Illinois Freedom Caucus files impeachment resolution against Pritzker over anti-Republican rhetoric amid political violence – WAND (Decatur)

“Just two nights ago, I called for the governor to resign frankly over his terrible comments blaming Trump and Jan. 6 for Charlie Kirk’s political assassination,” state Rep. Adam Niemerg said. “The governor has shown that he is not capable of leading. He has shown that he needs to be removed from office, and that needs to happen immediately.”

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Pritzker Signs Order to Get Around U.S. Limits on COVID-19 Vaccine – WTTW (Chicago)

Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Friday to authorize medical professionals to provide updated COVID-19 vaccines to nearly anyone who wants it in Illinois, despite an effort by federal officials to limit access to the life-saving shot. Federal health officials approved updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccine, but authorized them only for people 65 and older or for younger people with an underlying medical condition that makes the respiratory virus more dangerous.

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6 charged in Chicago area burglary spree, accused of stealing more than $1 million in 115 thefts – CBS2 (Chicago)

The burglary ring targeted dozens of businesses between February 2024 and May 2025 in Arlington Heights, Chicago, Addison, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Oak Lawn, Worth, Barrington, South Barrington, Deerfield, Wauconda, Gilberts, West Dundee, Gurnee, Lake Forest, Carpentersville, Des Plaines, Westchester, Wilmette, Northbrook, North Chicago, Glencoe, Skokie, and Morton Grove.

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Lawmakers, advocates call for change after reading and math scores disappoint – Center Square

Sarah Fletcher, former charter school educator and administrator, explained the data confirms what she has seen for years. “Even before COVID, Illinois proficiency rates weren’t strong,” Fletcher said. “The pandemic didn’t cause these problems, but it revealed them. Parents finally saw firsthand on Zoom what their kids were learning, or not learning.”

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Retired Ald. Walter Burnett, wife received over $260,000 in rent payments as housing voucher landlords – Chicago Sun-Times

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to lead the Chicago Housing Authority, retired Ald. Walter Burnett, and his wife, Darlena Williams-Burnett, have had at least 10 contracts for properties rented to CHA voucher holders, including two ongoing contracts and five contracts that were active during Williams-Burnett’s tenure as an employee at the housing authority.

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Evanston Mayor Dan Biss, candidate Kat Abughazaleh, face ICE agents in Broadview – Evanston Now

Biss said he was willing to get arrested at the protest after agents threatened to deploy tear gas and demanded the group of protesters disperse from the facility’s sidewalk or face arrest. “We need to do what we can,” Biss said. “I come from a position of privilege, not only because of my citizenship but frankly of my role as mayor … I ought to use that to say what I believe and what I think all of Evanston believes …”

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Illinois’ veto session will have focus on energy, overcoming federal funding cuts – WCIA (Champaign)

House Republican leader Tony McCombie said her biggest red flags are coming from conversations around energy. That “bring your own clean energy” bill, which received some traction at the end of the spring session, would require business that need over 25 megawatts of power to provide their own clean energy or face higher rates. McCombie said the extra costs will scare businesses away from the state.

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Cook judges boot Tim Evans, select Charles Beach as new chief judge – Legal Newsline

Evans’ removal comes after years of championing progressive causes and reforms in the criminal justice system in Cook County and statewide, repeatedly asserting the reforms have been effective. Other officials in the court system and other observers, however, said real data didn’t back up those claims. News site CWBChicago, for instance, has tracked for years hundreds of crimes committed by offenders released pretrial in Cook County. And former Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez said her office had documented more than 67,000 incidences in which criminal defendants may have skipped court dates in the first 12 months after the

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Chicago leaders react after President Donald Trump says National Guard not coming to city – ABC7 (Chicago)

Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Because of the unified opposition from community leaders and elected officials in Chicago and throughout the state, the Trump administration backed down from its threats of sending in the National Guard to Chicago. We continue to call on the federal government to send additional resources to help us continue to drive down violent crime, but we reject any military occupation of our city. The way to reduce violence is by focusing on the strategies that work: effective policing, violence prevention, and investing in communities.”

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Lawsuits pile up as Illinois lags on reforming tax sale laws – Capitol News IL

A little-known practice that lets private investors extract millions in equity from Illinois homeowners is under mounting legal fire after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional, leaving some counties potentially on the hook for millions of dollars in damages. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is facing three lawsuits in federal court over the issue, including in a class-action lawsuit in which attorneys argue there are 1,700 homeowners who improperly lost their home equity through tax sales.

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Mayor Brandon Johnson seeks $90 million in settlement of suits tied to corrupt cop – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo

The cost of police-related settlements has skyrocketed this year, smashing past records to become a bona fide financial crisis. Aldermen have approved $223.2 million in such settlements since January, a sum sure to rise in the coming months that trounces the previous record of $110.6 million in 2022. Johnson and the City Council budgeted just $82.6 million for settlements and legal costs this year. Not included in that sum is a $120 million jury verdict in another wrongful conviction case that went to trial earlier this year.

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Commentary: Gov. JB Pritzker should keep his attention on the work needed to offset Donald Trump’s actions – Chicago Tribune*

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “To the extent Pritzker in particular gets distracted by the rhetoric and saber-rattling about the (National Guard), he risks taking his eyes off the real work that needs to be done to mitigate damage from some of Trump’s other actions that affect Illinois. Whether in the form of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ or Trump’s many executive orders, the president’s policies could cost Illinois billions over time.”

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