-- Connecting the dots between our economy, government and business --
By actuary Mary Pat Campbell.
Matt McGrath, spokesman for Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, said the office has serious concerns that ICE enforcement at courthouses “may discourage victims and witnesses from coming to court, undermining our ability to seek justice in the process — and we are currently developing updated guidance for our Victim/Witness specialists.”
“Edgar spoke out frequently against the rightward drift of his beloved Republican Party, eventually parting ways with the GOP because of Donald Trump. In a speech last May, he also stressed what he called The Three C’s. ‘Civility, compromise and perhaps most important, particularly today, is compassion.'”
The ceremonial resolution, introduced by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, also asked lawmakers to “stand united in unequivocal condemnation of political violence, regardless of their ideology.” The four yes votes from Illinois came from U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, Bill Foster, Brad Schneider and Eric Sorensen. U.S. Reps. Lauren Underwood, Delia Ramirez, Mike Quigley, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly, Jonathan Jackson and Danny Davis voted against the resolution. U.S. Reps. Sean Casten, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Jan Schakowsky did not vote.
President Trump said 11 people were murdered, 28 were shot and a hundred were shot at in Chicago the previous weekend. “That’s what I call dangerous, and (Gov. JB) Pritzker’s going out and saying, ‘We’ve got crime under control,’” Trump said. “What you really need is our big, strong soldiers to get them into shape. We’re not letting Chicago fail.”
The bill, in its current form, would create a surcharge on electric bills to incentivize battery storage developments, loosen state-level nuclear regulations, institute new energy efficiency requirements and more.
With unemployment at 4.4 percent in August, about 292,000 Illinoisans were looking for work, highlighting ongoing challenges in the state’s job market. Unemployment improved from 4.6 percent in July and was close to the U.S. rate of 4.3 percent for August.
The city of Chicago has been cleared to continue using a state consumer fraud law and Chicago city ordinance to sue firearms maker Glock for allegedly engaging in “deceptive practices” in the sale and marketing of its widespread semiautomatic pistols – a lawsuit that Glock and other Second Amendment rights advocates say is designed to sidestep the Second Amendment and use lawsuits to further ban otherwise legal guns and punish gunmakers.
Dabrowski recently appeared on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk about his main concerns for the State of Illinois as he prepares for the primary in March 2026. Hoping to secure the Republican nomination, Dabrowski spoke about taxes, immigration, the SAFE-T Act, education, and more.
House Bill 1482 would widen the net for what felony charges could qualify for pre-trial detention. Republican lawmakers argue the adjustments are necessary to keep the public safe from habitual offenders. But the lawmakers introducing the legislation recognize that passing this bill will be a long shot.
“We may have to cut back hours, and if we are forced to cut hours, our service may start at 6 in the morning and end at 9 p.m.,” said Elsa Gutierrez, the CTA’s vice president of scheduling & service planning.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen demanding she present a plan to deter crime and stop fare evasions within 14 days. In the letter, Duffy referenced Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was fatally stabbed on a public bus in Charlotte, North Carolina, in an apparently random attack.
There’s a catch: Illinois must opt into the program for students to benefit from the scholarships. Gov. JB Pritzker must lead on that issue before any Illinois student can benefit.
According to Pat Hynes, the Lyons Township Assessor who plans to run against Fritz Kaegi in the 2026 election for Cook County Assessor., the delay in 2024 property tax collection has caused CPS to miss a $247 million payment owed to the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund.
The photo with Gov. JB Pitzker was taken as part of a week-long initiative where the governor traveled to various locations around Chicago to meet with different community leaders, such as school administrators, community violence interventionists, and local business leaders.
“The case for Pritzker is easy to make.” However, in a podcast setting, Pritzker “was an amiable but not especially compelling guest. The coin of the realm on such shows is small-talk riffing and discursive, big-ideas bullshitting, and he excelled at neither. He does not have the podcast juice, or at least does not have it yet.”
Former Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel is skeptical, and called the governor’s advance team “incompetent” for allowing Pritzker to pose at an anti-violence event with a man wanted in four states. “Over the years, they have allocated millions of dollars to the peacekeepers program, yet there are no positive outcomes to demonstrate from a data perspective,” he said.
Pritzker’s office said the Illinois Office of Firearm Violence Prevention has spent more than $375 million to reduce violence and support community violence intervention programs.
Property tax offices cannot generate accurate bills yet, nor could they distribute the money back to taxing bodies after bills are paid, a county spokesman told commissioners. In response, the County Board directly authorized borrowing $300 million to fund a local taxing district loan program.
Gov. JB Pritzker encourages Americans to not only push back on Disney, but to remain steadfast in standing up to Donald Trump’s intimidation tactics through protests.
“Attention Chicago law enforcement,” the ad says, with a backdrop of the city’s skyline. “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city safe. But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down.”
The Illinois Education Association — a union representing 135,000 pre-K-12 teachers in the state outside of Chicago — called on school districts to put safety protocols in place and ensure federal immigration agents don’t enter school property without warrants.
SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR FREE WIREPOINTS DAILY NEWSLETTER