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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune

A federal judge in Chicago on Friday clarified that all immigration-enforcement agents must have body-worn cameras in the field as part of a temporary restraining order over the tear gassing and rough treatment of protesters and media during the Trump administration’s ongoing “Operation Midway Blitz.”

In a hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Friday, U.S. District Judge Sarah Ellis said she was displeased by the lack of response from the government Thursday when she asked them to come up with suggested language to modify her restraining order when it came to body-worn cameras.

“Nothing came in,” Ellis said Friday. “This was not a suggestion, it was not a hint, it wasn’t a topic of conversation. It was an order.”

The move came in the wake of a public statement from the Department of Homeland Security. After Thursday’s hearing, a DHS spokesperson said there was currently no order requiring body cameras, but if a court were to enter such an order, it would be “an extreme act of judicial activism.”

***************** Advertisement *****************



Illinois families are already stretched thin and a delivery tax would push them even further. For Illinois residents, delivery services are essential, not optional. Working parents, seniors, and those with limited mobility rely on them for groceries, meals, and everyday needs. Now, a proposed delivery tax threatens to raise costs on the families who can least afford it.

Learn more about the impact of a delivery tax and why we MUST stop it.

*************************************************

* Press release…

State Senate candidate Nick Uniejewski today called on incumbent Senator Sara Feigenholtz to return a $5,000 campaign contribution from Sam Sanchez, a well-known restaurant owner who has publicly said he voted for Donald Trump and serves as a leader in the Illinois Restaurant Association—a group that has fiercely opposed efforts to raise wages for low-wage workers.

“We shouldn’t settle for a Democrat who jumps at the biggest check from someone who proudly voted for Trump,” Uniejewski said. “If Senator Feigenholtz truly stands with working people, she should return that money—or better yet, donate it to 19th District Mutual Aid, a grassroots group supporting immigrant families right here on the North Side.”

Uniejewski had just $29K in his campaign account at the end of September.

* Capitol News Illinois

People in Illinois who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are likely to see big increases in the cost of their premiums next year, but state officials are encouraging them to reach out for help before they decide to drop their coverage.

“We’re really encouraging people, don’t walk away. Come and talk to a navigator,” Illinois Insurance Director Ann Gillespie said in an interview this week. “Make an appointment to talk to a navigator, because there are over 1,100 plans that we’re going to be offering on the marketplace. There might be an option that will be affordable for you.”

Open enrollment for the 2026 plan year begins Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. This year will be the first year in which Illinois residents will use a state-based online platform, Get Covered Illinois, to shop for their plans.

“Last year, we were a state-based marketplace, but on the federal platform still. It was our transition year,” Gillespie said. “So last year was technically the first year of the state-based marketplace. This year, we’re on our own platform for the first time.”

…Adding… The Will County Executive Office…

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant has issued an executive order that clarifies how county government will respond to increased federal immigration enforcement actions. The order creates restrictions on the use of county property for immigration enforcement staging areas, establishes guidelines for immigration enforcement actions on county property, and provides guidance on referring residents to legal resources and temporary visas available to crime victims.

“I am deeply concerned about reports I am receiving about federal immigration activity occurring locally and tactics causing fear throughout the community,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “The steps we are taking today are aimed at ensuring our residents voices are heard by providing resources and actions that fall under the county jurisdiction. All people should be safe in their neighborhoods and supported in their community.”

The four-part Executive Order, officially titled Executive Order 25-01, includes two directives to Will County offices and departments that set guidelines on federal immigration enforcement actions on county property. This includes prohibiting the use of County-owned properties under the control of the Executive’ Office, including buildings and lots, to serve as staging areas for enforcement operations.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Semafor | Governor JB Pritzker on Chicago, ICE, and the information war with Trump’s White House: This week, Ben and Max bring on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to talk about how he’s navigating a communications crisis and a messaging battle against the Trump White House in the new media landscape. They also talk about how conservative media is shaping the situation on the ground, what he thinks of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s trolling approach to Trump, and whether we should bet on the Chicago Bears.

* The Southern | Mueller launches campaign for Illinois State Senate: Tamiko “T.C.” Mueller is hoping her message of unity, economic growth and working across party lines will help carry her to victory next year as she seeks the open seat in the Illinois State Senate’s 59th District. Mueller formally launched her campaign this week, aiming to return the seat to Democratic control after Gary Forby last held it from 2003 to 2017. She told supporters she’s ready to bring a fresh voice of action and results to Springfield.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | ‘Feeling the pain’: Chicago’s federal court starts reducing operations amid ongoing government shutdown: The ongoing federal government shutdown is starting to have dire consequences at Chicago’s Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, where money has run out to pay staff for non-essential duties and jury trials are being canceled amid growing uncertainty. The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, initially affected only civil litigation involving the United States as a party since the court keeps a reserve of funds that allow most operations to continue.

* Block Club | Belmont Cragin Business Owners Beg For Support As ICE Fears Devastate Sales And Closures Loom: The Northwest Side neighborhoods have seen increased immigration arrests and ICE activity in recent weeks under the Trump administration’s large-scale immigration operations — ICE’s Midway Blitz and Border Patrol’s At Large — which started in September. That has stoked fear among would-be customers, with foot traffic and sales dropping, business owners said. “It’s been really difficult. We could close the restaurant if we don’t get more business in the next two months,” said Jesus, the manager of Las Casitas restaurant, 5746 W. Belmont Ave. in Belmont Cragin. Jesus, who has worked for the restaurant since 2020, asked to not have his last name published out of fear federal agents would target him.

* Block Club | Unmarked Officers At Calumet Park Station Aren’t Immigration Agents, Coast Guard Says: The officers are “additional Coast Guard security forces,” not immigration agents, U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson and Lt. Cmdr. Steve Roth told Block Club Thursday. Additional security was deployed in response to “destruction of Coast Guard property at the station and threats made against Coast Guard members,” Roth said.

* Sun-Times | Ex-CBP chief details ‘unreasonable use of force,’ ICE cites ‘brazen’ hostility in dueling lawsuit narratives: A day after President Donald Trump summoned 300 Illinois National Guard troops into federal service, one of his immigration enforcement officials 700 miles away in Illinois sent an email praising the people who turned out to be “the difference maker” in calming local protests. His email didn’t brag about soldiers, border agents or any branch of federal law enforcement. Instead, the official wrote that the Department of Homeland Security “did not have to intervene with any protesters” the weekend of Oct. 4 — after the Illinois State Police showed up outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. “It’s clear that ISP is the difference maker in this scenario, and we are grateful for their leadership,” Peter Sukmanowski, assistant director of ICE’s Chicago field office, wrote. “Hopefully, we can keep it up for the long-haul.”

* Block Club | Chicago Cyclists Are Buying Out Tamale Carts To Keep Vendors Home And Safe From ICE: Cycling x Solidarity, a collective of Chicago cyclists who organize group rides and mutual aid efforts, will host a Street Vendor Bike Tour Saturday with the Street Vendors Association of Chicago. The ride will begin 10 a.m. at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park and wind through Pilsen and Little Village, where the group will buy food from street vendors.

* WBEZ | ‘Incredibly important’ Imagist Roger Brown gave his collection to Chicago. How’d it end up in Wisconsin?: Against this backdrop comes a new exhibition at the Kohler Center that gives audiences a look of Brown’s visual world and what inspired his cartoonish, folksy style and depictions of semi-imaginary architecture and landscapes. The exhibition, located at Kohler’s satellite Art Preserve and running through spring 2026, shows only a fraction of the newly acquired objects but aims to provide visitors with an introductory taste of the artist’s vast collection, which it plans to fully showcase down the road.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | More arrests outside Broadview ICE center as protests continue: Friday’s confrontation was the first in almost a month to take place on Beach Street after federal officials removed what the town called an illegally constructed fence from outside the facility. Protesters began to chant around 8 a.m. Friday in violation of Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson’s recently issued order that protests only occur between 9 a.m. and 6 a.m.

* Block Club | State Police Led Broadview Protesters Into Street And Attacked Them, Demonstrators Say: About 8:15 a.m. Friday, state police told a crowd of about 100 protesters they could go into the street — but then attacked them with billy clubs and arrested several people, activists said. […] In a statement, Illinois State Police said “a number of individuals repeatedly blocked a street” outside the facility and “after providing repeated instructions and opportunities to move to the designated protest areas, 11 individuals were ultimately arrested.”

* MediaITE | Democratic Congressional Candidate Kat Abughazaleh Claims Cop Hit Her With Baton During ICE Protest: Abughazaleh, who is running for Congress in Illinois’s 9th district, was among numerous protesters at the ICE facility in Broadview on Friday morning when Illinois State Police advanced while clutching batons. “Cops led us into the street as the new ‘protest zone’ and then beat us repeatedly,” Abughazaleh said in a social media post. “Got hit in the face with a baton. Leaving to pick up my friends who were arrested.”

* Tribune | Aurora’s proposed 2026 city budget includes funding, staffing cuts: In total, the budget proposed for next year is $163.6 million less than this year’s, city officials told reporters at a meeting on Thursday. That decrease, which sets the overall budget at around $569 million, is mostly because of bonds the city took out this year for big construction projects, according to Mayor John Laesch. Actual cuts to the city’s main operating fund made throughout the budget process totaled around $19 million, or around 7% of the starting budget, city officials’ presentation showed. The proposed 2026 budget still has a difference between revenue and expenses of $2.5 million in its main operating fund, down from the nearly $30 million deficit that officials said the budget had earlier in the process.

* Daily Herald | More cargo, more problems? Why retired suburban police chief is leading fight against heavier trucks: To former Buffalo Grove and Cary Police Chief Steve Casstevens, the formula is obvious: bigger, fuller and heavier trucks equal bigger, more and worse crashes. That’s why the retired law enforcement leader has found a new role helping to lead the fight against proposals before Congress allowing more densely packed semis on federal highways. “There’s never been a study by anyone saying higher weights are safer,” said Casstevens, who also served as president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. “Common sense, engineers and truck drivers will tell you higher weights mean more crashes. Everything tells us it’s a bad idea.”

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg panel endorses more flexibility on when apartments must switch from heat to A/C: Last month his air conditioning was turned off a week before the Sept. 15 requirement for heat to make the transition. During the hot days that recurred for the rest of the month, not only was he without A/C but the heat was actively on. “There’s radiant heat coming from the vent,” Finch said. He shared a general email from the management of The Grove explaining to residents the village’s requirement to maintain a temperature of at least 68 degrees from Sept. 15 to June 1.

*** Downstate ***

* WIFR | Federal courts in northern Illinois reduce operations due to government shutdown: If the shutdown continues after Judiciary funds are exhausted, the courts will then operate under the terms of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which allows work to continue during a lapse in appropriations if it is necessary to support the exercise of Article III judicial powers. Under this scenario, each court and federal defender’s office would determine the staffing resources necessary to support such work.

* WSIL | Southern Illinois regions receive portion of $2.5M for childhood development: The award, consisting of 43 subcontracts for fiscal year 2026, is funded by the Illinois State Board of Education. Since fiscal year 2023, Birth to Five Illinois has invested a total of $11,875,000. The organization has provided funding to 35 out of 39 regions in Illinois. This demonstrates their commitment to enhancing existing Early Childhood Collaborations and investing in less-funded areas.

* WSIL | New ADA doors enhance accessibility at Alexander County polls: These changes aim to improve accessibility for all residents in the county. Doors are already in place at the Tamms community building. The Olive Branch community building and McClure City Hall are set to have their doors installed next week.

* WCIA | 2025-2026 Wooly Worm Forecast: Judy Fraser is back in the studio with us this season with the 2025-2026 Wooly Worm Forecast. Watch her full forecast above as she talks more about the Wooly Worms, how she forecasts with them and some memories from over the years.

*** National ***

* LA Times | Susan Stamberg, NPR ‘founding mother’ and ‘All Things Considered’ host, dies at 87: Stamberg joined NPR in the early 1970s when it was getting off the ground as a network of radio stations across the country. During her career, she interviewed thousands of people, from prominent politicians and artists to the less well-known like White House chefs and people who work behind the scenes in Hollywood. She explained in an oral history interview with Oregon station KLCC in January that she didn’t have women in broadcast to model herself after when she became the host of “All Things Considered” in 1972.

* AP | US blocks a global fee on shipping emissions as international meeting ends without new regulations: The world’s largest maritime nations had been deliberating on adopting regulations to move the shipping industry away from fossil fuels to slash emissions. But U.S. President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia and other countries vowed to fight any global tax on shipping emissions. The U.S. had threatened to retaliate if nations support it. Trump urged countries to vote “No” at the International Maritime Organization headquarters in London, posting on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday that “the United States will not stand for this global green new scam tax on shipping.”

* United States Courts | Judiciary Still Operating as Shutdown Starts: If the shutdown continues after Judiciary funds are exhausted, the courts will then operate under the terms of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which allows work to continue during a lapse in appropriations if it is necessary to support the exercise of Article III judicial powers. Under this scenario, each court and federal defender’s office would determine the staffing resources necessary to support such work.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - News update (Updated)

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Musical interlude: ‘I’ve Been Everywhere in Illinois’

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From comments this morning

I finished my quest to visit all 102 counties in Illinois. I documented it in song form. It’s on YouTube as I’ve Been Everywhere in Illinois.

* The video

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Catching up with the federal candidates

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* 8th CD candidate Melissa Bean…

Today, United States Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) endorsed Melissa Bean in the race for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District seat. Duckworth represented IL-08 from 2013-2017 before being elected to the U.S. Senate.

Statement from Senator Tammy Duckworth:

    “For 20 years, I’ve been proud to call Melissa Bean a friend – and today, I’m proud to endorse her campaign to represent IL-08 in Congress. Melissa has proven time and again to be a hard working and effective leader who knows how to deliver real results. As a member of Congress, she helped pass the Affordable Care Act, hold Wall Street accountable and support our small businesses – legislation that made a real impact for families across Illinois. The people of Illinois’s 8th District deserve steady, proven leadership in Washington, D.C., and Melissa is the best person for the job.”

Statement from Melissa Bean:

    “Senator Tammy Duckworth is one of Illinois’ fiercest advocates and most trusted leaders who has devoted her career to defending American families and values – first in the Illinois Army National Guard, then in Congress, and now in the United States Senate. I’m so grateful for her continued friendship and support, and I couldn’t be more thankful to have her in my corner as I fight to protect our legacy of progress for the families of IL-08.”

Today’s endorsement is another sign of the campaign’s building momentum, following an early endorsement from Congressman Bill Foster and a strong first fundraising quarter. Polling shows that Bean has an edge over her opponents in a competitive primary, and that when voters are reminded of her record, her lead continues to expand.

Click here for more on that poll. Melissa Bean reported a $540K fundraising haul for Q3, but 299K was self funded.

* Capitol News Illinois

Since early July, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has been a familiar face on Illinois television screens, with the Schaumburg Democrat telling the state’s voters in a set of biographical ads to “just call me Raja” as he campaigns for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat.

Krishnamoorthi’s campaign spent an average of more than $450,000 per week on television ads between July and September to maintain that constant presence, according to his quarterly campaign finance report, filed earlier this week.

By contrast, Krishnamoorthi’s two main rivals in the Democratic primary, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, have yet to spend a dime on television advertising. And the pair were once again significantly outraised by Krishnamoorthi, whose massive campaign war chest is six times larger than both of theirs combined and has helped him secure frontrunner status in the race […]

This structural disadvantage continued last quarter, with Stratton raising $1 million and having $919,774 on hand at the end of September — an amount that would cover only two weeks of Krishnamoorthi’s ad campaign.

More from the Tribune

Stratton spent $747,314, largely on fundraising, consultants and staff, and she had $919,774 in her campaign fund to start this month.

Kelly spent $500,795, leaving her with $1.98 million in cash available to begin October.

Steve Botsford, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Chicago City Council in 2023, announced his U.S. Senate candidacy on Thursday after filing a campaign finance report showing he had given himself $101,791.

On the Republican side, former GOP state Chair Don Tracy of Springfield reported having just over $2 million in cash on hand, largely his own money.

* Evanston RoundTable

Supporters, political action committees and candidates themselves put another $4.7 million into the crowded race for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District seat over the last three months, according to new disclosure reports, leaving two neck-and-neck front-runners and a pack of others seeking to close the cash gap as candidates work to qualify for the March primary ballot in a few weeks. […]

Abughazaleh and Biss maintain lead: Taking up the front in both fundraising and overall war chests are Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and content creator Kat Abughazaleh, who virtually tied in both measures over the third quarter. Biss recorded raising $620,809.19 against Abughazaleh’s $620,152.83, while Abughazaleh had $1,012,275.28 available at the quarter’s end against Biss’ $1,010,267.72. These two are the only candidates to reach the seven-figure mark, setting them financially apart the rest of the field, though a few candidates aren’t far behind.

Self-funding boosts: Technically, neither Biss nor Abughazaleh actually received the most funding this quarter — that honor instead goes to former FBI agent Phil Andrew, who logged $726,034.73 after jumping into the race at the start of the quarter. However, Andrew boosted his total by loaning his campaign $200,000 of his own money on Sept. 30, the final day of the reporting period. Joining him in ponying up personal funds are economist Jeff Cohen, who gave himself $200,000, Army veteran Sam Polan, who gave himself $275,000, and 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman Bruce Leon, who pitched in another $190,000 on top of the $610,000 he’d already given himself at the end of June.

* Evanston Now

Over 270 donors, many of whom have backed dozens of Republican politicians and the nation’s largest pro-Israel lobbying group, donated over $319,000 to State Sen. Laura Fine’s [9th CD] campaign since May, campaign records show. […]

One donor, a physician from Fort Myers, Florida, donated $500 to Fine’s campaign on Sept. 18, just three days after a fundraising email from AIPAC calling her opponents, Kat Abughazaleh and Daniel Biss “dangerous detractors” from AIPAC’s mission. The donor had previously donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans, including over $20,000 to two of Donald Trump’s largest super PACs in 2024.

Of the over 740 individual donations Fine received since launching her campaign, over 270 came from donors with strong links to AIPAC, which has often been criticized for targeting critics of the Jewish state, previously supported candidates directly through AIPAC, Evanston Now’s analysis of hundreds of records shows. […]

Among the list are groups like the Republican Jewish Coalition PAC and, in over a dozen instances, controversial figures like Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who introduced a bill in Congress that would allow Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revoke U.S. passports of citizens critical of Israel.

Many of the donors had supported Democratic candidates, too, sometimes donating to both Republicans and Democrats at the same time, so long as the candidates were pro-Israel. Some of the Democratic candidates include Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan, who’s now running for U.S. Senate, Rep. Wesley Bell in Missouri and dozens supporting Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire, also running for Senate in 2026.

As of Sept. 30, Fine had raised over $660,000 in total, with over 90% being from large-dollar donors ($200 or more).

* Playbook

U.S. Senate race: Steve Botsford is joining the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, vowing “to make life more affordable for working families and to build a future worthy of America,” according to his launch statement.

In IL-02: State Sen. Robert Peters has been endorsed by Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03) and Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller is out with a list of endorsements, including from suburban mayors. The full list is here.

* US Rep. Bill Foster…

Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) announced that he will once again donate his Congressional pay earned during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Foster also donated his paycheck to the food bank during previous Republican Shutdowns in 2013 and 2019.

“It is unacceptable that federal employees are going without a paycheck, health insurance costs are skyrocketing, and families are seeing SNAP benefits threatened, while House Republicans stay out on vacation and refuse to come back to Washington and negotiate a bipartisan funding bill,” said Foster. “Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House, and they remain totally committed to cutting health care and children’s food assistance to preserve tax cuts for their billionaire donors. Until they do their job and work with Democrats to protect vulnerable families and reopen the government, I will be donating my Congressional pay to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.”

* More…

    * The Telegraph | Seven questions with Senate candidate Robin Kelly: Kelly says that her time representing the second district, which stretches from Chicago to Danville and Pontiac and includes a mix of urban, suburban, and rural parts of the state, gives her the perspective she needs to fully understand the needs of all Illinoisans. “I have 4,500 farms,” she said. “You can go to urban, suburban, and rural areas, and they will tell you they have delivered in every part of my district.”

    * Daily Herald | Two newcomers in 6th Congressional District race: Two political newcomers are running for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District seat, a post now held by Democrat Sean Casten of Downers Grove. Chicagoan Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission indicating he’ll challenge Casten in the Democratic primary. Additionally, Shorewood resident Skylar Duensing is seeking the Republican nomination.

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Critical 340B Program Needs Federal Reforms

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

A federal program created in 1992 to support safety-net clinics with the care they provided to uninsured patients is being abused by for-profit pharmacies and large hospital systems. The 340B program has become a cash cow with profits flowing away from the very patients and communities the program was meant to help.

Reform at the federal level is critical to ensure that the 340B program works as it was intended by providing necessary funds to safety-net clinics that serve some of the neediest patient populations in Illinois and across the country. Multiple investigations have found that the program has created perverse incentives for hospitals to prescribe more and higher-cost medicines, as well as buy up smaller independent clinics and practices to benefit from their prescriptions as well. Meanwhile for-profit pharmacies are making millions of dollars off hospitals, with no requirements to provide low-cost medicines to patients.

Sisters Working It Out supports reforms that increase transparency and improve oversight to help return 340B to its original purpose of helping low-income patients and the safety-net clinics they rely on. Congress must act to reform this critical federal program.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign news

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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It’s Time To Bring Safer Rides To Illinois

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Waymo is ready to bring safe, reliable, autonomous rides to Illinois – but we need your help!

Waymo is designed to follow all traffic laws and obey speed limits, and the data shows Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans (as of 6/2025, see waymo.com/safety). Let’s bring safer rides to Illinois.

Waymo’s autonomous vehicles can improve access to transportation for Illinois residents with travel-limiting disabilities like vision impairment, to reach medical care, groceries, and social activities. Waymo’s all-electric autonomous vehicles also provide a more sustainable way for people to get around, preventing 315+ tons of carbon emissions with every 250K trips provided through our ride-hailing service.

Ready to ride? Help bring Waymo to Illinois.

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Republican state legislator: ‘I don’t trust billionaires’

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) was asked yesterday about Gov. JB Pritzker winning $1.4 million playing Black Jack in Vegas last year

I have a problem with billionaires. I’m going to admit that I don’t know if I need my hand on Bible or what. I don’t trust billionaires. I don’t trust them because they’ve never had to make payroll with $0 in the bank. I don’t trust [billionaires] because of how they take care of their money like this. It was a $1.4 million win, wasn’t that approximately the number?

Billionaires are out of touch with reality, and we see that with how the governor has treated our most needy and vulnerable. We look at Meals on Wheels. We look at adults with disabilities in the long term care facilities. And we look at how we have continued to fund excess programs, violence interruption grants, health care for illegal immigrants. He has no basis in reality for what a dollar means the working people the state of Illinois.

My mom waited tables to keep a roof over my head after her and my father got divorced. I remember the mortgage company calling because at the time $323 was just too much for us to be able to meet. There were more days than dollars. We had the power shut off when I was a kid.

Until you’ve got a sense of reality of what a dollar means, you can’t judge accurately what needs to happen with the tax regiment. And I think the perfect example of that leader Davidsmeyer talked about, the increasing revenues that we’ve had over time since the governor took office, 40% additional they have continued year in and year out along the way to continue to raise taxes and fees each and every year, there’s an enhancement each and every year. How can that be? How? Yes, I understand things go up over time.

But the disconnect with reality, the disconnect for not knowing what a zero balance means in a checking account. I don’t trust billionaires. I don’t trust this governor. I didn’t trust the last governor. I’ve met a few billionaires in passing just because they happen to come down and lobby from time to time. I don’t trust them at all, because they’ve never had to be responsible. What they say goes in all of their experience up to this point in time.

So $1.4 million dollars in winnings, that is so absolutely disconnected. And I think if I do the math right in my head, that probably represents what a 35 year old, making $45,000 a year, would make from 35 to 65 years old, and he won it sitting there. Tell me how that relates to the common man.

Rep. Keicher did not mention the names of any other billionaire politicians.

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Keep ROFR And Anti-Competitive Language Out Of The Energy Bill

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Voters and the Governor already rejected lawmakers’ push for anti-competitive “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) bills that handed transmission contracts to incumbent utilities.

Now, the same principles that would raise costs on ratepayers are back. They are trying to rebrand ROFR and pretend it’s about protecting Illinois.

As energy legislation is finalized in Springfield this month, let’s keep ROFR and anti-competitive language out of bill.

Let’s remember Illinois voters:

    • 82% say rates are already too high and legislators should lower costs, not raise them.
    • 76% say anti-competition laws only strengthen utilities, not citizens.
    • 75% say ending competition drives up prices and kills savings.

The message is clear: voters want more competition, not less.

Voters’ concerns about higher energy prices are only on the rise. Since this poll, they’ve endured a sizzling summer with skyrocketing prices, and a new report says the cost of heating a home this winter is expected to jump nearly 8%.

Voters have made their voice clear: Say no to energy inflation. Don’t hand more power and control to ComEd and Ameren. Say no to ending cost-cutting competition. And say yes to policies that provide lower cost to consumers.

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Chief US Border Patrol Agent: Pritzker has ‘more in common’ with ‘terrorist drug cartels than he does with American citizens’

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The latest outrage of the day started with a federal government press release

In Governor J.B. Pritzker’s Illinois, Illegal Alien Is Working as a Sworn Police Office with Badge, Gun, and a Pension

Release Date: October 16, 2025

It is a felony for an illegal alien to possess a firearm

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today announced the arrest of Radule Bojovic, an illegal alien from Montenegro, who was working as a sworn police officer with the Hanover Park Police Department in sanctuary state Illinois. Radule Bojovic was encountered during a targeted enforcement action as part of Operation Midway Blitz.

Hanover Park Police Department records confirm, Radule Bojovic was approved by the Pension Fund Board of Trustees in January 2025 and was eligible to receive a starting salary of $78,955.70. Additional records indicate his 2025 earnings cost taxpayers $205,707 including $9,276 for FICA/Medicare taxes.

“Governor J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just allow violent illegal aliens to terrorize Illinois’s communities, he allows illegal aliens to work as sworn police officers. Radule Bojovic violated our nation’s laws and was living ILLEGALLY in the United States for 10 years—what kind of police department gives criminal illegal aliens badges and guns? It’s a felony for aliens to even possess a firearm. A so-called law enforcement officer who is actively breaking the law,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem ICE is restoring law and order. Criminal illegal aliens have NO PLACE in our communities, especially on our police forces.”

* Except, Bojovic was apparently cleared by an FBI background check and the village said its officials were informed by the feds that he had legal authorization to be in the country

“Before hiring Officer Bojovic, the Village confirmed that he was legally authorized by the federal government to work in the United States,” the village’s statement read. At the time of his hire, Bojovic provided a valid and recently renewed work authorization card, which was issued by Citizenship and Immigration Services, the village stated, noting that it also conducted a full background check into Bojovic’s criminal history with both the Illinois State Police and the FBI.

“Clearly, without that authorization, the Village would not have hired him,” the village stated. “Additionally, the Village has not received any notice from any federal or state agency that his work authorization status had even been revoked.” […]

“(The Village) also confirmed, based on a memorandum issued by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on January, 5, 2024, that (Bojovic’s) immigration status allows him to carry a firearm while on duty.”

As he was being taken away, Bojovic told a right-wing influencer embedded with federal police that he did not have a FOID card. Police in Illinois are not required to have a FOID card for on-duty responsibilities. They cannot possess firearms when not on duty, however.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board cleared Bojovic in August for police duty, but ILETSB’s backgroud investigation is only limited to conduct and criminality. “We are not the employing agency,” a board official said. “Under federal law, it’s the employer’s obligation to ensure citizenship or that the person they’re employing is here legally,” which the village claims to have done.

* Despite the reported facts, Fox News is all-in on the hype

Sandra Smith: Wow. It is actually hard to believe what we’re reporting here. I mean, in JB Pritzker’s Illinois, an illegal alien is working as a sworn-in police officer with a badge with a gun and a pension. Your reaction?

Chief Border Patrol Agent Greg Bovino: Well, Sandra and John, it’s good to be with you again, thanks for having me. It’s unbelievable that the state of Illinois and Governor JB Pritzker would hand an illegal alien a weapon. Title 18, USC, ocde 922, says it’s a felony for an illegal alien to possess or own a firearm. But yet, here we have an illegal alien with a firearm in the state of Illinois, as per JB Pritzker and those leaders. It’s absolutely amazing what’s going on here in Illinois. We do have a crime problem here. This is yet another example of the out of control crime problem, this time perpetrated by the state in Illinois.

Sandra Smith: This is JB Pritzker, however, this is earlier today, Greg claiming that it’s President Trump’s actions that are bad, that they echo authoritarianism as he is deploying his policies.

JB Pritzker video clip: Trump is looking to cause mayhem and lay the foundation for actions far more craven. We cannot accept any of this as normal, and we cannot remain silent. We must continue to call this what it is, a dangerous power grab that echoes the rise of authoritarianism and authoritarian regimes throughout world history.

Smith: I thought he woke up and he was actually talking about this illegal alien from Montenegro who was sworn as a police officer. But no, he’s talking about President Donald Trump. Greg?

Bovino: Sandra, at this point, I think JB Pritzker has more in common with drug cartels, terrorist drug cartels than he does with American citizens. He calls us terrorists, thugs all the while there’s $50,000 bounties on the heads of American law enforcement. And he takes this approach. You know, I think he’s got more in common again, with terrorist cartels than he does his own citizens.

Doubt has been cast on that bounty claim. And the feds have not yet mentioned these alleged threats in their court filings over federalizing the National Guard here.

  31 Comments      


Vote YES On HB 2371 SA 2 To Protect The 340B Program And Invest In Low-Income Chicago Communities

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Sinai Chicago serves an area including 1.5 million people on Chicago’s West and Southwest sides, where poverty rates range from 30%-50%. As the state’s largest private safety net provider, Sinai considers the federal 340B program a “safety net in and of itself.” With 340B savings, the health system has provided patients with free or deeply discounted medications, and it has invested in specialty clinics and medication management services.

Yet, drugmaker restrictions on hospitals have reduced Sinai Chicago’s ability to expand access to care and offer new healthcare services—counter to the 340B program’s intent. The program requires drugmakers participating in Medicaid to discount outpatient medications to healthcare providers caring for uninsured and low-income patients. One glaring drugmaker restriction is limiting where patients can get discounted drugs. In some instances, hospitals are only allowed to contract with one pharmacy for an entire community.

“Such a policy does not ensure access to essential drugs for a patient population like the one Sinai serves,” the health system said. “The threat and fear of 340B program reductions can prevent planned extensions of care and new programs in clinical areas greatly needed in our community that would not otherwise have access to care.”

Support House Bill 2371 SA 2 to stop drugmakers from restricting the 340B program and patient access to care. Learn more.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: SNAP benefits slated to be cut off on November 1. WSIU

    - Federal officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have informed all states that it will not fund November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — benefits if the federal government shutdown continues.
    - As a result, SNAP customers will not have access to any new food benefits starting on November 1, unless the government is re-opened.
    - SNAP is a 100 percent federally funded benefit and the federal government withholding payments to the state would impact all 1.9 million recipients in Illinois. The state administers more than $350 million in SNAP benefits each month, funding that feeds families in every corner of the State.

* Related stories…

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* STLPR | Judges recommend state regulators cut Ameren Illinois’ rate hike request by $44M: The final decision will be left to the Illinois Commerce Commission, which is expected to make a ruling by Dec. 1 in the case. However, consumer advocates are celebrating the judge’s recommendation and hoping the commission cuts the request even further. “For the sake of Ameren’s customers, who have suffered through one gas rate hike after another, we urge the Illinois Commerce Commission to go far beyond the proposed order — and slash Ameren’s money grab,” said Jim Chilsen with the Citizens Utility Board on a call with reporters on Thursday.

* Tribune | ‘Political opposition is not rebellion’: Chicago appeals court leaves judge’s order barring National Guard deployment intact: In its 18-page ruling, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the findings by U.S. District Judge April Perry were not “clearly erroneous” and that “the facts do not justify” President Donald Trump’s actions in Illinois. The three-judge appellate panel unanimously agreed with Perry that even giving the president “great deference” when it comes to his power to call up the military, there was no evidence that he needed troops to help enforce immigration law or quell any kind of organized rebellion.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Illinois releases draft numeracy plan to improve math education: The first draft of the “Comprehensive Numeracy Plan,” unveiled during an Illinois State Board of Education meeting Wednesday, comes as Illinois students’ math scores continue to lag behind where they were five years ago before COVID-19 shuttered schools and disrupted learning. The draft plan outlines evidence-based practices for improving numeracy and the intent is to give districts resources to plan strategically, but schools are not mandated to follow it.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Subscribers know more. Crain’s | Illinois lawmakers weigh hospital protections as ICE enforcement intensifies: It is unclear what steps a hospital or health care facility can take if Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents arrive with the intention of arresting or detaining a patient, although providers are already blocked from providing patient information to agents by federal HIPAA regulations. A proposed bill being discussed in Springfield this week could provide some protection and policy direction to hospitals if ICE shows up, state Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, told Crain’s.

* WJOL | Legislators pass weight exemption for ‘greener’ vehicles: State Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Shorewood, defended House Bill 2394 on the Senate floor Wednesday. “We’re trying to balance infrastructure transportation with trying to use alternative methods that can lower carbon emissions. This is one way that one of the manufacturing businesses in my district has decided to help and have a greener footprint, so that’s what we’re doing,” Loughran Cappel said.

* CNI | Former military leaders decry National Guard deployment in Illinois: During a Thursday news conference, several speakers pointed to troop deployments in Memphis, Los Angeles and other cities. “Today we have to draw a line in the sand, respectfully, firmly and without equivocation,” Janessa Goldbeck, a retired Marine and head of the Vet Voice Foundation, said. “This is not normal, this is not American, and this is not what the military is for.”

* WMBD | Discover Peoria CEO worries over a decrease in tourism at Springfield committee: According to Dalfonso, the U.S. is predicted to have 6.3% drop in international tourism. Most of that drop is due to Canadian travelers not traveling to the U.S., according to Dalfonso. Federal government changes on international travel, including an increased wait time on visas, have negatively impacted tourism across the country, according to Dalfonso.

* WAND | Lawmakers hear about impact of tariffs on Illinois manufacturing, tourism: The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association told lawmakers Thursday that this industry is split on tariffs since it is a complex issue. IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler said tariffs can be an effective tool if countries are cheating or gaming the system by failing to follow trade agreements. However, manufacturers also need stability and predictability.

* BND | Illinois Rep. Charlie Meier faces fines for blocking Facebook comments: Poettker was represented by Bond County attorney Tom DeVore, who declined to comment because his law license was suspended for 60 days by the Illinois Supreme Court. DeVore, who previously ran as a Republican for Illinois attorney general and has filed lawsuits against Gov. JB Pritzker over executive orders issued regarding the COVID pandemic, began serving his suspension on Oct. 10.

* Chicagoland Journal | Chicago Political Trailblazer Emil Jones Jr. Celebrates 90th Birthday: Political leaders across Illinois and the nation are celebrating the 90th birthday of Emil Jones Jr., the longtime Illinois Senate President whose influence helped shape a generation of leaders — including former President Barack Obama, who once called him his “political godfather.”

*** Chicago ***

* NOTUS | Democrats Lay Out ‘Damning’ Examples of ICE’s Tactics in Chicago: “The federal government has effectively invaded an American city, as gunmen atop armored vehicles train their sights on civilians, agents rappel from Black Hawk helicopters onto an apartment complex rooftop, and officers routinely shoot at and deploy chemical agents against civilians,” Reps. Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the committee, and Chuy Garcia, who represents the Chicagoland area, wrote in the letter. The five-page letter from Judiciary Democrats says not only has the Trump administration gone against the wishes of local authorities with its deployment of National Guard troops into Chicago but have taken things a step further by using violent tactics against protesters and journalists.

* WTTW | Chicago to Pay $35.6M to Settle 6 Police Misconduct Cases: Nine months into the year, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $266.8 million to resolve nearly two and a half dozen lawsuits, exceeding the city’s annual budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by nearly $185 million, city records show. It is unclear how the city will find the money to make the payments approved Thursday by the City Council, since it has already exhausted the $82 million officials set aside to cover police misconduct settlements and judgments in 2025.

* ABC Chicago | Federal agents take people into custody at Back of the Yards flea market, protesters detained nearby: Witnesses say as many as 30 federal officers swarmed a flea market, taking multiple people into custody who tried to run away … while leaving fear and uncertainty with the vendors left behind.”Federal agents detained several people at a Swap-O-Rama flea market located near 41st Street and South Ashland Avenue in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Housing Authority contractor accused of ‘intimidating’ staff: After being confronted about her “exorbitant proposals,” the contractor turned hostile toward staff at the housing authority, threatening to complain to the CHA’s chief executive or the board, the I.G. said. WBEZ has learned the vendor at the center of the I.G.’s investigation was Angela Parker — the sister of longtime CHA Commissioner Debra Parker. The station reported last week that the CHA has paid a combined $22 million to Angela Parker’s cleaning and construction firm and two companies who also have close ties to Debra Parker. Those other companies who do business with the CHA are owned by Debra Parker’s boyfriend and the commissioner’s daughter.

* NBC Chicago | New data show pedestrian traffic in the Loop surpasses pre-pandemic numbers: The Chicago Loop Alliance said it’s seeing a positive trend in visitors, tourism, and money spent in the Central Business District despite the national conversation around crime in the city. “The rhetoric is not true about Chicago and the things that we see with our own eyes as Chicagoans on a daily basis are real like statistically proven to be more accurate and positive than what the media is portraying nationally and what the administration is portraying nationally,” Ariella Gibson of the Chicago Loop Alliance said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights board rejects ban on sleeping in public places: “Anything that targets and creates consequences for someone based on housing status has been and will be perceived as criminalization of homelessness,” said Trustee Bill Manganaro, one of five board members who opposed the new rules Wednesday night. “Arlington Heights is moving into a leadership position in terms of visibility, certainly in the Northwest suburbs and throughout Chicagoland, and the Bears are making it more national with every time they talk about moving here. What we do here about this issue will survive any of our terms on this board.”

* Sun-Times | ICE arrests Hanover Park officer who allegedly overstayed visa, but village says cop had valid work permit: Radule Bojovic, a native of Montenegro, was “encountered during a targeted enforcement action,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He remained in immigration detention as of late Thursday in the Clay County Justice Center in Indiana, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detainee locator. According to the Village of Hanover Park, Bojovic presented a valid and recently renewed work authorization card when he was hired back in January. The department also conducted a full background check with Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

* Oak Park Journal | Oak Park changes enforcement of gas leaf blower ban over ICE activity: Oak Park leaders considered scrapping an ordinance that a trustee said sits at a bone of contention between two of the village’s progressive values — prioritizing environmental sustainability and being welcoming to immigrants. Oak Park village trustees questioned the appropriateness of the village’s ban on gas powered leaf blowers in response to the widespread fear that’s taken hold of the local Hispanic community as result of intense federal immigration enforcement seen throughout Chicagoland in recent months. The federal government says it’s arrested more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants in its so-called Operation Midway Blitz, which has also led to chaotic scenes across the region and allegations that federal agents are illegally violating residents’ rights and racially profiling Latino people.

* Elgin Courier-News | Elgin police officer put on leave after Facebook post about ICE immigration efforts: Officer Jason Lentz’s page is no longer available online but it featured an “I Stand With ICE” emblem next to his name when he posted this on Oct. 5: “If I were from ICE, I wouldn’t check La Movida at 840 N State St in Elgin looking for undocumented. There is definitely none there! Also wouldn’t check the flea market where the Milk Pail used to be at 14N630 Rt 25 in West Dundee; no way they’d find anyone there. And I wouldn’t check out The Elgin Mall in East Dundee, located at 535 Dundee Ave — I guarantee there’s no undocumented there either!” […] It is the second time Lentz has been linked to a questionable social media post. The first was in 2014 when he wrote, ““Hmmm…innocent victim my ass. Did society a favor,” in reference to an unarmed Black man who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, triggering riots and civil unrest.

* Daily Herald | ‘Deeply disturbed’: Lawmakers demand answers about ICE actions in Hoffman Estates: The video, taken from the window of a house Friday, Oct. 10, shows officers pulling over a sedan on a residential street and dragging the 18-year-old from the passenger side of the vehicle. As she screams in protest, she is forced to the ground then placed into one of the agent’s vehicles. A Hoffman Estates patrol vehicle appears briefly in the video and pulls away as the scene plays out. ICE agents later stopped in the parking lot of the Hoffman Estates Police Department, where a crowd that included Illinois Rep. Fred Crespo and his attorney daughter Jennifer Crespo gathered.

* Daily Herald | Preckwinkle bans ICE operations on Cook County property: The order will prevent Immigration and Customs Enforcement from using county sites for any enforcement actions, including staging for and debriefing from operations, according to a statement from Preckwinkle’s office. “It is critical that the government’s interactions with the public adhere to our nation’s laws and values,” Preckwinkle said in the statement. “Yet, ICE’s increasingly aggressive, inhumane and unlawful actions continue undermining the safety and stability of our communities.”

* ABC Chicago | Harvey requests to be declared ‘financially distressed’ under state law during special meeting: The designation was approved, and they city will request for the state to take control of the city’s finances. After the contentious meeting with the south suburb taking the step to declare itself a distressed city, they are preparing for all the political fallout that entails. Harvey citizens filled a local church to witness a hastily-called city council meeting, where the mayor sought to pass an ordinance that opens the door to the state helping to bail out a city that is $164 million in debt with little ability to pay its bills.

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park District 146 approves teacher contract with 6% salary increase over 5 years: The board voted 7-0 in favor of the contract after it was approved by 72% of union membership. In a news release issued Tuesday, District 146 board President Julie Berry said with contract negotiations behind them, district leaders are “moving forward with optimism.” “While negotiations can be challenging, they reflect the deep commitment we all share to our schools, our students, and our community,” Berry said. “Together, we look ahead with continued dedication to providing the highest quality education and environment for the students of District 146.”

* Naperville Sun | Naperville data center vote delayed after opponents flood commission meeting: Residents remained negative to the development even with Karis Critical Member announcing ​that plans had been scaled back to just one 211,000-square-foot, 36-meg​awatt data center ​b​eing built on the 40-acre property, rather than the two initially requested. “This is an opportunity to find investment in the (Interstate 88) corridor that has been lacking,” Karis attorney Russ Whitaker said at the Wednesday night meeting.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Stalled Route 66 Bike Trail project back on track with nearly $2 million state grant: This trail project extends the trail along a 9-mile stretch within the county near Towanda, heading north to the Livingston County line near Chenoa. The nearly $1.9 million award, which the McLean County Board announced during its meeting on Thursday, comes from the Illinois Department of Transportation [IDOT] Local Project Funding Grant Program.

* WAND | Macon County State’s Attorney adds domestic violence investigator to strengthen victim support: State’s Attorney Diane Couri has hired longtime law enforcement officer Shannon Gutierrez Seal as a part-time domestic violence investigator. It’s a move Couri said that is already changing lives across the community. The idea came after noticing the widespread problem in Macon County. Couri said the majority of arrests right now are domestic violence, domestic battery, violation of an order of protection, and domestic-related arrests.

* Illinois Times | Peoria rally planned for first day of trial: The rally, which organizer Chama St. Louis-Boone said will be peaceful and is designed to “support the Massey family” and call for “accountability of police,” will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on a blocked-off section of Main Street between Adams and Jefferson streets. Sontae Massey, a cousin of the late Sonya Massey, said, “Peoria is set to be ground-zero, for lack of a better term, as to what we will accept in regard to how policing and police killings are judged from this moment on.”

*** National ***

* NYT | Trump Refiles His $15 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against The New York Times: A federal judge had previously dismissed the complaint as unnecessarily lengthy and digressive. The president claims that The Times sought to defame him during the 2024 election.

* 404 Media | Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors: “We welcome new ways for people to gain knowledge. However, AI chatbots, search engines, and social platforms that use Wikipedia content must encourage more visitors to Wikipedia, so that the free knowledge that so many people and platforms depend on can continue to flow. Sustainably,” the Foundation’s Senior Director of Product Marshall Miller said in a blog post. “With fewer visits to Wikipedia, fewer volunteers may grow and enrich the content, and fewer individual donors may support this work.”

  11 Comments      


What Illinois Can Learn From Texas On Battery Energy Storage

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

As Illinois confronts skyrocketing electric bills, legislators are on the hunt for solutions that provide relief as quickly as possible. Battery energy storage is our best and most cost-effective solution.

But last session— without evidence —opponents attempted to claim that battery energy storage wouldn’t work. Try telling that to Texas, where the rapid deployment of battery storage has already prevented blackouts and saved consumers billions.

Called “Ground Zero for the US Battery Boom” by Bloomberg, Texas added enough storage in 2023 to power 3 million homes and drop grid emergency risk during peak hours from 16% to less than 1%. The result? Storage saved consumers an estimated $750 million in 2024.

Texas has proven that storage is the quickest, cheapest, most reliable way to get consumers relief from skyrocketing, demand-induced price spikes. Storage is a nimble way to address growing populations, power-hungry data centers, and meet other electrification-related power needs. These are benefits Texas saw from storage even as the state reduced its gas generation capacity by 166 MW last year.

Illinois lawmakers should follow Texas’s lead and pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Act this fall to deploy 6GW of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.

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Good morning!

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Little Walter

Oh, yeah, she don’t stand no foolin’

What’s up by you?

  4 Comments      


Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

  Comment      


Live coverage

Friday, Oct 17, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter.

We’re experimenting this week with a new app which feeds Bluesky posts. Still tweaking it…

  Comment      


PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - News update (Updated)
* Musical interlude: 'I’ve Been Everywhere in Illinois'
* Catching up with the federal candidates
* Critical 340B Program Needs Federal Reforms
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign news
* It’s Time To Bring Safer Rides To Illinois
* Republican state legislator: 'I don't trust billionaires'
* Keep ROFR And Anti-Competitive Language Out Of The Energy Bill
* Chief US Border Patrol Agent: Pritzker has 'more in common' with 'terrorist drug cartels than he does with American citizens'
* Vote YES On HB 2371 SA 2 To Protect The 340B Program And Invest In Low-Income Chicago Communities
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* What Illinois Can Learn From Texas On Battery Energy Storage
* Good morning!
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Yesterday's stories

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