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Top Illinois Stories
"The fight over who gets to decide where renewable energy goes is far from over."
"Indiana has remained in the top 10 of the Rich States, Poor States index since 2014 and seen consistent in-migration since 2018. The Hoosier State is more competitive than Illinois across nearly every critical economic policy variable, including right-to-work protections, a 2.95 percent personal income tax, no estate tax, and a 4.9 percent corporate income tax (4.6 points lower than Illinois)."
The University of Illinois College of Medicine is promoting a web page that encourages professors to adopt “Equitable Assessments & Grading Practices.” “Equitable assessments and grading practices emphasize the process of learning versus performance outcomes and the attainment of grades,” the page, linked on the college’s website emphasizes. One of the listed benefits of grading according to equity is that the practice allows professors to “respect the diversity of students’ social identities as well as the diversity of student interests. More Highlighted Illinois Stories
By law, public school teachers in Illinois must contribute 9 percent of their salaries toward their pensions with the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System. But many school districts pay part or all of that as an employee benefit.
Raoul and the coalition argue that data and analyses are crucial for the U.S. Department of Education and interested stakeholders to identify whether students with disabilities or students with disabilities who are of a particular racial or ethnic group are disciplined more often than their peers. They also argue the data can show if students of a particular race or ethnic group are disproportionately identified in specific disability categories.
Seth Lewis, budgeteer for the Senate Republican Caucus: "We need stronger leadership from the governor to protect the economic tools that help create jobs and attract investment. Especially as the progressive socialist wing of the Democratic Party continues to push a narrative that economic growth equals corporate greed, we need our governor to boldly and decisively push back against efforts to eliminate or weaken tools that have helped create thousands of jobs and attract billions in investment."
"Many of those attempted assassins on Donald Trump have regurgitated those very same words — ‘Nazi, threat to democracy’—that people like Governor Pritzker used when they tried to kill the president. So they need to stop doing it," said U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, who in 2017 was shot in the hip during an attack targeting Republican lawmakers during practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity.
The controversy intensified after a recent report detailed accusations that Thaddeus Jones threatened to withhold $250,000 in state funding after criticism over municipal spending.
Congressman Darin LaHood said the conflict has led to higher energy costs, but argues the U.S. response is necessary for national security and stability in the region. “What we’ve done to Iran is going to be better for the U.S., it’s going to be better for the Middle East, it’s going to be better for the world in terms of taking out their nuclear capabilities, taking out their hyper sonic abilities, taking out their ballistic missiles, taking out their navy,” he said.
The Illinois Supreme Court has again turned away another challenge to Illinois' gun owner licensing regime, this time declaring a man who had his FOID card suspended after he was charged with a crime, but then had it reinstated when the charges were dropped, can't sue the state for violating his Second Amendment rights.
“One of the main concerns is the fact that we discovered about a year and a half ago that (the Illinois Department of Human Services) has been mailing non-citizens who are applying for state benefits forms to register to vote that are already pre-filled out to the county clerks,” state Sen. Steve McClure said. “At the confirmation hearing, the Secretary’s only response was that, yes, this is happening."
"None of the politicians — statewide, city of Chicago or even the suburbs — want to be known as the ones responsible for sinking this ship. So they're seizing upon anything that floats now, like lack of a traffic study for towns outside Arlington Heights or an Indiana slag heap story in the Tribune conveniently breaking as the possibility of an Indiana stadium looms."
Ten things to know about the 556-page bill.
“Ninety-five percent of food consumed in the state of Illinois is imported,” said Rep. Sonya Harper. “If there were any type of natural disaster, Illinois only has enough food that will last us for three days.”
Deputies recovered a handgun, a backpack with multiple loaded magazines, knives, an accelerant, gloves, and other items.
If approved, the bill would make it unlawful for any person to knowingly manufacture or sell a cosmetic product that contains PFAS.
Lawmakers in Springfield are pushing to pass legislation to provide people recently released from prison with housing, which they say will save Illinois taxpayers by reducing the likelihood for someone to reoffend.
“What some are calling ‘cuts’ are often temporary legislative add-ons returning to normal levels, or adjustments that better reflect demand,” the governor’s office claimed via a statement.
Senate Bill 315 is part of an eight-bill package and is modeled after similar legislation in New York and California. The bill would require large developers like Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic to adopt a transparency framework, employ third-party auditors and report a model’s catastrophic risk capabilities.
Amazon has turned aside another attempt to use Illinois' stringent biometrics privacy law to extract a potentially big payout from the company, after a federal appeals court again shut down a class action lawsuit over claims Illinois' residents voices were allegedly wrongly recorded when financial services firm John Hancock used Amazon Web Services and another company to verify customers' identities over the phone.
A new economic development plan for downtown Springfield would create the Capital Area Tourism Authority and would help expand the BOS Center and build a new hotel. Creation of the five-member board (three appointees from the Sangamon County Board, one from the City of Springfield, and one from the Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority (SMEAA) was was recently added to House Bill 910, which is also the megaprojects bill.
Jim Dey: "In a Monday committee meeting, the Urbana City Council approved a new 'Ethical Investments' policy that excludes 'investments in organizations that make war.' But council member Chris Evans later characterized a specific reason for the list of companies to be boycotted as 'the Gaza genocide.'”
A city employee fell for the scam and disclosed "sensitive account information" April 29 when they received a phone call from someone impersonating a bank representative, city officials said.
The Centralia facility, which opened in 2012 with just 12 employees, has expanded nearly fourfold in square footage and now employs 141 people; employment at the Centralia site is expected to reach approximately 201 employees by the end of 2028. The $15.3 million investment from Intermountain Electronics is supported by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles (REV Illinois) agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Advisory referendums supporting some form of separation have passed in 33 of Illinois' 102 counties, largely in rural and downstate areas frustrated by Democratic dominance in Springfield. But Saturday's meeting in Barrington highlights growing interest in some suburban communities as well.
“We have been on a spending spree, and it’s time to use this year as an austerity year to be mindful of the working families in the state that say ‘Boy, We pay a lot of taxes in Illinois,’” state Rep. Ryan Spain said.
Few issues have drawn more ink than a megaprojects bill aimed at keeping the Chicago Bears in Illinois. They want to build a domed stadium and mixed-use site in Arlington Heights, but they also want property tax certainty. The 40-page original bill passed by the House now is nearly 400 pages.
Sen. Dave Syverson noted that those who support public schools often also choose alternative education for their own families. “(The Education Freedom Tax Credit) just gives families, most of those low-income, the same educational choices and options that educators get, that legislators get, that the governor gets, that we should believe they should get as well,” Syverson said.
Top Chicago Stories
The study notes there were already five projects with price tags over $100 million under construction last year in Chicago’s Loop and Near West Side alone, not to mention the long-floated One Central development near Soldier Field and a possible new stadium for the White Sox.
"With news of an agreement for the city’s parking meter lease to change hands, Chicago has the chance to revisit one of the worst public asset deals in its history. ... Earlier legal efforts faced steep odds partly because the long-term harms were still theoretical. They no longer are."
More Highlighted Chicago Area Stories
CPS took out $1.6 billion in those short-term loans for fiscal 2026 operating costs such as payroll and basic expenses, plus a $246 million loan to support the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund. That borrowing is expected to cost $34 million in interest, according to a March report to the Chicago Board of Education.
As of 8 p.m. Monday, the sole death of the weekend — which runs from 5 p.m. Friday through 5 a.m. Tuesday — came after a toddler fatally shot himself Sunday, according to Chicago police. At least 26 others were shot and injured over Memorial Day weekend, an uptick after 2025 saw the city’s least overall violent Memorial Day weekend since at least 2010.
Part of DuSable Lake Shore Drive was shut down for some time. Cameras captured two officers escorting another officer and loading him into an ambulance.
When it opens June 19, it will set at least three modern-era records for a former White House occupant: time taken to be completed, project cost and the price to get inside.
Neighbors described the scene in the early hours of Sunday morning as restless and chaotic, saying they were caught off-guard by the size of the crowd and struggled to feel safe or get any sleep overnight. “Cars were parked illegally,” one neighbor said. “You saw no tow trucks whatsoever. I mean, they were loud, disrespectful. It was unreal.”
Johnson in his statement called on parents and guardians to "know where their children are and to help ensure they are safe and accounted for. ... There also must be accountability for the individuals who participated in the violent and reckless behavior. My administration is creating opportunities and safe spaces for young people, but families, communities, and city leaders all have a role to play in keeping our young people safe."
"For the last decade, (Stacy Davis) Gates and her allies have been building a political machine fueled by members’ dues. Teachers just sent the bill back."
Along 53rd Street in Hyde Park, hotels are busy with bookings this summer, especially around the time when the center opens. "There are now active tourists on the South Side. They aren't just staying downtown. They aren't staying in the Loop. They are actually able to experience the full city," said Courtney Woods with Pen & Paper: A Joint Creative.
The union wanted to increase dues by as much as $800 a year to fund even more political activities. In an FAQ provided to members ahead of the vote, the union also admitted to being investigated by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and audited by the U.S. Labor Department. But according to union leadership, with about 80 percent of schools counted, it appeared that “roughly 60 percent of members” voted no on the increase.
"Should Johnson succeed in sending the Bears into the arms of Hammond, he will have made his relationship with Pritzker that much worse, harming the chances of striking future deals in the city’s interest so long as these two are involved. The governor has deemed a Bears stadium in Arlington Heights a top priority, and a fellow Democrat is trying to scotch it. Politics in this state doesn’t get much rougher than that."
Mayor Thaddeus Jones explained the budget shortfall, saying the community's tax revenues from Cook County were late, and additional revenue streams haven't reached expectations.
Shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday, a 35-year-old woman was riding the bus when Morris Love, 36, sat down next to her, grabbed her, held her down, and sexually abused her on the bus, according to police. Other passengers intervened and freed her from Love, police said. Love then followed the woman off the bus, stole her property, and tried to grab her again, according to police.
A number of takeovers occurred on Chicago's West Side overnight Saturday into Sunday. Not only did multiple teenagers end up in the hospital as a result of large gatherings, but five police officers were also taken to the hospital after a car plowed through one of the crowds and hit them. 
Dr. Simi represents a budget-friendly chain of pharmacies and low-cost clinics throughout Mexico, Colombia and Chile. Danny Ocean, a producer and singer-songwriter from Venezuela, has used his music to address displacement and the lack of healthcare in Latin America. And access to affordable healthcare is one of Pritzker’s cornerstone campaign promises. 
The mayor said, in part, "People say, 'Well, why do you focus so much on the West and South sides of Chicago?' Knowing the role that Black voters play in securing labor rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, taking Black folks out of the equation undermines healthcare, education, housing, transportation. The Trump administration knows that. Right-wing extremism knows that."
Diego Emmanuel Reyes, 21, is accused of intentionally slamming his SUV into the rear of the ICE agent's white pickup truck while the officer was performing official duties, according to the indictment. After the initial crash, prosecutors claim Reyes hit the gas, accelerating his SUV forward and aggressively pushing the agent's truck.
"Because of massive unfunded pension obligations and rampant malfeasance — which of course includes overspending on “affordable” housing and copious settlements, some undeserved, awarded to exonerated criminals — bankruptcy is coming to Chicago. It might be called something else, because, under current Illinois law, government bodies cannot file for bankruptcy, but the end is near."
Dr. Olusimbo Ige came under fire after terminating more than two dozen Health Department employees last fall, breaking a mayoral pledge to avert layoffs, and for returning tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 grants.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office says no public funds are being used for the agency’s new Regional Transit Task Force. Task force participants include the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Transit Authority, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, ATF, DEA, Metra and Pace.
"The Illinois legislature faces a May 31 deadline to finalize their Arlington Heights work. Otherwise, the only tangible choice the Bears would have is the Indiana site because that state's legislature put together a package to help the Bears fund a new stadium and Governor Mike Braun signed the bill into law. So Illinois is at minimum trying to keep the Bears in the state. But the Chicago folks are moving slowly to improve their chances of keeping their team in their city, even if it costs the state the team. This infighting surprises. Or perhaps not."
"As a Chicagoan, I have no illusions about the city politics. There has never been reasonable fiscal policies in the city in my lifetime. However, Johnson has moved from the dismissive to delusional in ignoring the economic realities growing in the city."
Hilario Domínguez began his CPS career in 2015 as a special education teacher. But in November 2021, a fellow employee accused Domínguez of discrimination and sexual harassment; the employee said Domínguez repeatedly made a Nazi salute and called them “Hitler” in front of students. In November 2022, he took leave from CPS and eventually joined CTU staff.
David Greising, of the Better Government Association: "In many states, the law requires detailed cost-benefit analysis on all bills with major financial implications for state budgets. Illinois has one such law, but it is full of loopholes that render it almost meaningless."
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas says the dramatic increase is due to two AI experts she recently hired. "In the last six weeks, due to artificial intelligence, look at this 28,000 people have gotten $73 million. We are killing it," Pappas said.
Mayor Brandon Johnson says his plan is also focused on engaging with young people and providing summer jobs and safe spaces for youth. This upcoming holiday weekend, Chicago's top cop says days-off for his officers have been canceled to provide more resources in targeted areas.
Wirepoints Research and Commentary
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn't you deliver a few bond upgrades, too 
Audio and summary 
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
Everybody needs a side hustle these days, and mine is Ukraine, where I am now.
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Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do. 
The state's existing buyout program for its own pensions is the precedent for Chicago, which should be a warning: Look out for similar exaggerated claims and shoddy analysis. 
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