“Separately, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire, spent $9.5 million of his own money, combined with about $25 million from the Democratic Governors Association, to push Darren Bailey, a far-right, Trump-endorsed state senator, during the primary season… It’s the fact that the advertisements ran during primary season that marks them as part of a larger strategy — to give Democrats an easier shot at winning by avoiding a matchup with a more moderate Republican who they considered more electable.”

The takeover was widely orchestrated by a group of conservatives backing Sen. John Curran, who is a moderate. They’re all defecting to support a Leader less conservative (and less representative of many of their solidly red districts).

Jim Dey: “His standing in Illinois, however, is a two-edged sword. As governor of a large Midwestern industrial state, Pritzker has instant credibility. At the same time, Illinois’ California brand of lefty politics, its relentless corruption and financial dysfunction might be a tough sell to a national electorate.”

Since 2020, Illinois has paid nearly $370 million to the for-profit insurance powerhouse Centene Corp. to manage health care for about 36,700 current and former foster children as part of the state’s YouthCare program. Centene’s data shows only 62% of foster children had an annual dental visit in 2021, 55% of foster children got standard immunizations, and about 67% of adolescents had a “well-care visit” required under Centene’s state contract.

As pundits, strategists and opinionated Uber drivers wax on about the mixed results of Tuesday’s midterm election, a dark-horse candidate has emerged. NewsNation, the Chicago-based cable news network, which has struggled to build an audience since launching more than two years ago, found its mojo — and some viewers — during a breakthrough election season. While NewsNation’s audience remains a fraction of its long-tenured

Jim Dey: “The majority of voters this week dismissed public safety concerns over the proposed SAFE-T Act that abolishes the cash bond system for accused criminals on Jan. 1. But the controversy remains alive in two other venues — the courts, where a legal challenge is pending, and the legislature, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker has pledged changes will be made.”

Illinois lawmakers are set to return to Springfield for the fall veto session Tuesday. Members from both parties shared their expectations regarding potential changes to the controversial SAFE-T Act.

In Illinois, most of the lottery earnings, $834 million in the 2022 fiscal year, are poured into K-12 public schools across the state. Since 1985, the lottery has accumulated $24 billion for education funding. Other recipients of lottery funds include: programs to support veterans ($19 million); breast cancer awareness, education, and research ($15 million); HIV/AIDS prevention, education and treatment ($10.5 million); and the Special Olympics ($7 million)