.S., may reflect both waning post-pandemic demand for warehouse space and perhaps an overly optimistic bet on when lab-grown chicken would be ready to land on your kitchen table. In October 2022, Allstate sold its longtime north suburban corporate campus for $232 million to Dermody Properties. The Nevada-based developer is turning the 232-acre property, which was annexed by Glenview, into a 10-building, 3.2 million-square-foot industrial park dubbed The Logistics Campus. * Route Fifty | Justices debate whether cities can make sleeping outside a crime: But much of Monday’s hearing centered on whether the city’s law punished people for who they are or for what they did. That’s because in 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that people could be punished for a discrete act, but not for their “status.” The 1962 case involved a California law that punished both drug use and drug addiction. The Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment prohibited people from being punished for their addiction because it was a status. * USA Today | Contact restored with NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe: For the first time since November, the spacecraft is now returning usable data about the health and status of its onboard engineering systems, NASA said in a news release. The 46-year-old pioneering probe, now some 15.1 billion miles from Earth, has continually defied expectations for its lifespan as it ventures further into the uncharted territory of the cosmos. * Illinois Humanities | Can the Public Humanities Help Prepare Us for Global Warming?: For many, Katrina was the first large-scale extreme weather event clearly borne of global warming. It also highlighted the trademark points that so many had predicted: the vulnerability of low-lying coastal communities; the heaviest burden falling on the poor; the economic disruption; the displacement that results and in many cases becomes permanent. But also the powerful role of grassroots groups and organic networks in response.
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Apr 23, 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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*** UPDATED x1 - Equality Illinois ‘alarmed’ over possible Harris appointment *** Personal PAC warns Democratic committeepersons about Sen. Napoleon Harris
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I was wondering if this was coming. Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick…
Expect a vote this Friday. I’m hearing that Cook County Board President and party chair Toni Preckwinkle wants to appoint Chief Deputy County Clerk Cedric Giles to fill the office vacancy through the end of the term. Other candidates for the ballot appointment include Cook County Commissioners Kevin Morrison and Donna Miller, as well as MWRD Commissioner Kari Steele, although there might be a legal issue with doing that. By the way, the office vacancy vote will be one vote for each committeeperson. The ballot appointment will be done on a weighted vote. *** UPDATE *** Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Healthy Illinois…
* WICS…
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker says state ‘obviously’ needs to change 2010 law that shrunk pension benefits: “We need, obviously, to make some changes to Tier 2 to make sure that we’re meeting the Social Security Safe Harbor,” the governor said at an unrelated news conference late Thursday night in his Capitol office. “We don’t yet really know what that’s going to cost.” Earlier in the day, Pritzker’s top budget advisor, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget Director Alexis Sturm, told a House committee that the governor was “open to that conversation” about increasing the cap on Tier 2 pension earnings to match Social Security. * Cook County sheriff Tom Dart | I support Karina’s Bill to help police protect domestic violence survivors: Orders of protection, also called restraining orders, suffer from one obvious shortcoming: They do not allow police to search for and seize firearms; instead, they usually rely on the subject to voluntarily turn them in to police or give them to someone else. That is why I strongly support Karina’s Bill, legislation drafted by domestic violence advocates that provides police with real authority to remove firearms from the subject of an order of protection. * Tribune | Kroger and Albertsons propose selling off more Illinois stores in bid for merger approval: In September, the grocery companies said they planned to sell off the Mariano’s brand name and 14 Kroger-owned grocery stores in Illinois. At the time, a spokesperson for Kroger-owned Mariano’s confirmed that at least some Mariano’s stores would be sold. On Monday, the company said its Illinois divestitures would include a total of 35 Kroger and Albertsons-owned stores. […] The companies now plan to sell a total of 579 Kroger and Albertsons stores in markets where they overlap to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire grocery supplier and operator, for $2.9 billion. Under the initial divestiture plan, announced in September, C&S had planned to purchase 413 stores for $1.9 billion. * Crain’s | J&J, Kenvue ordered to pay $45M to Illinois family in baby powder suit: Jurors hearing the case in Chicago late Friday concluded Kenvue was 70% responsible for the death of Theresa Garcia, a mother of six and a grandmother, who died in 2020 after developing mesothelioma, a type of cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Her family alleged J&J and Kenvue’s predecessor firm sold their talcum-based baby powder knowing it was tainted with asbestos, according to court filings. * SJ-R | Passover begins April 22. Here’s everything you need to know about the 8-day celebration: Passover commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt as told in the Torah, or the first five books of the Old Testament. The name “Passover” comes from the Israelites marking the doors of their homes with lamb’s blood so an avenging angel, sent by God, would know to pass over them. * 21st Show | Earth Day 2024: The current state of our environment: To start our show off, we’ll cover the current state of Illinois’ environment, followed by the biggest environmental challenges we’re facing worldwide. We’ll also look back to the 70s and see how environmentalist movements have changed since then, and learn if nuclear energy is considered green energy. To close off our show, we’ll hear from our guests if doomers are right about Earth’s future, or if you should remain optimistic. * ABC Chicago | Registration for Aurora free electronics recycling event opens Monday: Mandatory registration for the recycling drive starts Monday at 9 a.m. The city says registration capacity is typically reached in 24 hours. The first 2,000 people to register will get a spot in the drive-thru, which is happening on May 4 at the Route 59 Metra Station. * NBC Chicago | Earth Day: How one grocery shopper takes steps to avoid ‘pointless plastic’: Nature wraps bananas and oranges in peels. But in some modern supermarkets, they’re bagged or wrapped in plastic too. For Judith Enck, that’s the epitome of pointless plastic. The baby food aisle is similarly distressing for her, with its rows and rows of blended fruits, vegetables and meat in single-use pouches that have replaced glass jars. Less than 10% of plastic is recycled. Most is buried, burned or dumped. Recycling rates for glass, aluminum and cardboard are far higher. And cardboard or paper packaging is biodegradable. * Students: Earth Day was born on college campuses. Now our universities must divest from fossil fuels: The fight against fossil fuels is a fight against the cycles of injustice that uphold and are sustained by extractive industries, including the military-industrial complex, which is fueling the genocide in Gaza, and prisons and jails — which are in the 90th percentile or more for pollution-related cancer risk and proximity to hazardous waste. We follow in the footsteps of the first Earth Day, not to repeat it but to reclaim it. We are building a multiracial, cross-class movement to destroy fossil fuel influence in our politics and institutions and center the communities most affected by the climate crisis. * Block Club | UChicago Promised $15 Million For South Side Violence Prevention. It’s Given Less Than $3 Million: The Violence Intervention Fund — launched following the deaths of three students — was a commitment to groups that organize youth activities, mentorship and more. Two years in, grantees say the university stopped communicating about the program. * Crain’s | With the DNC approaching, Johnson puts Dems in a tight spot on Gaza: “We have not experienced any rift with the mayor’s office,” DNC Chair Minyon Moore said when asked whether there was a rift between the official party platform and the host mayor when it comes to the war in Gaza. “They have been great partners to us,” she added. “And we expect that to go on to the end of the cycle.” * Block Club | $70 Million More For Migrant Housing, Services Approved By City Council: Alderpeople on Friday voted 30-18 in favor of the added spending, which will come from the city’s “assigned fund balance reserve” from 2022, according to budget officials. The allocation follows a joint $250 million pledge in February from the state of Illinois and Cook County for shelter and other services for migrants coming to Chicago and Illinois. * Block Club | Police Watchdog Defends Handling Of Dexter Reed Case Amid Criticism From City’s Top Cop: Following the release of body camera footage of the shootout earlier this month, Civilian Office of Police Accountability Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten has commented publicly on the incident multiple times, including during an appearance on a sports commentator’s show. Her comments — some of which raised questions about the officers involved — have come as her agency leads the investigation into the fatal shooting. The body cam footage, released April 9 by COPA, shows police stopping Reed’s car in Humboldt Park March 21 before a gunfight ensues. Reed shot first, injuring an officer, the agency said. Four other tactical officers on the scene returned fired, shooting 96 bullets in 41 seconds, including three shots after Reed was laying “motionless” on the ground outside his car, Kersten said. * WTTW | Taxpayers Spent at Least $5.6M to Settle, Defend Lawsuits Accusing CPD Officers of Misconduct During Protests, Unrest in 2020: Analysis: Nearly $2 million of that toll went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers from late May until mid-August 2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in Chicago history, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request. Chicago taxpayers paid a premium to hire private attorneys to defend the conduct of CPD officers even though two probes found officers beat protesters with batons, doused their faces with pepper spray, used racial slurs and mocked the push for racial justice and police reform. In many cases, that conduct violated protesters’ First Amendment rights and involved unjustified and excessive force, according to the probes. * Block Club | Off-Duty Officer Luis Huesca Fatally Shot In Gage Park: “Our city is grieving, and our condolences go out to their entire family as well as Luis’ fellow officers and community,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. Snelling said Huesca was on his way home after working. He was in his uniform, though wearing something that “covered it up,” Snelling said. * CBS Chicago | Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, shot and killed Sunday, had eulogized fallen colleague last year: Just a year ago, Huesca eulogized one of his best friends – a fellow Chicago Police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty. It was just last year when Officer Huesca appeared in a tribute video for his good friend and colleague, Officer Andrés Mauricio Vásquez Lasso, who was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call on Spaulding Avenue near 53rd Street March 1, 2023. * Tribune | Chicago police officer killed in Gage Park had spoken just last year at memorial for fellow officer: According to Tribune reports, Huesca is the third Chicago police officer to be shot — and the first fatally — this year. On Jan. 8, a veteran police officer was shot in the leg during an exchange of gunfire with a burglary suspect in the Gold Coast neighborhood. On March 21, an officer was shot by a civilian who was also critically wounded during an “investigatory stop” in Humboldt Park. * Crain’s | Housing affordability in Chicago lowest it’s been in 17 years and likely longer: For condos and townhouses, aka attached housing, the index showed affordability was at its second-lowest on record. But combined with a dip of several points in the affordability of houses, it brought the city’s housing market overall to a 17-year low. It’s likely that the March figure is also lower than affordability was in the years before CAR’s data, because mortgage interest rates, a key component of affordability, have been higher in recent months than any other time since early 2000. * Crain’s | Ex-Citadel exec’s trading firm expanding, moving to revamped Loop tower: The lease adds to recent momentum for a Canadian developer Onni Group, which is in the middle of a bold $140 million overhaul of the Randolph Street tower, recently rebranded as The Bell. Onni bought the historic 853,000-square-foot Illinois Bell building in late 2021 for $166 million, then began a massive renovation to add new amenities and lease it up, despite office demand getting hammered by the pandemic-fueled remote work movement. The downtown office vacancy rate recently topped 25% for the first time ever. * WGN | Answering questions about climate change using exhibits at Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry: Great Lakes ice was the lowest ever recorded at only 3% for the season, a stunning value considering the average since 1973 has been about 40% coverage. The chance of a white Christmas is going down, and both this year and last, the seasonal snowfall total has been about half of the average. * Crain’s | Could Chicago become the next backdrop for the iconic Sundance Film Festival?: The city’s tourism arm, Choose Chicago, announced a partnership with Sundance set to take place in June that will include free and paid programming as well as four film screenings. With the partnership, the organization says that it seeks to elevate and highlight Chicago’s film community and bring more cinema enthusiasts to show the city “as an essential hub for independent film,” the organizers said of the event. * Daily Southtown | LGBTQ+ students, parents frustrated about Prairie State College’s graduation venue: On its website, the church writes that it does not recognize marriage that is not between a man and a woman, believes “the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin,” and does not “condone the homosexual lifestyle.” When she found out in December that her school had chosen to hold graduation at a venue that opposes non-heterosexual relationships, graduating student Rebecca Fassbender filed a complaint with the school’s Department of Equity and Inclusion. “I received what I see as a generic response and quite dismissive,” said Fassbender, of Park Forest, who identifies as lesbian and is president of Prairie State College’s Pride Club. “It included some things about their budget and that this location needed to be within district and within their budget.” * ABC Chicago | Cook County Democratic Party accepting County Clerk applications following death of Karen Yarbrough: The Cook County Democratic Party has told interested candidates to email their resume by Wednesday. The party will then host a meeting on Friday to hear from the candidates and take two votes. One vote will be for an interim clerk, and another vote will be to place a Democratic candidate on the November ballot to serve the final two years of Yarbrough’s unexpired term. * Daily Herald | ‘Like losing a friend’: Shoppers say goodbye to Stratford Square Mall on final day: Officials now hope to redevelop the 275-acre property with restaurants, entertainment venues, retail outlets, housing and pedestrian-friendly green spaces. The village is working with an architect to develop a plan and officials say they will incorporate community feedback in their decisions. * Crain’s | Wayfair opening its first-ever retail location in Wilmette: The 150,000-square-foot store in Wilmette — about half the size of an average Ikea — will be located in Edens Plaza at 3232 Lake Ave. and will feature an on-site restaurant called The Porch, the company announced. The space will also include a design studio, where customers can get home design advice, according to the company’s website. * ABC Chicago | Arlington Heights square dancing club celebrates 75 years: “It’s phenomenal that a club has lasted for 75 years,” Arlington Squares President Denise Hopkins said. “We started in 1948. We’ve been continuously dancing since then. We’re actually the longest continually dancing club in the state of Illinois.” On the occasion , the nationally-renowned Jet Roberts called the shots, which was a treat even for those who’ve danced for decades. “Well I’ve been dancing for over 40 years, and I love the caller,” square dancer Cynthia Suchy said. “He’s fantastic. His voice is great. He’s exciting.” * WCIA | ‘A very emotional day’: Arcola pays tribute as lost sailor finally laid to rest: Charles D. Brown enlisted in the Navy in 1938. He was just 19 years years old when he started working aboard the U.S.S. West Virginia. Brown was among the 2,400 men that were killed during the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The U.S. Navy was unable to identify him, so he was buried in Hawaii as an unknown. In 2022, a Department of Defense search resulted in a DNA match: Charles Darling Brown of Arcola, Illinois. * WSIL | Over 140,000 people visit Poplar Bluff during eclipse: The Poplar Bluff Chamber revealed that 145,000 people visited Butler County in four days surrounding the eclipse. The day of the eclipse accounted for 45,900 of those people. The Chamber partnered with a company to use geofencing and cell phone data to come up with these numbers. Poplar Bluff further reported it saw a $9.6 million boost to the economy from the increased tourism. * WCIA | EIU announces plans to offer direct admission to more high school seniors: More schools in Central Illinois have agreed to allow Eastern Illinois University to guarantee direct admission for its “high-achieving” students after completing six semesters. University officials announced an agreement with the Regional Office of Education District #12 on Monday. ROE #12 includes schools in Clay, Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence, and Richland counties. * NYT | Justices Appear to Side With City Trying to Regulate Homeless Encampments: The justices appeared split along ideological lines in the case, which has sweeping implications for how the country deals with a growing homelessness crisis. The conservative majority appeared sympathetic to arguments by the city of Grants Pass, Ore., that homelessness is a complicated issue that is best handled by local lawmakers and communities, not judges. * Politico | Tax breaks to hire local journalists approved in New York, a national first: Lawmakers and independent media companies praised the tax break, which will designate $30 million a year to the program, called the Local Journalism Sustainability Act. “A thriving local news industry is vital to the health of our democracy,” bill sponsor Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Manhattan Democrat, said in a statement. “It’s our responsibility to help ensure New Yorkers have access to independent and community-focused journalism.” * WaPo | They fled Venezuela — and transformed D.C.’s food delivery scene: For most, food delivery offers far more autonomy over their schedules and pay than other industries. But they acknowledged numerous hurdles — for instance, the lack of access to health insurance, which heightens the financial risks of any accident. Expenses such as “renting” food-delivery accounts and financing mopeds add to their burdens. And while some drivers say that their ability to deliver food quickly has been praised by customers and restaurants, some D.C. residents have publicly expressed frustration at what they say is erratic and unsafe behavior on the mopeds. * WSJ | States Aim to Combat Private-Equity Healthcare Takeovers: Statehouses across the country are enacting laws to curtail private-equity healthcare acquisitions, part of a political backlash against corporate consolidation in the medical sector. More than a dozen states have passed laws to require corporate buyers such as private-equity firms to notify states of planned healthcare acquisitions. In some cases, these laws let state authorities block deals if they consider them against the public interest. * WaPo | California wants Big Tech to pay for news. Google is fighting back: Now, Google is taking its resistance a step further, by completely blocking news links for California-based news organizations from showing up in search results for some Californians. Google won’t say how many people it is blocking news for, but called the move a “short-term test” in a blog post announcing it earlier this month. Politicians and news publishers have shot back. “This is a dangerous threat by Google” that is “clearly an abuse of power and demonstrates extraordinary hubris,” said Mike McGuire, a Democratic state senator in California who is sponsoring the bill.
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A helpful White Sox disaster visualization
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Pritzker addresses ‘hysteria’ over asylum-seekers
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * From Gov. Pritzker’s second Q and A of the day…
Please pardon any transcription errors.
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*** All clear *** Capitol Building evacuation order issued (Updated)
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * From an email…
Stay tuned. This is the third incident in recent weeks. …Adding… A bit more info…
…Adding… All clear…
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Illinois Credit Unions: Member Driven Financial Cooperatives
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
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Feigenholtz predicts Healthcare Protection Act will ‘fly out of the Senate’
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Our old buddy Mark Maxwell questioned the governor today about the Senate prospects for his Healthcare Protection Act, which passed the House with a bipartisan majority last week….
The bill could also be sent to the Senate Executive Committee. * Sen. Sara Feigenholtz was asked about the Healthcare Protection Act on Paul Lisnek’s WGN show…
* If you haven’t yet, I’d highly recommend reading Peter Hancock’s Healthcare Protection Act explainer…
There’s lots more, so go read the rest.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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The left’s city hall tactics won’t work in Springfield (Updated x3)
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Discuss. …Adding… Stacy Davis Gates told reporters this about the bill…
A Racial Impact Note was requested by the bill’s opponents, but this is what the note actually said…
Simply asking for a Racial Impact Note is not the same as getting a note which confirms your contention. …Adding… Fran Spielman asked Stacy Davis Gates how she proposes to fund the CTU’s long list of union contract demands…
* Fran then asked how the governor can do that “with all the other budget pressures that he, at the state, is facing?“…
It’s not alone, by any means, but the CTU has historically relied on “magic money” to make its arguments. If progressives want these great things, then they need to start coming up with do-able revenue sources. But the question for the CTU’s president is why the union thinks the city’s schools should be fully funded under the evidence-based model before the rest of the state’s schools are. * Meanwhile, the CTU’s vice president accused the governor of “white-washing”… Yeah, that’ll work. …Adding… I just noticed that Senate President Don Harmon is now the chief HB303 sponsor in his chamber. Hmm.
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State’s opioid settlement bureaucracy is a tangled, ineffective mess
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The state is in line to eventually receive $1.3 billion from opioid-related legal settlements…
But, as Olivia Olander reports, the state has thrown together a bureaucratic hodge-podge that has managed to distribute just $5 million since 2022. * Go read the rest…
An illustration of the state’s process…
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rep. Jackie Haas…
* Sierra Club…
* WGEM…
* Rep. Bradley Fritts…
* WSPY…
* Rep. Brandun Schweizer…
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Open thread
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Mayor Johnson sticking with CTA president for now as Gov. Pritzker calls for new leadership. Block Club…
- “It’s my job to determine the leadership of the CTA, that is my job,” Johnson said when asked about Prizker’s comments. “If people want to be mayor, they should run for it.” - The governor appoints three members to the CTA’s seven-member board, while the mayor appoints four. * Related stories…
∙ Tribune Editorial: The CTA is broken. Agency President Dorval Carter Jr. must go. ∙ Crain’s: As ‘Fire Dorval’ gains traction, Johnson dodges questions on CTA leader’s future * Democrats for the Illinois House…
Governor Pritzker is touring the state this week to amplify the Healthcare Protection Act. The governor will give remarks at Belleville Memorial Hospital today at 10 am. Click here to watch. * SJ-R | ‘One of the nicest people I ever met.’ Longtime Springfield photojournalist dies at 78: Milner, a longtime presence around the State Capitol Building and Springfield with his camera, died April 17 after a recurrence of pancreatic cancer. He was 78. A memorial service is set for Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. Sixth St., from 4 to 7 p.m. April 23. […] James Milner said he and his father were bowled over by the support at the capitol and at another open house several weeks ago. * Daily Southtown | Dolton Village Hall hit with federal subpoenas amid ongoing probe into Mayor Tiffany Henyard: A spokesperson for the FBI confirmed in a written statement that agents were “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity” in Dolton on Friday, but declined to comment on the nature of any investigation pursuant to Department of Justice policy. One of the sources said the investigation into Henyard is still in its early stages, and no charges are imminent. * Tribune | Groups battling opioid crisis express frustration over state’s speed in distributing millions of dollars from legal settlements: The payouts stem from multistate agreements with major drug distributors, manufacturers and household names such as CVS, Walgreens, and Johnson and Johnson. Payments started in 2022 and will continue well into the next decade, and offer the potential for a significant investment in harm reduction and treatment efforts. Nationwide, more than $50 billion is expected from the settlements, according to KFF Health News, which tracks the money. But so far, the flow of settlement money to organizations in Illinois has remained barely a trickle. A complex bureaucratic process for distributing the funds has put only a tiny fraction of the money into the hands of organizations dealing with the crisis. * Daily Herald | ‘Proactive’ measure or ‘government overreach’? Lawmakers weigh ban on corporal punishment in private schools; most already prohibit it: State Rep. Margaret Croke, a Chicago Democrat, drafted the legislation after seeing an uptick of public schools in neighboring states such as Missouri reinstituting the practice. “I haven’t found recent instances here, but I don’t feel bad about being proactive,” Croke said. “We saw recently New York decided to take similar action.” * Rockford Register Star | Illinois election authority wants voters’ personal information removed from media websites: The State Board of Elections said it did not provide data to the media group for the stories. […] Through communications with a representative of the media group, the board of elections believes the company combined 2016 and 2020 data sets for its voter stories. It used a copy of the 2016 voter file to obtain the birthdates and many of the street addresses it has published. * Sun-Times | Ballot bypass? Illinois sees lowest presidential primary voter turnout in decades: Chicago may have avoided surpassing 2012’s bleak low-turnout record of 24.6%, eking out a final turnout of 25.8%. But statewide, just 1,518,856 of the 7,965,287 registered voters in Illinois cast ballots in the March 19 primary. That resulted in a statewide voter turnout of 19.07%, the Illinois State Board of Elections said Friday in releasing its certified election results. * Sun-Times | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Welch travels to Washington on fundraising trip: On Monday afternoon, Welch raises money for his People for Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch committee, with the ask ranging from $1,000 for a ticket to $68,500, the contribution limit, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, for a political action committee per election cycle. The event, at the Washington Hilton, is timed to coincide with the North America’s Building Trades Unions 2024 legislative conference and is taking place at the same hotel. Illinois state Treasurer Mike Frerichs is scheduled to speak to the conference Tuesday. * ABC Chicago | Chicago police mourning Officer Luis Huesca as search for Gage Park shooting suspect continues: Officer Huesca was two days shy of his 31st birthday when he was shot and killed early Sunday morning as he was arriving home from his shift, according to CPD. […] “He was a great officer,” CPD Supt. Larry Snelling said. “A great human being. And his family is dealing with a lot right now.”Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement saying in part, “I met with Officer Huesca’s mother and uncle this morning and assured them that they have the full support of my administration as they deal with this unspeakable loss. Our city is grieving, and our condolences go out to their entire family as well as Luis’ fellow officers and community.” * Tribune | Chicago to have one unified system for homeless and migrants, city and state officials say: The “One System Initiative” will shift a “permanent shelter management to the non-profit workforce,” Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson Daisy Contreras said in a statement. Currently, the city contracts with Favorite Healthcare Staffing, whose sizable overtime has contributed to tens of millions of dollars in city payments to the firm staffing the city’s migrant shelters. The state’s office to prevent and end homelessness will lead the initiative with more than 25 community-based agencies participating, Contreras said. Planning sessions are set to begin at the end of April and go through the spring. * Tribune | Johnson safety plan slow out of the gate, but mayor vows ‘root causes’ approach will work: A year after he took office, however, Johnson’s plan is still in its early stages, and crime remains a stubborn scourge across the city. And his move away from investing more in policing to address the problem has further enflamed opponents who have long distrusted his approach. In the West Side field house, the reality of Chicago’s violent streets was reflected in participants’ grim tone as they set about brainstorming how to make the mayor’s plans reality. * Block Club | After Demands For Accountability, CHA Boss Agrees To Testify Before City Council Committee : Alderpeople called on CHA leaders to answer questions after an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Illinois Answers Project found the agency was sitting on hundreds of empty and deteriorating homes. * CBS Chicago | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says protests will be permitted, but safety will be maintained at DNC: In an interview with Dana Bash on CNN Sunday morning, Pritzker stressed that groups gathering in Chicago this August will be allowed some protests – to a point. “Look, we believe in free speech, and we’re going allow people to protest, and, you know, say whatever it is they want to say,” Pritzker said. “But the reality is we’re also going to make sure that people have ingress and egress and that they’re safe in our state.” * WTTW | Judge Tosses Large Portions of Evanston Residents’ Lawsuit Over Northwestern’s Ryan Field Deal: Judge Pamela McLean Meyerson on Friday agreed to dismiss three of four counts brought by a group of 13 residents who live near the stadium and who had asked the court to invalidate Evanston City Council’s 5-4 vote to change the city’s zoning law, allowing the renovated facility to host as many as six concerts per year. “I will note, as I said upfront, this case is not over,” Meyerson said after delivering her ruling, “that count one, the constitutional claim, remains pending.” * Tribune | Wind and solar in limbo: Long waitlists to get on the grid are a ‘leading barrier’: Both projects have been approved by the Lee County Board. But neither can be built, according to a county official, due to PJM Interconnection, a powerful but little-known entity that controls access to the high-voltage electric grid in northern Illinois. “There isn’t anything we can do to help the state move forward (with its clean energy goals),” said Lee County Zoning Administrator Alice Henkel. “This is all PJM. They have the control.” * NBC News | In Superman’s ‘hometown,’ a pastor vows to fight Satan’s influence at the local library: The dispute has pitted the city’s mayor, a member of Eastland Life Church, against his own library board of trustees. It led to the abrupt dismissal of the library director, who accused the board of punishing her for her faith. And last month, it drew scrutiny from the state’s Democratic secretary of state, who said the events in Metropolis “should frighten and insult all Americans who believe in the freedom of speech and in our democracy.” * Daily Herald | Kane County GOP elects chair to second two-year term: Andro Lerario has been reelected for another two-year term as chair of the Kane County Republican Party. Precinct committee persons reelected Lerario, who ran without opposition, at the Kane GOP convention Wednesday in St. Charles. * Shaw Local | How hops grown by McHenry County College students became beers at Woodstock brewery: For the first time last year, McHenry County College students learned how to grow hops and saw their harvest used to brew two beers now sold for a limited time at a Woodstock brewery. An MCC graphic arts student also designed the beer label. The two varieties of beer brewed and sold at Holzlager Brewing Co. made from MCC’s hops are the MCC Wet-Hopped American Light Lager and a dry-hopped beer, Agrarian American Pale Ale. The taste is a refreshing brew, featuring a blend of earthy and citrus notes, and both “are very well received,” said Travis Slepcevich, owner of Holzlager Brewing Co. * Sun-Times | Sky operating chairman/co-owner Nadia Rawlinson confident in team’s direction: ‘This is our era’: The Sky are without a franchise star after trading Kahleah Copper to the Mercury at her request this offseason. What they do have, however, is a blank slate with two newly drafted twin-tower powerhouses in Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese and a coach in Teresa Weatherspoon who seems to exemplify Chicago. * Tribune | Bill Tobin, longtime Chicago Bears personnel man who played a major role in building the Super Bowl XX champions, dies at 83: Tobin, who was the Chicago Bears vice president of player personnel from 1986-92 after joining the organization in 1975, died Thursday, the Cincinnati Bengals announced. He was 83. “Bill was relentless in pursuing a single goal: making the Bears better,” Chairman George McCaskey told the team’s website Friday. “He had a keen eye for talent and he passionately advocated for players he believed in. He helped build the greatest team in NFL history — the ’85 Bears — and for that we are forever grateful.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Apr 22, 2024 - Posted by Rich 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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