Author: Mark Glennon

‘We Refuse To Be Bullied’: Rural Officials Throw Wrench In China-Tied Company’s Plans To Build Battery Plant – Daily Caller

The company also has plans to build a subsidized facility in Manteno. The company has drawn the attention of the House Select Committee on the CCP and prompted legislation to be introduced on Capitol Hill. Gotion Inc.’s plans have become an animating issue in the township’s local politics, with many locals expressing their discontent with the company’s presence because of its ties to China and the CCP by way of Gotion High-Tech.

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Students taken out of school to attend: Solutions for gun violence, support for Palestine top Chicago students’ priorities at early voting event – Chicago Tribune*

The Student Power Forum and Parade to the Polls, hosted by Chicago Votes, La Casa Norte and the Chicago Teachers Union, took students of voting age at participating district high schools out of the classroom for the morning on a district-approved field trip to the CTU headquarters to make posters, learn about candidates and march to the polls together.

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Diversity, judicial appointments at issue in 1st District Supreme Court race – Capitol News Illinois

The race for one of the seven Illinois Supreme Court seats pits an appointed incumbent against a second-time candidate as the two Democrats vie for their party’s nomination next week. Because no Republican has filed to run for the Cook County-based seat, it’s more than likely that Tuesday’s contest determines the ultimate winner of November’s election too.

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Congress eyes Northwestern following reports of antisemitism on campus – Crain’s*

While no official investigation into the school has yet been launched, a spokesman for the committee told Crain’s it is “very concerned” about reports of antisemitic incidents on Northwestern’s campus and will continue to review possible next steps. “Institutions allowing or embracing hostility against Jewish students demands scrutiny,” the spokesman said in an email to Crain’s.

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Manufacturers’ group pushes back against mandating EVs – Center Square

The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers said federal and state governments are fast tracking policies to limit consumer choice and end the availability of new gas cars. “The fact that consumers in a couple years are literally going to be robbed of their ability to choose the cars that are most popular and most meet their needs, that is not something that people are happy about,” AFPM President and CEO Chet Thompson said.

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Illinois is working on incentive deal with Rivian – Crain’s*

Illinois is negotiating an incentive deal with Rivian in connection with the electric-vehicle maker’s decision to launch production of a new model in Illinois. Rivian made a surprise announcement March 7 that its new SUV, the R2, would be manufactured at its downstate Normal plant and it was pausing construction of a new factory near Atlanta. “The elements of an economic development package are still being finalized…. Once they are finalized, we will update the public on the details of the incentive package.” The bet Pritzker is making is that Rivian will follow Tesla’s path, making it through the transition

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Biden highlights Stellantis Belvidere plant ‘comeback story’ in State of the Union speech -WTVO (Rockford)

Calling the reopening of the Stellantis plant in Belvidere a “great comeback story,” President Biden said, “Before I came to office, the plant was on its way to shutting down. Thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods. Hope was fading. Then I was elected to office and we raised Belvidere repeatedly with the auto company, knowing unions make all the difference. The UAW worked like hell to keep the plant open and get those jobs back. And together, we succeeded!”

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Opinion: No tax dollars for CCP companies – Washington Examiner

U.S. Rep John Moolenaar and Paul Teller, of Advancing American Freedom: Gotion [which is scheduled to build a plant in Manteno, subsidized by the state] is undoubtedly a threat to U.S. national security…. Former President Barack Obama’s defense secretary, Leon Panetta, along with former President Donald Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, recently testified that Gotion poses a significant risk to American sovereignty and security…. Only a fool would fund his adversaries….”

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Chicago Public Schools Will Be Even More Dangerous Without School Resource Officers – Townhall

“Trust me, as a former public high school teacher, I know this is true from first-hand experience…. On a weekly basis, we would “shadow” CPS teachers while observing classroom procedures and teaching strategies. In short, I was absolutely shocked almost every time I performed one of these shadow days. Why? Because most, not all, of the classrooms I observed were so chaotic that barely any actual learning could take place. Among the things that most stood out: I witnessed a student throw their desk at a teacher, I saw multiple fights between

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In Virgina, Gov. Pritzker steps up attacks on ‘stupid and ignorant’ Donald Trump – Chicago Sun-Times

Pritzker, also a top surrogate for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, took on the age issue — which polls show is punishing Biden, 81 and not Trump, 77. “And I don’t want to hear B.S. about anyone’s age… Donald Trump was stupid and ignorant long before he got old,” the governor said. Pritzker said he learned an important lesson in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton: “Don’t mince words, in the fight of your life. Don’t hold back. This is an existential battle everyone.”

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Science group raises concerns over Illinois’ attempt to ban food additives – Center Square

James Coughlin, food toxicology expert with the Institute of Food Technologists, said there should be a uniform set of rules for the entire country. “This patchwork of several states having their own banned additives on a list make it very difficult for food manufacturers to sell things in interstate commerce,” he said. Craig Llewellyn, also with the Institute of Food Technologists, said states should trust the Food and Drug Administration on what additives should be banned.

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Environmental Justice Update: EPA, Illinois EPA, and Chicago Settle Civil Rights Claims with Agreement to Prioritize EJ in Permitting – JD Supra

One of the hottest series of disputes has been the tag-team rumble between federal, state, and local regulators, a scrap-metal processor, and several interested community groups over the relocation of a Chicago plant from the Lincoln Park neighborhood to a community in southeast Chicago. At least some parts of this dispute are closer to resolving.

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Opinion: How many Chicago Democrats are for Nikki Haley? – Chicago Tribune*

Will Johnson, Chicago-based CEO of The Harris Poll: In the Republican caucus in Iowa and primary elections in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Michigan — states that allow some form of crossover or unaffiliated voting — exit polls show upward of half of Haley’s support came from a combination of Democrats and independents. And they’re being urged by political action committees to keep it up next week in the seven Super Tuesday states with open primary elections.

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Column: Pritzker doesn’t call out critics, just calls them names – Champaign News Gazette*

Jim Dey: “We, we, we. Like a narcissistic opera singer, (Gov. JB) Pritzker unleashed a torrent of self-congratulation that meant me, me, me, me. ‘Do not let the doom grifters steal your optimism about what’s ahead for Illinois. Our future is bright.’ Who are ‘doom grifters’? They are ‘spelunkers of misery.’ Who? The ‘carnival barkers.’ Pritzker’s barb collection refers to skeptical financial analysts, including those at Truth in Accounting and Wirepoints who report the unofficial side of the budget story. Wirepoints’ Mark Glennon acknowledged Pritzker’s resentment but said the ‘name calling honestly doesn’t bother me.'”

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South suburbs lag behind in tax collection – The RealDeal*

In the 2022 tax year, municipalities in the south suburbs only managed to collect 86.4 percent of billed taxes owed by residents, the Chicago Tribune reported.  That pales in comparison to the countywide average of 96 percent, highlighting a significant revenue loss estimated at $185 million, which could be going to crucial services like public safety, education and infrastructure.

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Opinion: How many Chicago Democrats are for Nikki Haley? – Chicago Tribune*

Will Johnson, Chicago-based CEO of The Harris Poll: In the Republican caucus in Iowa and primary elections in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Michigan — states that allow some form of crossover or unaffiliated voting — exit polls show upward of half of Haley’s support came from a combination of Democrats and independents. And they’re being urged by political action committees to keep it up next week in the seven Super Tuesday states with open primary elections.

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It shouldn’t be so hard to become an educated voter – Editorial – Chicago Sun-Times

Philanthropic support, like the $500 million Press Forward nationwide initiative, is important. Legislation can make a difference too, and Illinois has two ambitious proposals, introduced by state Sen. Steve Stadelman of Rockford, that are worth strong consideration from lawmakers: Senate Bill 3591, the Journalism Preservation Act, would require social media and tech giants like Google and Facebook to compensate local news organizations for content they share and profit from. Senate Bill 3592 would create the Strengthening Community Media Act with hiring incentives, including a tax credit for news outlets to hire more reporters and for small businesses that advertise with

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During City Hall grilling, CTA chief sketches a bold vision — and cites need for Springfield’s help – Crain’s*

CTA President Dorval Carter addresses the Chicago City Council

The aldermanic grilling marked the first mandatory hearing for Carter after the council passed an ordinance last fall requiring CTA officials to testify each quarter on service levels, security and planning. Yet even as he fielded those complaints, Carter sketched an ambitious future for the CTA, one that he said he envisioned could one day rival the best transit systems in the world.

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Bears and Sox told to team up on stadium financing pitches – Crain’s*

The Chicago Bears and Chicago White Sox are being urged to cobble together one financial request for their stadium proposals that state legislators can consider rather than dueling plans that could box each other out. Representatives for the teams are hearing the same message from state officials as they jockey for public subsidies to build new stadiums. State Senate President Don Harmon specifically has told both teams there is little appetite in the General Assembly to approve separate stadium legislation.

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Why are Americans becoming more stupid? Our entire education system needs a revolution. – Unheard

https://unherd.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/GettyImages-1181819032.jpg

“In some cases, the defence of failure is breathtaking. Blue states such as Illinois have worked to all but eliminate charters, even as the Land of Lincoln boasts 53 schools where not one student can do grade-level math and 30 where none can do so in English. These schools are overwhelmingly in Chicago, where a significant increase in spending per student since 2019 seems to have made no impact. Yet Chicago’s failures are wholly representative.

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EV Startups Struggled to Build Cars. Now They Struggle to Sell Them. – Wall Street Journal

The electric-pickup maker Rivian plans to produce 57,000 vehicles this year, roughly the same number as last year. Lucid said it aims to produce 9,000 vehicles, a slight increase from last year’s figure. Both say they are concentrating on finding customers. Car companies from Tesla to Ford Motor are hunkering down in the midst of weaker than expected demand for battery-powered vehicles in the U.S.

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IL Sec. of State Giannoulias says some Chicago initiatives hurting small businesses; Nugent advocates for keeping selective enrollment programs – Nadig

At Feb. 23 Northwest Side business luncheon, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was critical of Mayor Brandon Johnson, while Alderman Samantha Nugent (39th) expressed concern that some local families would move to the suburbs if the Chicago Board of Education were to dismantle selective enrollment programs.

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Good citizens need to pay attention to what’s going on – Daily Journal

The CCOM’s fight against Gotion has now received national coverage through several televisions news programs and newspapers. Fundraising efforts have brought hundreds of protesters together, and donations have been coming in, locally, as well as from out-of-state Americans who want to join our fight to protect our country. Thousands of people have joined our Facebook page, No Gotion-Illinois. We welcome you to join and follow the facts.

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CTU staffer fights to keep Chicago Mayor Johnson’s former seat on the Cook County Board – WBEZ (Chicago)

Cook County Board Commissioner Tara Stamps works for the Chicago Teachers Union, which helped fuel CTU organizer Brandon Johnson’s meteoric rise to become Chicago mayor last year. Stamps and Johnson go way back to their days at Jenner Elementary, where Stamps was the mayor’s mentor during his early years as a teacher. Stamps also has the backing of County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, who doubles as head of the Cook County Democratic Party.

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Allstate looks to unload Wacker Drive office building – Crain’s*

Exterior of Chicago office building at 29 N. Wacker Drive

Allstate venture bought in January 2022 for $29.7 million, according to Cook County property records. People familiar with the offering said they expect bids to come in at just more than $10 million. Allstate has not occupied the Wacker Drive property, which is leased today to a mix of small tenants that collectively occupy about 57% of the building, according to a marketing flyer. It’s unclear

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Migrant crisis stirs tension in Oak Park, but village mounts a supportive response – Crain’s*

During a heated six-hour meeting over funding, Oak Park trustee Cory Wesley argued that supporting the influx of migrants was costing the village more than $300,000 a month, or $2,000 a month per person. Universal basic income programs typically pay $500 a month, or $1,000 at most, he pointed out. “I don’t see how it’s sustainable, and I definitely don’t see how it’s equitable,” he said.

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Dem states and cities, including Illinois and Chicago, funneled millions in federal COVID-19 aid to support illegals – FOX News

Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker speaking

In Illinois, the state government allocated $71.8 million in ARP funds for cash payments made “to households that were not eligible to receive Economic Impact Payments… due to immigration status.” Chicago’s government earmarked another $14.7 million for its “resiliency fund” which sent $500 cash transfers to tens of thousands of “previously excluded residents and domestic workers.”

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Chicago’s migrant crisis raises questions of equity – Crain’s*

The migrant crisis has brought to light inequality in the way immigrants are treated. Members of the city’s undocumented Latino community are angry when they see newly arrived immigrants from Venezuela able to obtain work permits, which gives them access to better-paying jobs. Other communities are infuriated, too, pointing out that public funding to shelter and feed migrants is money that might otherwise be used to further address the city’s daunting social problems, such as homelessness, mental illness and poverty. How is it that new arrivals are assigned to city shelters while there are tent camps in Humboldt Park

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Gov. JB Pritzker confronts migrant crisis, projected shortfall as he prepares for his sixth budget address – Chicago Tribune/MSN

The governor’s office has said it expects to end the budget year this coming June 30 with a surplus of $422 million. But for the budget year that begins July 1, the governor’s office in November projected a shortfall of $891 million based on pension contributions and other costs rising faster than projected revenue. That figure could need to be made up through some combination of spending cuts or tax increases.

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Chicago mayor extends contract on anti-crime program that he campaigned against as racist – Jonathan Turley

“As a native son, it is hard to watch this wonderful city undermined by (Mayor Brandon) Johnson and radical allies in the city council. Some initiatives like reparations and state-funded grocery stores will cost money but will not impose nearly the costs of Johnson’s dismal record on crime and taxes. However, this week saw a particularly confusing moment when, after calling the anti-crime program ShotSpotter ‘racist,’ Johnson asked the company to extend its contract beyond the upcoming Democratic National Convention. So Johnson put an end to this supposedly racist program but only after the Democratic luminaries (and the most violent

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Column: Illinois ‘earns’ a dubious distinction – people leaving – Lake County News-Sun*

Over the decades, Illinois has been a leader in significant enterprises, but there’s one the state may not relish to be first. For the fifth year in a row, the Land of Lincoln is a top state for people leaving. Illinois and California tied for the title of states folks want to get out of. That’s according to the annual Moving Migration Report from North American Moving Services

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Chicago Hospitality Workers Have New Digital Tool To Fight Workplace Abuse – Block Club Chicago

Using Shift Change, Chicago hospitality workers can file reports on current or past experiences of workplace abuse, including wage theft, sexual abuse and discrimination. Users of the platform can choose to remain anonymous or be connected with a lawyer, therapist or organizer to take the next steps toward addressing the abuse. The service is available in English and Spanish.

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Reinsdorf confident White Sox will get $1 billion subsidy for new South Loop stadium – Crain’s*

Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is preparing to ask Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other state leaders for roughly $1 billion in public money to build his team a new home in the South Loop. While Pritzker has been dismissive of using tax dollars to subsidize a new stadium for a team worth billions even before the bonds that paid for the team’s current South Side home are paid off, he has yet to rule anything out until learning of the team’s detailed financial plan.

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Chicago Braces for First Post-Pandemic Property Tax Assessment – Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance

A struggling downtown Chicago real estate market is making it difficult for officials to determine property values in the first such assessment since the end of the pandemic. The small number of deals and deep discounts are thwarting price discovery and spurring Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi to consider leaving out the most distressed office tower sales in his calculations.

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Aurora will bond to support casino development – The Bond Buyer

In its current form, Aurora’s Hollywood Casino occupies a barge tethered near downtown on the Fox River. The city wants to build a brand new casino resort about five miles away, near an outlet mall and an exit to Interstate 88, about 35 miles from Chicago. The total cost of the project is estimated at $360 million. Aurora officials want to loan the casino operator, Penn Entertainment (PENN), $50 million up front.

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Study shows Illinois students have made a full recovery since the pandemic in English and language arts – WJBC (Bloomington)

Stat school Superintendent Tony Sanders: “We actually have the best students in the nation. We really do,” said Sanders. “All the national reports indicate that Illinois is ahead of other states in our public education system. You look at the U.S. News and World Report report from last year that showed that we were ranked in the top ten in the nation for public education, K-12, you look at this report that Illinois continues to make gains.

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Lion Electric to get nearly $50 million in EV incentives from State of Illinois — much more than expected – Crain’s*

Lion Electric is getting nearly $50 million in state incentives for its electric-bus factory outside Joliet, significantly more than originally expected. Lion began manufacturing buses in late 2022 and completed a 900,000-square-foot factory in Channahon last year. To receive the payroll tax credits, Lion will have to create 608 full-time jobs by the end of next year and 1,228 jobs by the end of 2028, according to recently filed state documents. The company declined to say how many workers it has in Channahon now.

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For Pritzker, the DNC could be a dress rehearsal for a presidential run – Crain’s*

Pritzker understands how to serve as the happy warrior for Biden even as theories about his political ambitions persist, according to U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston. “That’s something that J.B. will manage well,” said Schakowsky, who once competed with Pritzker for her House seat. “He knows what it is to be a surrogate. He has no intention of trying to outstrip the president of the United States.”

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Kam Buckner introduces bill that would ban single-family-only zoning in most Illinois cities – Crain’s*

Chicago homes Logan SquareA new bill in Springfield would ban single-family-only zoning across eight cities in Illinois, following similar measures that have passed in Oregon, California and Washington state. On Feb. 5, state Rep. Kam Buckner introduced the Single-Family Zoning Ban Act, which would prohibit zoning areas exclusively for single-family residential use. The bill would phase in that ban, applying to cities with a population between 100,000 and 500,000 by June 1, 2025, and cities with more than 500,000 residents by June 1, 2026. The Illinois Association of Realtors is

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Fight over tipped wage is moving to Springfield – Crain’s*

Fresh off a victory at Chicago’s City Hall, proponents of eliminating the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers have their eyes set on Springfield.  A bill set to be introduced in the General Assembly next week by state Rep. Elisabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, and supported by the One Fair Wage group, would go a step further and eliminate the tipped wage statewide by Jan. 1, 2025, effectively forcing restaurants across Illinois to pay their workers a higher minimum hourly rate than Chicago restaurants by next year.

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School is out for … the DNC? – Crain’s*

Chicago Public Schools is proposing that classes for the 2024-25 school year start one week later than usual in order to accommodate the late-August Democratic National Convention. If the plan is approved, CPS classes will begin Monday, Aug. 26. The DNC, which Chicago is hosting for the first time since President Bill Clinton’s re-election nomination in 1996, is scheduled for the week prior, running from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.

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‘Political winds:’ Biz groups urge judge to nix power grab by City Hall in metal yard permit case – Cook County Record

Businesses will reconsider locating in Chicago if courts ultimately find City Hall acted legally when it allegedly bowed to political pressure and changed the rules in the middle of the game to use “public health” concerns to justify denying a permit that would have allowed a new Southwest Side metal recycling center to open, warned a collection of Illinois business advocacy groups in a new court filing.

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Evanston considers proposal allowing noncitizens to vote – Daily Northwestern

As Evanston prepares to become the first city in Illinois to implement ranked-choice voting in its 2025 municipal elections, the city is also set to revisit a proposed ordinance that would allow documented residents without U.S. citizenship to vote in local elections.  State Sen. Celina Villanueva introduced a bill in 2021 that would allow non-citizens to vote in school board elections, but the bill has not been passed.

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Activists call on Chicago to reverse permit denial for march before Democratic National Convention – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo

Whether the new coalition loses its appeal or not, Andy Thayer said the group plans to march. He said he’s disappointed in the city’s “contempt for the First Amendment,” which he said is similar to conditions under previous mayors. “If they are worried about chaos, if they are worried about violence, then they will respect legitimate permit applications such as have been put in by this coalition,” Thayer said.

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A Whirlwind for Chicago Cease-Fire Politics – In These Times

Chicago has emerged as a national locus for the cease-fire movement since the violence began October 7 with what have been a seemingly countless number of persistent marches, nonviolent direct actions and other efforts to demand immediate peace and an end to the occupation and system of apartheid in Palestine.

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Tensions grow between city, state and federal government over influx of migrants – Capitol News IL

The most recent back-and-forth between the two came in response to the city’s recent shift in its migrant strategy: away from building new shelters or even increasing capacity of existing shelters, instead focusing on getting migrants out of shelters and into other forms of housing. The state had previously committed $65 million to building a shelter in Chicago in November – an effort that has still not come to fruition. “I’m deeply concerned,” Pritzker said Monday. “We do not have enough shelter as it is in the city of Chicago. The city has not told the state where they would like

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Illinois elections board hears objections to petitions filed by presidential candidates – Center Square

The debate over whether presidential candidates can be excluded from the state’s primary election ballots is playing out in Illinois. The Illinois State Board of Elections conducted petition objection hearings Friday in Chicago and Springfield for President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Terry Newsome of Darian is one of several people opposed to Biden being on the ballot, primarily because of his open border policy. “We’re letting all these different terrorists, known terrorists, to enter our country right now that’s infiltrating the United States of America,” Newsome said.

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Why does Chicago hate illegal immigrants? – Washington Examiner

“Johnson is preparing to evict illegal immigrants from shelters on Feb. 1, saying, ‘The flow of migrants that are coming into the city of Chicago and the flow to exit has not kept up.’ In other words, Johnson wants Chicago to be getting rid of as many illegal immigrants as it is taking in, and he has punted the expansion of shelter construction to the state, wanting shelters to be built outside of Chicago.”

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Rich Miller: Migrants keep coming as Mayor Brandon Johnson hides Chicago’s welcome mat – Chicago Sun-Times

The mayor is pulling back on accepting and caring for the continuing influx of migrants and shifting to his progressive agenda, like banning natural gas connections in most new construction, Rich Miller writes. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget that he passed last November deliberately underfunded programs for asylum-seekers. The meager appropriation could be exhausted by April, but nobody knows yet what the city plans to do when it reaches that point.

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Despite state law to address controversy, Wheeling Township blocks taxes for new mental health program approved in referendum – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo

More than a year ago, voters in Wheeling Township approved a new property tax to fund mental health services. But due to a legal dispute with political overtones, advocates likely will have to go through another referendum and wait a couple more years before they could get funding. The controversy continues even while other suburban governments, from Schaumburg to Naperville townships and Will County, are implementing new voter-approved tax funding for mental health programs.

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John Kass: Terrors of the Michelle Obama (Presidential) Prophecy

Biden is failing, especially in the key swing states. “We had a poll come out in Michigan the other day and he’s down like eight points,” said Bevan. “And  these are scary, scary numbers for Democrats, and the longer they continue the more I think you will hear about Michelle Obama. And the reason you’ll continue to hear about her because she’s the only answer to the question of ‘Who else?’”

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Naperville migrants: City scraps plan for residents to house new arrivals – ABC Chicago

Naperville is not moving forward with a plan to have residents house migrants in their homes. The city was considering putting together a list of residents willing to bring migrants into their homes. But city staff decided there are other state and federal agencies putting together lists of shelters to house migrants, so it’s not necessary for Naperville residents to pitch in.

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Paul Vallas: Back to the Bad Old Days – City Journal

Nearly four years on from the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional American public education system remains in disarray. The virus exposed longstanding structural flaws in public schools’ capacity to respond to such crises, particularly thanks to the overwhelming influence of teachers’ unions. Now the unions are trying to hide the damage they have wrought by pushing elected officials to reject objective standards and school choice.

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Chicago Board of Education renews contracts for 49 charter schools – Chalkbeat Chicago

The Chicago Board of Education voted Thursday to renew agreements with 12 charter networks, impacting 49 schools. The decision followed months of pleading from charter school leaders, educators, and students. The board extended contracts for all of the schools up for renewal. It renewed most of the contracts by either three or four years, starting this July. The maximum extension allowed under state law is 10 years.

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Editorial | Shrinking unions still wield considerable power – News-Gazette

Just as the UAW has shrunk, so, too, have other industrial unions that represent other once-vibrant manufacturers whose businesses have changed as time passed. That’s why it was odd when the U.S. Department of Labor recently released a cheerleading — and misleading — press release touting increases in unionization to the tune of “139,000 more union members in 2023 than in 2022.”

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After suburban pushback, Cook County leaders propose exempting parks, school districts from paid leave requirements – Chicago Tribune*

Decrying an unfunded mandate and scant notice about how to implement the hastily passed ordinance, several suburban park and school district leaders urged the county to exempt them from the union-backed initiative. With enforcement efforts kicking in next week, the park and school district leaders mounted a letter-writing campaign in recent days and pleaded their case at the Cook County Board meeting on Thursday.

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Lawsuit asks court to order Dolton to pay $33.5M verdict to families of men killed in police car crash – Cook County Record

Illinois henyard tiffany

Saying the village of Dolton has been financially mismanaged into insolvency by scandal-plagued Mayor Tiffany Henyard, attorneys representing families of two men killed in a police chase car crash have asked a Cook County court to potentially order the suburban village to raise taxes on residents to fund a $33.5 million jury verdict the families had won.

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Editorial: Mayor Johnson’s posturing on Middle East conflict is alienating Jewish Chicago – Chicago Tribune/Yahoo

After flicking away the Hamas atrocities, Johnson discussed the crucible of the Middle East in terms of Black “liberation.” If you parse those comments, you can see he wasn’t just speaking of a desire to protect civilians and promote peace, a reasonable position many of us share, but to frame the Israeli-Hamas conflict in stark terms of the oppressor and the oppressed.

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Despite possible lean budget, Illinois education officials seek more tax dollars – Center Square

The Illinois State Board of Education is aiming high in its request for more taxpayer funding in the next fiscal year. The board is proposing a $653 million increase over the current level of spending for pre-K-12 schools, bringing the overall budget request for the next school year to $11 billion. The proposal includes a $350 million increase in Evidence-Based Funding. EBF is designed to send more resources to Illinois’ most under-resourced students. State Superintendent of Schools Tony Sanders’ proposal also seeks an additional $75 million increase for the state’s early childhood block grant.

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Illinois behavioral health officials, lawmakers look to address worker shortage – Center Square

A joint committee of the Illinois Senate and House heard about a behavioral health workforce shortage in the state during a Thursday hearing with health-care officials. According to the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services, Illinois has 13.8 behavioral health care professionals for every 10,000 residents, leading lawmakers to seek a solution to what they said is a severe shortage.

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NCPERS Names Illinois State Treasurer Policymaker of the Year – Yahoo News

The National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) presented The Honorable Michael Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer, with its 2023 Policymaker of the Year Award. The award, presented annually during NCPERS Legislative Conference, recognizes the efforts of a policymaker who has had a positive impact on public pensions or whose efforts have contributed to improvements in retirement security more broadly.

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Best and Worst States to Start a Business in 2024 – Simplify

“Illinois is the worst state to start a business, driven by a high maximum corporate tax rate (9.5%), poor business performance (8.1% say they’re doing excellent), and weak mobility for educated workers. While about 105,000 educated adults moved into the state in 2022, another 159,000 moved out, meaning the state’s net migration for educated workforce was nearly -54,000.”

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Chicago-area commercial property sales down 44% in 2023 – Crain’s*

Dealmaking in the Chicago area didn’t take quite as much of a hit as the nation overall, where sales dropped by 51% to about $347 billion as mismatched pricing expectations between buyers and sellers slowed activity, especially in the office sector. Nationally, there was a 32% drop in office sales volume in the fourth quarter of 2023 from the same time frame the previous year.

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Common ground solutions to empower Chicago’s poor: A model for American cities – Illinois Policy

From left-of-center think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, Urban Institute and Progressive Policy Institute, to right-of-center public policy groups such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Alliance for Opportunity, there exists remarkable consensus on how to empower individuals to rise out poverty and into prosperity. Substantial consensus exists around seven “macro”-solutions to poverty.

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Sticker tags replacing I-PASS tollway transponders – Center Square

At the end of January, Illinois drivers can pay their I-PASS highway tolls with a smaller windshield sticker tag instead of the current plastic box transponder. The compact blue and purple windshield sticker tags allow drivers to skip toll booth lines. A bar code on the sticker uses radio frequency ID to connect with toll collection technology.

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Chicago Residents Reject Blaming Greg Abbott for Migrant Crisis – Newsweek

Chicago Migrants Abbott Immigration“There are at least seven lawsuits against the city of Chicago, including three filed by people of color, according to The Free Press. One was filed by Chicago West Side resident Cata Truss, a 57-year-old mother. Another was filed by former Texas U.S. House of Representatives candidate J. Darnell Jones, a Democrat, DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) strategist and reparations proponent who lives in Chicago’s South Side. “

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State recommends schools implement yearly mental health screenings for students – Center Square

Illinois House candidate raises concerns about “Illinois Youth Survey.” A new Illinois law recommends Illinois schools implement yearly mental health screenings for students enrolled in K-12th grade. Regan Deering, a Mt. Zion school board member and Illinois House candidate, said the new mental health screenings are a government expansion program being phased in this fall.
“I have seen a list of various schools that are already opting in. We had a variety of schools opt-in to the comprehensive sex education standards and that was the last big conversation we had around surveys and curriculum that are being implemented in our

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J.B. Pritzker Picks Wasteful Education in Illinois – Letter – Wall Street Journal

Gov. Pritzker sent his children to Francis Parker and the Latin School in Chicago. Both currently charge tuition and fees of more than $40,000 a year. But Mr. Pritzker was unwilling to try to save Invest in Kids, clearly telling lower-income parents that failing public schools are good enough for their kids. The average Invest in Kids scholarship cost Illinois about $6,000, whereas Illinois spends about $18,000 per public-school pupil. This means Illinois will be spending more to provide inferior education if parents of more than 33% of the current Invest in Kids scholarship recipients can no

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Pace hoping plans for EV bus fleet are not short-circuited – Chicago Tribune

As some electric vehicle owners were shocked by below-zero operation issues recently, Pace officials unveiled their first battery-powered bus. Let’s hope the transit agency isn’t jolted by performance problems. Outside of the Pace debut, it’s been a rough few weeks for what is supposed to be our automotive future. Electric vehicles are the cornerstone of the clean-energy policy of the administration of President Joe Biden in order to help reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.

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Kim Foxx, progressive prosecutors weigh achievements and setbacks in U. of C. panel – Hyde Park Herald

Growing up, Chesa Boudin, the progressive former district attorney of San Francisco, stunk as a baseball player in the Hyde Park-Kenwood Little League. Now, at 43, he doesn’t have much to fondly remember by way of athletic accomplishments from those days. What he does recall, however, is one stiflingly humid summer day in the late 1980s over at the baseball diamond on 47th Street and Cornell Drive, when he took his eye off a pitch. Men were arguing on the nearby basketball court. Then, shots rang out. The coaches shouted. They yelled at the boys to drop to the ground

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Electric Vehicles, Chargers Need To Be More Accessible In Chicago, Researchers Say – Block Club Chicago

Daniel Horton, head of the Climate Change Research Group at Northwestern University, saidHorton said he believes the government can play a role in addressing the inequities. He would like to see the government “incentivize private institutions or potentially have public institutions install chargers in locations that at the moment are not financially viable, but in the future might become more viable.”

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Army Corps plans $1 billion barricade to deter invasive carp at Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers – WBEZ

Invasive carp could threaten the $7 billion recreation and commercial fishing industry around the Great Lakes. To prevent the prolific fish from spilling out of Illinois’ waterways and into Lake Michigan and beyond, the Army Corps is planning to build a $1.416 billion high-tech suite of barricades to deter the fish from moving upstream. The Brandon Road Interbasin Project could take anywhere from six to eight years at a minimum to complete once construction. The Army Corps and state department of natural resources are still working to finalize a partnership agreement.

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Rezin Measure Would Allow Cities a Voice in Placement of Some Rural Illinois Solar Farms – Starved Rock Media

Municipalities would be given back their voice in the placement of solar farms under a new measure sponsored by State Senator Sue Rezin. The Morris Republican has introduced a bill allowing cities, towns and villages to weigh in on the placement of solar-energy facilities in unincorporated areas that are within three miles of town. Rezin says she’s backing the bill to help fix a mistake she says was made in the fall.

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State: ‘Government has no authority’ to impose penalties for not registering banned guns – Center Square

In their response to a Fifth Amendment challenge to the state’s gun ban and registry in the Southern District of Illinois federal court, attorneys for the state say the right against self-incrimination isn’t violated by the registry.  The state’s lawyers argue the registration is a “voluntary benefit that exempts owners of certain” firearms from “otherwise applicable criminal penalties.” They also argue the “government has no authority to impose” penalties on those that don’t register and the idea someone would be prosecuted for

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Chicago director of financial analysis put on administrative leave says he isn’t being allowed to do his job – Chicago Sun-Times

A bizarre standoff has developed in the office created 10 years ago to provide the City Council with independent advice on financial issues and avoid a repeat of the parking meter fiasco.  Budget Committee Chair Jason Ervin (28th) wants his colleagues to empower him to dump Kenneth Williams Sr. as the $123,000-a-year director of the Council’s Office of Financial Analysis after Williams refused to leave to make way for a director of Ervin’s choosing.

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Premature burial for Ozinga deep-underground Southeast Side development? – Chicago Sun-Times

An image showing the entrance to a proposed underground warehouse and commercial space on the Southeast Side.

The City Council is being asked to revive an underground warehouse development on the Southeast Side that’s being pushed by the Ozinga family. After a city zoning official ruled last year that the project ran afoul of Chicago’s ban on mining operations, it appeared that the Ozingas — owners of the namesake concrete and materials business — had little choice but to give up on

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Chicago car thefts soar to record high in 2023, but arrests hit record low – FOX News

Nearly 30,000 cars were taken from their owners in Chicago last year, yet police efforts to catch the bandits reached record lows, one nonprofit says.

The number of vehicle thefts reported last year is the highest in 23 years, according to the Illinois Policy Institute. Not only did the arrest rate for car theft fall to 2.6%, but data collected through the Chicago Data Portal showed that it was the lowest level since the city started tracking crime online in 2001.

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CCP Gotion, CATL, four other Chinese battery companies banned from U.S. military bases – The Midwesterner

Gotion plans an E.V battery facility in Manteno, Illinois. “This ban is a step in the right direction, and we applaud it,” according to a statement from former U.S. ambassadors Peter Hoekstra and Joseph Cella. “Given the aggressive adversarial nature of the PRC and the CCP, we urge lawmakers give this procurement ban immediate effect, extend it to the entire federal government, and investigate why CATL and Gotion can receive tax credits through the [Inflation Reduction Act]…. Why are Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Governor J.B. Pritzker handing billions of taxpayer dollars and other subsidies to these PRC-based and CCP-tied manufacturers

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Here’s who will pay how much if the transfer tax proposal passes – Crain’s*

For homebuyers, the tab will be a little more than $15 million. That’s according to Crain’s research into what the past year’s home sales would have generated if the new transfer tax, as revamped under Johnson in August, were in place. Many commercial properties sell for far larger amounts than homes, and Crain’s past estimates have pegged the commercial sector’s dollar volume at around nine times residential’s.

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Two grade schools in Belleville diocese to close – St. Louis Post Dispatch

The closure announcement lists several factors for the school’s decline: Difficulty hiring teachers for lower pay than public schools; declining population in the city of Belleville; and expensive upkeep for aging buildings. Another factor cited by church leaders is the expiration of the Invest in Kids Act, Illinois’ tax-credit program for private school vouchers.

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Pro-Palestine protest on Chicago expressway leads to multiple arrests – FOX32 (Chicago)

The group made its way to I-55 southbound and Harlem, when the situation escalated. Authorities were called after receiving reports of pedestrians illegally walking onto the expressway. The protest was put on by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine and the US Palestinian Community Network. It is one of several in the Chicago area in recent weeks. The USPCN says they gathered to call for the end of U.S. and U.K. airstrikes against Yemen and to stop the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza.

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Editorial: JB Pritzker vs. Catholic Schools – Wall Street Journal

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrats in the Legislature killed the Invest in Kids scholarship program last year, blocking money for more than 9,000 low-income students to escape failing public schools. Now comes the second wave of destruction as the schools that welcomed the scholarship students are beginning to close.

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‘Climate Change’ in Chicago Puts Biden’s EV Mandate On Thin Ice – Issues & Insights

The polar vortex gripping the nation has exposed a fatal flaw in President Joe Biden’s push to force Americans into electric cars. EVs don’t work well in the cold. Several news stories out of Chicago this week report how EV owners have been struggling to keep their cars charged as extreme cold saps their batteries of energy, extends charging times, and forces owners to wait for hours to get an open charger.

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Smart Start preschool expansion ahead of schedule in first fiscal year – Capitol News IL

The Smart Start program passed last May as part of the state’s operating budget, which allocated $250 million to expand early childhood education programs, including wage support for child care workers, early intervention programs and home visiting programs. It also included a goal of adding 5,000 pre-k spots in areas where access was lacking – and the state has exceeded that number by over 800 seats.

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Prudential Insurance is leaving Prudential Building and taking name with it – WBEZ (Chicago)


The Prudential name has been on the 41-story Loop building since it opened in 1955. The name has also been on the 64-story younger sibling, Prudential Plaza Two or Pru Two, since that building opened in 1990. The departure is momentous. Prudential stuck with its namesake skyscraper long after Sears, Wrigley, the Chicago Tribune, Montgomery Ward, Kemper and other big corporations left their buildings. Prudential is staying in town, however, and leasing space elsewhere.

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Johnson’s real estate transfer tax plan is dealt a major blow – Crain’s*

One of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s signature priorities — a major tweak to the real estate transfer tax designed to boost funding for anti-homelessness initiatives — has been dealt a significant setback, failing to garner the coveted endorsement of the Chicago Federation of Labor. In a vote last week, a motion to endorse the referendum measure came up just decimal points shy of the two-thirds weighted vote necessary to receive the official backing of the federation, an umbrella organization that represents more than 300 unions in Chicago and Cook County.

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Distressed office building near Willis Tower goes up for auction – Crain’s*

A few weeks after one distressed office building near Willis Tower was sold at a severe discount, another one is heading to the auction block and is likely to trade for a fraction of its pre-pandemic value. Bidding will begin on Feb. 20 to buy the vintage 10-story office building at 216 W. Jackson Blvd. One stark example of the lost value just one block from 216 W. Jackson came late last month, when a local investor paid just $4 million for the leasehold interest in a 20-story building at 300 W. Adams St. — 89% less than it was

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Parent Of Battery Maker, Illinois-Subsidized Gotion, Participated In Communist Party Programs That Acquire Tech For China’s Military – Daily Caller

70th Anniversary Of The Founding Of The People's Republic Of China - Military Parade & Mass Pageantry

Gotion High-Tech has participated in the 863 Program and Torch Program, two initiatives identified as projects designed to acquire advanced technology and research to support the People’s Liberation Army, according to a DCNF review of corporate materials. Gotion High-Tech owns the U.S.-based Gotion, Inc.,

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Orphe Divounguy: The Chicago-area economy is cooling too quickly – Crain’s*

“From November 2022 to November 2023, employment here grew a meager 0.8%, compared to the national rate of 1.8% during the same period. It certainly didn’t help that ongoing net outmigration continues to have a detrimental impact on population growth in the Chicago area.While the U.S. unemployment rate remained fairly constant at 3.7% in the second half of 2023, Chicago-area unemployment rose to 4.7% in November from 3.9% in June. Perhaps an even more alarming concern is the state of average hourly earnings.”

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The high cost of creating affordable housing – Crain’s

Crain's Forum
“Costs are driven by the byzantine rules of the federal tax credit system that require builders to assemble a “capital stack” of funders, each with sets of fees and requirements. On top of that comes ever more rigorous government standards for accessibility, sustainability and design. Developers and their architects win points from public agencies awarding the projects by striving for net zero carbon emissions by using materials such as solar panels, triple-pane windows and upgraded insulation.”If a Martian dropped down from the sky and looked at how

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How much money is in Chicago’s transfer-tax referendum fight? – The RealDeal

Mayor Johnson and his supporters believe revenue from the transfer tax  hike will help fund affordable housing and anti-homelessness measures in Chicago. Conversely, the real estate community fears that the policy would burden a commercial real estate industry that’s already grappling with various challenges, such as high interest rates, record-high office vacancies and subdued sales.

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Illinois’ Ethically Challenged Court – American Greatness

“The gun ban law is just one of many in the last two years where one-party control of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches has emboldened Democrats to make laws that are not constitutionally sound…. These laws are a different type of lawlessness and far more harmful than street crime. When state legislatures and local officials can strip people of their rights and force them to go through expensive and lengthy lawsuits to get those rights back, then freedom is at risk for everyone.”

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Plan to elect Chicago school board hits political land mines – Crain’s*

Chicagoans have been expected to vote for the first time this fall to elect members of the Chicago Board of Education. But the transition from a mayoral-appointed school board to a fully elected one has been complicated and may be at least partially stalled by political maneuvering in Springfield and by a high-stakes Democratic primary fight for control of a Northwest Side Illinois Senate seat.

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Pritzker says United Airlines has told the state it’s not moving – Crain’s*

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his staff have spoken with United Airlines officials who have assured them the company isn’t planning to move its headquarters from Illinois. United’s purchase of a large chunk of land in Denver for a flight-training facility — and its recently filed plans that also include the prospect of a large corporate campus — set off alarms that the company’s headquarters might be in play.

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Illinois gun groups report confusion, ‘civil disobedience’ after deadline passes to register ‘assault’ weapons – FOX News

Jan. 1 marked the deadline for Illinoisans to register their assault weapons with the state before the ban signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes effect Jan. 10. However, of the over 2.4 million Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) cardholders, there have only been 112,350 disclosures filed as of Dec. 31, 2023, according to state police data. Another 29,357 disclosures were in the process of being completed.

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Dems Look To Cash In On Border Crisis – AMAC

The “investment” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants “isn’t funding to close the border, restart border wall construction, or reinstate Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy – instead he wants $15 billion in cold, hard cash deposited in the bank accounts of Democrat-run cities.”

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Gaza war protest in Chicago blocks traffic on Lake Shore Drive – Washington Examiner

A protest in honor of Palestinians who have died in Gaza shut down traffic in both directions on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago on Saturday. Protesters from two organizations, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the Coalition for Justice in Palestine, lined up on the road to block traffic for hours. The groups were protesting the Biden administration for bypassing congressional approval twice to use its emergency powers to sell ammunition to Israel.

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Pritzker family under fire as members are key players in Harvard, Epstein scandals – New York Post

Until recently, the most controversial members of Chicago’s ultra-rich and powerful Pritzker family were the billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker — a longtime Democratic activist and bail reform advocate — and his billionaire transgender cousin Jennifer, who’s funneled millions into universities, medical schools, gender clinics and nonprofits in support of “gender-affirming” medical care.

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Harvard agitators turn their ire toward Penny Pritzker – Politico

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="Image aligncenter" title="Then-U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker speaks during a news conference in the Commission Berlaymont building in Brussels, Belgium on July 12, 2016. The Biden administration has tapped former Commerce Secretary and major Democratic donor Penny Pritzker to coordinate U.S. efforts to channel private sector reconstruction assistance to Ukraine. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, File)" src="https://www.politico.com/dims4/default/a47c5a3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1826+0+0/resize/630x383!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Ffe%2Fd1%2F4de754fe402db36aebd2114c9a31%2Fap23257622967917.jpg" srcset="https://www.politico.com/dims4/default/a47c5a3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1826+0+0/resize/630x383!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Ffe%2Fd1%2F4de754fe402db36aebd2114c9a31%2Fap23257622967917.jpg 1x, https://www.politico.com/dims4/default/205f257/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1826+0+0/resize/1260x766!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.politico.com%2Ffe%2Fd1%2F4de754fe402db36aebd2114c9a31%2Fap23257622967917.jpg 2x" alt="Then-U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker speaks during a news conference in the Commission Berlaymont building in Brussels, Belgium on July 12, 2016. The Biden administration has tapped former Commerce Secretary and major Democratic donor Penny Pritzker

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WTTW advisory board’s annual report filled with ‘concerns’ – Crain’s*

WTTW’s community advisory board used its most recent annual report to express concerns over changes with “Chicago Tonight” as well as communication issues with management. In the report, which was released on Dec. 19, the 26-member board stated concerns after “observing over the past year the work of the News Department, in general, and the presentation of ‘Chicago Tonight,’ in particular.”

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The Welfare-Industrial Complex Is Booming – The Wall Street Journal

Drill into the nation’s 3.7% unemployment rate, and you’ll find a growing welfare-industrial complex beneath the seemingly strong labor market. Government, social assistance and healthcare account for 56% of the 2.8 million net new jobs over the past year, and for nearly all gains in blue states such as New York and Illinois.

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Anti-China push in U.S. Midwest a symptom of Biden’s dilemma – South China Morning Post

In the small town of Manteno, Illinois, the opposition to a Gotion plant there has been even fiercer and partisan. Local Republican state representatives have accused the Biden administration, the state leadership of Gov. JB Pritzker and China’s Communist Party of working together to build a plant that they say would cost taxpayers millions. National Counterintelligence and Security Centre director Mike Casey, whose agency coordinates with the U.S. private sector over security threats, said companies should think twice before installing Chinese batteries.

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The ‘Great Sort’ draws transplants pushing Florida to the right, experts say – Orlando Sentinel

“The notion of the ‘Big Sort’ … is really proving itself,” said Matt Isbell, a Democratic elections analyst. “That’s the idea that people move based on the politics. … For a lot of retirees, places like Florida are appealing, especially if they’re already conservative.” According to Census estimates, New York lost nearly 217,000 people to domestic migration from July 2022 to July 2023 and nearly 882,000 since April 2020. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan also lost thousands of residents in that time.

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Democrats Prepare for Convention of Regret – Wall Street Journal

“Some readers may be imagining the intrigue as ambivalent delegates wonder if they really have to nominate Joe Biden for president again. Others may puzzle over Democrats’ decision to gather in Chicago, a violent and expensive monument to the failures of progressive governance. But the choice of venue is even worse than many realize and seems bound to inspire a rush of regret. A series of events will serve to highlight not just Democratic dysfunction but corruption as well.”

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Illinois Residents Sue to Keep Out EV Battery Company with CCP Ties – The Epoch Times

“Li Zhen, the company’s founder and chairman, is a member of the Anhui Provincial Federation of Industry and Commerce, which is part of the CCP’s United Front system and takes direction from the CCP. His son, Li Chen, who is also Guoxuan’s CEO, is a member of the Baohe District Chinese People’s Political Consultative Committee, which is an advisory body of the CCP,” Senator Marco Rubio and other lawmakers earlier wrote.

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Abbott pushes back on Chicago narrative as first flight arrives from border – Center Square

Gov. Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris, told The Center Square. “Mayor Johnson is flat out lying. If he truly cared about these migrants, he would stop spreading falsehoods and complaining about a few thousand migrants being bused into his sanctuary city. Instead, Mayor Johnson should call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the border—something the President continues failing to do.”

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Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to destroy Chicago’s best schools – Washington Examiner

The board endorsed a resolution last week to shift focus and resources away from the city’s selective enrollment schools to neighborhood schools. Selective enrollment schools, or high schools that admit students based on middle school grades and standardized exams, have faced intense scrutiny by the notoriously left-wing Chicago Teachers Union over their supposed lack of economic and racial “equity.”

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The Great Blue to Red State Migration Continues – Wall Street Journal

“Eight states saw population declines, with the biggest in New York (-101,984), California (-75,423) and Illinois (-32,826). They can blame population flight…. You don’t need artificial intelligence to spot what these states have in common: High taxes, burdensome business regulation and inflated energy and housing prices.”

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Immigrant health plan participants in Cook County moving to managed care plan – Crain’s*

As Illinois begins transitioning people in its two health programs for immigrants to Medicaid managed care plans, Cook County Health plans to enroll nearly all the 45,000-some participants into CountyCare, beginning Jan. 1. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is moving all participants in the state-funded programs, Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors, or HBIA and HBIS, from fee-for-service to managed care in 2024.

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Cook County judge says bankruptcy doesn’t mean man gets out of jail without paying divorce lawyers – Cook County Record

Calling it a “Christmas present,” a Cook County family court judge said she would allow a River Forest businessman out of jail for the holidays – if he can come up with $300,000 in cash, and agree to be on electronic home monitoring, until he manages to pay $200,000 more to satisfy the judge’s prior orders to begin paying off $1.6 million in legal bills racked up by him and his ex-wife during a long, contentious divorce proceeding.

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How Congressional Maps Could Change in 2030 – Brennan Center for Justice

New population estimates released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau suggest that the shifts in political power after the 2030 census could be among the most profound in the nation’s history. If these trends continue for the balance of the decade, California would lose 4 of its 52 congressional districts in reapportionment, New York, meanwhile, would lose three seats, Illinois two, and Pennsylvania one, leaving all three states with congressional delegations half the size they were in 1940.

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Chicago plans to borrow over $1 billion as it weans itself off TIFs – Crain’s*

In a confidential memorandum delivered to Johnson’s top aides July 18 by the former commissioner of the Department of Housing, Marisa Novara, and the former commissioner of the Department of Planning & Development, Maurice Cox, Johnson was urged to borrow $1.25 billion in anticipation of those TIF districts going offline. The move would be a remarkable shift in how the city pays for and subsidizes development projects. The bond issuance would begin the process of Chicago weaning itself off the special tax districts created in the last three decades to incentivize development.

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Opinion: What the Great Migration can teach us about the coming mass migration to Chicago – Crain’s*

Theo Anderson, researcher and writer specializing in business case studies and Josh Salzmann, professor of U.S. history at Northeastern Illinois: Over the coming decades, the number of Americans fleeing climate-change driven droughts, fires, floods, hurricanes and water shortages will likely exceed that of the Great Migration by a wide margin.  13 million Americans will be displaced by sea-level rise alone. While many counties across the Sun Belt could lose more than a third of their GDP from the effects of climate change, the Great Lakes region will see migration of people

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Opinion: Chicago voters want education freedom over politics – Crain’s*

Denisha Allen, founder of Black Minds Matter and senior fellow at the American Federation for Children: Every lawmaker in Chicago should be on notice. Faith in public schools and the Chicago Teachers Union is waning, while the need for education freedom increases. Chicago public schools are at a critical juncture, confronting hard truths about the Chicago Teachers’ Union and its role pushing policies that harm education, particularly that of Black students. 

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East St. Louis in financial turmoil, city at risk of layoffs and payless paydays – FOX2 (St. Louis)

The City of East St. Louis facing a severe financial crisis that could result in layoffs and payless paydays. It could also force the city to slash some services. The crisis was brought on by the city’s failure to keep up with payments to the East St. Louis police and firefighters pension funds. Now the city is on the hook for more than $7 million in past-due payments.

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Editorial: Chicago’s selective-enrollment schools are a civic asset worth saving – Crain’s*

“These schools have enhanced the quality of life in Chicago for countless students and families and have become a hub of community in neighborhoods across the city. They have also helped make Chicago Public Schools an attractive option for parents who might otherwise seek greener pastures beyond the city limits. The Board of Education should think carefully before dismantling these prime civic assets.”

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Biden admin unveils new green subsidy guidelines that could allow China to cash in – BPR

The promise of robust manufacturing tax credits prompted companies to announce a flurry of new projects, including several that have drawn the ire of local residents and elected Republicans for their connections to Chinese firms. Gotion, an American subsidiary entirely owned and controlled by China-based Gotion High-Tech, wants to build subsidized manufacturing facilities in Michigan and Illinois. Gotion High-Tech has extensiveconnections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and local residents in Green Charter Township,

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Column: When you come to Chicago, the news will teach you what you need to know – Chicago Sun-Times

Kwame Opam now deputy managing editor for news at the Sun-Times and and previously the strategy and operations deputy for the breaking news teams at The New York Times: “I’ve been inculcated in the profession’s articles of faith. believe in comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, telling truth to power, and finding beauty and relief in a good yarn…. I’m lucky. Seriously, I can’t tell you how lucky I am. I’m up to my ears in good writing about Chicago and surrounded by journalists committed to telling its story every day.

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Equality in Misery – National Review

“Nothing illustrates the perversity of the ‘equity’ agenda and its hostility toward the exceptional and exemplary quite like progressive officials’ efforts to cut overachievers down to size for the imagined benefit of everyone else. Chicago’s chief social engineer, Mayor Brandon Johnson, is only the latest to join that crusade.”

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LaSalle Street office landlord eyes new route to apartment conversion – Crain’s*

30 N. LaSalle rendering

A LaSalle Street office landlord seeking taxpayer help converting part of its building into apartments has taken a step toward doing it without city subsidies or affordable units, a sign of impatience with the city’s LaSalle Street Reimagined initiative while Mayor Brandon Johnson waffles over his support for the program. A joint venture of Corebridge Financial and Chicago developer Golub is seeking permission to convert part of the office building at 30 N. LaSalle St. into 349 apartments, according to a zoning application introduced to

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The rich are getting richer in Illinois – Crain’s*

The number of Illinois taxpayers making more than $500,000 in 2021 surged 32% from the year before, according to the most recent income tax data from the Department of Revenue. The jump was more than three times as big as any annual increase seen in the previous five years.

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While universities get grilled over Israel-Gaza responses, U of Chicago praised for its free speech policy – Crain’s*

As university presidents across the country face criticism over comments and responses following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos has largely stayed out of the public fray. Alivisatos did not issue a school statement or offer public comment following the attacks — a standstill tactic that has landed other leaders in hot water — but instead leaned on the school’s practice of institutional neutrality, often referred to as the “Chicago Principles.”

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Harvard President Claudine Gay Is Why I Never Checked the ‘Black’ Box – Newsweek

“I have known people like Claudine Gay my entire life and they are the reason why I never checked the black box on college and employment applications. If I had, I would not be a free individual today. As a child, I was fascinated by the story of my paternal grandparents’s interracial marriage in 1944 in segregated Chicago…. Today, the focus has been on how Gay hurt Asians and Jews, but it can never be forgotten that people like her hurt blacks far more and for such a sustained period of time, affecting multiple generations.”

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Two more execs heading out the door at Chicago Public Media – Crain’s*

The head of communications and the chief audience officer at Chicago Public Media announced today they are stepping down. The announcement of Berger and LeCompte’s departure comes a week after Chicago Public Media CEO Matt Moog announced he would be stepping down to “return to his roots as a tech entrepreneur.” After Moog announced he would leave after CPM finds a new CEO, it was revealed that union leadership at both the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, which are owned by Chicago Public Media, sought an investigation into allegations of a “hostile

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When locals oppose the green agenda, state and feds officials seek ways to ignore local concerns – Just The News

Wind turbines generate electricity at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm near Palm Springs, California, on Feb. 27, 2019 | (Getty Images)

Since 2015, more than 600 renewable energy projects have been halted as a result of local opposition. Michigan recently joined Illinois, New York and California, each with laws that allow the state to override local actions against renewable energy projects. In January, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill that stops local governments from limiting or banning wind and solar power.

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Opinion: Economic growth is the single most important job of running a city. Full stop. – Crain’s*

John Busch,  Chicago-based tech entrepreneur and former fellow at World Business Chicago: First, we must realize as a business and civic community that we are involved in competition. The biggest winners of this trend are not stakeholder groups in Chicago, but the other cities vying for our momentum in Indianapolis, Columbus, Nashville, Austin and Miami. Second, all the city’s stakeholder groups exist within the same ecosystem.

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Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund wants to enter market for private debt – Bloomberg

The fund and its trustees decided to invest in private credit following results of a study spurred by changing expectations for returns from higher interest rates and inflation, Fernando Vinzons, chief investment officer for the Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund, said in an emailed statement Monday. The future allocation, with no exact deadline, of $300 million to $350 million will represent about 3% of the fund’s assets.

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River North loft office sold for 61% loss – Crain’s*

213 W. Institute Place213 W. Institute Place, a vintage seven-story loft office building in River North just sold for 61% less than was paid for the building in 2017. It’s another data point illustrating the decimated value of office buildings as companies shedding office space have driven up vacancy and as higher borrowing costs have whittled the pool of prospective buyers. Many office properties in the heart of the city are now worth less than the mortgages tied to them, fueling a historic wave of distress.

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Three top leaders depart World Business Chicago – Crain’s*

Mark Tebbe, who has led WBC’s efforts to attract and retain startup and technology companies since 2014, plans to step down as chair of its innovation and technology council by mid-May. “I don’t see the focus on the business community that I have seen with other mayors,” said Tebbe, who has worked for three Chicago mayors during his tenure at World Business Chicago in an unpaid role. “The behind-the-scenes work to make (economic development) happen just hasn’t been demonstrated.”

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If building lots of homes would ease U.S. housing crisis, Illinois isn’t helping – Crain’s*

As the nation’s housing market struggles with an extreme lack of inventory of for-sale homes, one of the most often mentioned solutions is to build more homes. Illinois isn’t helping. New data shows that among the 50 states, Illinois is tied with two others for building the fewest new homes. The three are all states with high taxes, though Rhode Island comes in just behind the 10 top-taxing states.

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Government Unions Love Democrats – Wall Street Journal

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The alliance between Democrats and public unions is a dominant feature of modern politics, and the mutual love is growing. That’s the message of a new report by the Commonwealth Foundation. In 2021-2022, the four largest government unions spent $27.9 million in Illinois, $24.9 million in California, $13.2 million in Minnesota and $12.1 million in Pennsylvania. Unions accounted for almost 83% of current Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s

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Progressive ally of Johnson stands by scathing comments against him – Crain’s*

Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th, responded “absolutely not” on Monday when asked if she regrets any of the her comments last week. Then, she said, “I felt like we’re not ready and it’s showing out in the wash…. We’re pretending like now we got the power, let us show you how it’s supposed to be done, and we look real stupid right now…. We were not ready because we haven’t been in government long enough to know how the government really runs. . . .You still have daddy Daley’s people still in these committees, still in these departments, so we’ve got

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American, United Want Out Of Deal To Modernize Chicago O’Hare – View from the Wing

“American Airlines and United Airlines want Chicago O’Hare’s expansion that they signed off on in 2018 slowed down – or stopped – as the project runs $1.5 billion over budget. Somehow the carriers are surprised that a massive public infrastructure project, in Chicago no less, is spending far more than originally projected? And in fact it’s only just the ‘next phase’ where a 24% projected cost overrun totals $1.5 billion more than expected. That’s before construction on the new terminal even starts! The project’s total cost has grown from $8.7 billion to a projected $12.1 billion. So

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How Chicago Poses a Grave Threat to the American Republic – Chicago Contrarian

Special prosecutors Maria McCarthy and Fabio Valenti recently stood before Will County Judge Donald Carlson arguing that their client, former Chicago Police Detective Kriston Kato, was the victim of a renegade, utterly illegal institution created by one of the most corrupt state legislatures in the country. The attorneys argued in a motion that a state agency created in 2009, the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (TIRC), was an unconstitutional infringement on the judiciary, an argument that, if embraced by the courts, could have far reaching impact on Illinois.

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You Won’t Believe Who Is Joining the GOP in Calling for Restrictions on Immigration: Jesse Jackson – PJ Media

“Laws need to be enforced at the border,” Jackson said, and “more resources” are required for cities like Chicago. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson had a novel approach to accepting responsibility for the crisis. He didn’t. Instead, he blamed “right-wing extremists” who want to “bring slavery back” and “refuse to accept the outcome of the Civil War.”

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Feds and city’s inspector general eye Bally’s casino deal – Crain’s*

An architect's rendering of the proposed Bally's casino project along the Chicago River.

A federal law enforcement agency and Chicago’s inspector general are looking into the process by which Bally’s won the Chicago casino license, according to people familiar with the matter. Sources, including one who has been interviewed in the matter, say a second, parallel inquiry is being conducted by Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg. 

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The Senate’s Supreme Court Subpoena Games – Wall Street Journal

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Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin has reached the age and tenure at which he might fancy himself a Lion of the Senate, but what a joke after his grubby power play Thursday in the Judiciary Committee. In a rush of rule-breaking at the end of a meeting, Mr. Durbin moved to bluster through subpoenas for two friends of Supreme Court Justices on a partisan vote.

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Chicago’s woke Mayor Brandon Johnson blames his predecessor Lori Lightfoot and ‘right wing extremism’ for Windy City’s decline amid crime and migrant crisis – Daily Mail

‘What we’ve seen is a very raggedy form of right-wing extremism,’ the woke Mayor said. ‘Everyone knows that the right-wing extremism in this country has targeted democratically run cities and quite frankly and they have been quite intentional about going after democratically ran cities that are led by people of color.’

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Chicago needs revenue strategy to continue ratings improvement, agencies say – The Bond Buyer

While the city has made some important progress on the expenditure side, the new mayor’s first budget didn’t make similar strides on the revenue side, according to Fitch Ratings, which upgraded Chicago’s general obligation debt to BBB-plus from BBB in October. For example, the budget didn’t include raising the property tax levy to account for inflation, which had been included under the previous administration. Fitch’s upgrade, which didn’t hinge on passage of the budget, cited “a decline in the city’s long-term liability burden stemming from steady growth in the economic resource base and improved debt management practices,” including making advance

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To Shrink Learning Gap, Evanston School District Offers Classes Separated by Race – Wall Street Journal

Nearly 200 Black and Latino students at Evanston Township High School signed up this year for math classes and a writing seminar intended for students of the same race, taught by a teacher of color. These optional so-called affinity classes are designed to address the achievement gap by making students feel more comfortable in class, district leaders have said, particularly in Advanced Placement courses that historically have enrolled few Black and Latino students.

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Israel-Hamas protests disrupt life in Democrats’ convention city – Politico

A photograph of a protester wearing a Chicago Bulls jersey waving a Palestinian flag.

Escalating tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas are disrupting the city and dividing Democrats as they prepare to show unity in nominating the president to a second term next summer. Illinois’ congressional delegation is divided, too. All but two members <a class=" js-tealium-tracking " href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023528" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-tracking="mpos=&mid=&lindex=&lcol=" aria-label="supported a resolution on Israel’s right to defend itself

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Manteno Planning Commission hears testimony on rezoning for Gotion plant – Kankakee Daily Journal

During an arduous four-hour-and-45-minute hearing in front of the seven-member Manteno Planning Commission — and an audience of 450 people — Gotion’s rezoning application for the former Kmart warehouse property, 333 S. Spruce St., came under much scrutiny. Most of the questioning at Tuesday’s hearing, held in the Manteno Elementary School gymnasium, was raised by the vocal Concerned Citizens of Manteno, who vehemently oppose the plant

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Kane County goes against policy, will use savings to balance budget instead of tax hike – Daily Herald*

“If we have interest earned to help balance the budget, I don’t know why we’re not doing that,” Lenert said. The budget already planned for the use of about $10 million of savings before deciding to forego the tax hike. Both decisions go against the advice of Kane County CFO Kathy Hopkinson and a policy the board adopted earlier in the year to either cut spending or find new revenue sources to balance the budget.

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Wirepoints featured in BBC report on political refugees moving between Illinois and Florida

After several days in Florida interviewing folks there and in Illinois, the BBC sat down with Wirepoints to complete their report. Wirepoints added some important perspective on the impact political migration has on Illinois. While some Americans may move to Illinois for its progressive policies, far more end up leaving every year due to Illinois’ poor economic competitiveness.

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Here’s why electric vehicles are a political football – Crain’s*

The discussion also encapsulates a host of issues dominating the nation’s political conversation: the cost of living, reliance on Chinese manufacturing and cultural factors such as the feasibility of the cross-country road trips that remain an element of American identity. “There’s certainly been a large uptick in the amount of polarization around EVs,” said Robert Fisher, domain principal of electrification at SBD Automotive, a research and consulting firm. That polarization “is a very credible, serious threat” to wider adoption.

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The American Voter’s Flight to Freedom – National Review

“Something remarkable is happening in these disunited states: a rapid rearrangement of population of the kind not seen for decades. This internal migratory surge, however, may not be as benign as some earlier ones. It is fueled less by geographic factors — the availability of fertile land or the appeal of a milder climate — than by political considerations.”

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Loop office landlord hit with $105 million foreclosure lawsuit – Crain’s*

“The owner of the building at 111 W. Jackson Blvd. defaulted on its $105 million mortgage tied to the property by failing to make loan payments since May…. It’s another addition to the long list of downtown office buildings poised to be seized by lenders as weak demand for offices and a surge in borrowing costs have pummeled property values.”

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North Shore property owners to be impacted by tax levy hikes – Chicago Tribune*

Glencoe property taxpayers will see a 5.7% rate hike. Over in Wilmette, the property tax levy is set to go up 2.94%. According to New Trier High School Associate Superintendent Christopher Johnson said existing property taxpayers would face a 5% increase. He said he has not calculated the impact for individual property owners but added the high school represents approximately a quarter of the overall property tax bill throughout New Trier Township.

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Inside the Transgender Empire – Imprimis

Christopher Rufo: “Here’s an example of how this combination of well-funded activism and political influence works in practice: Pritzker-funded activists at Lurie Children’s Hospital (the largest children’s hospital in Chicago) provide local schools with training, materials, and personnel who promote gender transitions for children, using the hospital’s reputation to give their ideology a scientific veneer. And the more one investigates, the worse it gets. Children are exposed, for instance, not only to trans ideology, but to concepts such as ‘kink’ (unusual tastes in sexual behavior), ‘BDSM’ (bondage, domination, submission, and masochism), binders to flatten breasts, and prosthetic penises.”

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Why is the Chicago Teachers Union Promoting Whole Life Insurance? – Second City Teachers

“They try to convince us you can turn life insurance into an investment instead of just insurance, but in the end, you get both subpar insurance and subpar investments.” The premiums are expensive, and the cost of whole life insurance tends to be much higher than term life insurance .So why would the CTU send out an email that would only benefit 1 percent of its members? Contributions to CTU’s PAC, apparently.

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Pritzker among three Democratic governors facing a balancing act in advancing clean energy initiatives – Route Fifty

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, left, spoke at a rally in support of United Auto Workers members as they were on strike this fall.

The United Auto Workers, for example, launched a six-week strike against the country’s top three automakers this fall, in part because labor leaders worried that the industry’s transition to electric vehicles would harm assembly line workers. That put Democratic governors who backed the move to EVs in a tough spot. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan all staked their

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Palestinian students lead walkout at CPS’ Chicago Academy High School in support of children killed in Gaza – Chicago Tribune/MSN

Many of the desks at Chicago Academy High School sat empty during the last period of classes Thursday, as about 250 students — half of the student body — walked out to demand a cease-fire in solidarity with the children of Gaza. Palestinian American pupils organized the Chicago Public Schools-sanctioned walkout, leading chants as students marched around the predominantly Latinx school in Dunning on the Northwest Side before returning for the last 30 minutes of classes.

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Dockery concerned about environmental impact of proposed Gotion lithium ion car battery plant – Kankakee Times

Manteno, Illinois resident Shannyn Dockery, an award-winning teacher with a focus on environmentalism, has deep concerns about the potential environmental effects of the proposed Gotion lithium-ion car battery plant on the Kankakee River and local endangered species. She and her husband, whose family has lived in Manteno for seven generations, are raising their children in the town.

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New Breed of Supercomputer at Argonne in Illinois Aims for the Two Quintillion Mark – Wall Street Journal*

Inside a vast data center on the outskirts of Chicago, the most powerful supercomputer in the world is coming to life. Called Aurora, the supercomputer’s high-performance capabilities will be matched with the latest advances in artificial intelligence. Together they will be used by scientists researching cancer, nuclear fusion, vaccines, climate change, encryption, cosmology and other complex sciences and technologies.

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How Do Taxes Affect Interstate Migration? – Tax Foundation

Every year, millions of Americans pack up and move from one state to another, providing unique insights into what people value when deciding where to live, work, and raise a family. For many years, policymakers, journalists, and taxpayers have debated the role state tax policy plays in individuals’ and businesses’ location decisions. Annual data about who is moving—and where—provide clues about the factors contributing to these moves. Taxes are one such factor. States with the highest net AGI losses included California at -$29.1 billion, New York at -$24.5 billion, Illinois at -$10.8 billion, and Massachusetts at -$4.3

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Pro-Palestine protesters rally in Chicago during Biden’s Illinois visit – FOX32 (Chicago)

President Joe Biden’s visit to Illinois on Thursday was met with heated demonstrations in Chicago as protesters voiced their concerns over the situation in Gaza. President Biden’s primary purpose for visiting Illinois was to celebrate the end of the autoworkers’ strike. During his visit to Belvidere, the President met with union leadership and workers, as Stellantis agreed to reopen its auto assembly plant.

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A small Michigan township sends a message to China — and Biden [and Pritzker] – Politico

Signs displayed along a roadside in Green Charter Township, Mich.

A recall election in Green Charter Township threw out five local Republican officials who had backed tax breaks for a multibillion-dollar battery parts plant tied to a Chinese company — never mind the project’s promises of more than 2,000 jobs for the economically depressed region. The Michigan project by Gotion is nearly identical to one proposed for Manteno, Illinois, about which Gov. JB Pritzker refuses to answer

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Massive shake-up in Green Charter Township, Michigan: Five board members recalled over Gotion battery plant proposal – WPBN/WGTU

Gotion, the Chinese E.V. battery maker,  has a substantially identical project planned for Manteno, Illinois. In Michigan, the community has continued to voice their opposition to the project and demanded the board resign. When that was not enough, a petition for a recall election was signed claiming the board was not listening to what the people are saying.

 

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‘Palestinians Should Not Be Forced To Return’: Sen. Durbin Among Dems Demanding Biden Waive Visa Rules on Foreign Nationals – National Review

Leading Democrats, including Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and progressive Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, are demanding that the White House designate the Palestinian territories a “Temporary Protected Status,” permitting foreign nationals to stay in the United States to avoid the escalating war in the Middle East.

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Democratic Gov. J.B Pritzker says Republican candidates are all ‘MAGA’ no matter if they wear ‘boots’ in swipe at Ron DeSantis’ shoes – Daily Mail

‘The MAGA agenda isn’t an agenda about freedom – it’s about fear,’ Pritzker said from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) post 1991 in Miami, Florida. ‘Everyone in this Republican primary believes in this agenda.’ ‘They might try to dress it up in different ways – in boots, in high heels or a red tie – but it’s all the same,’ he said to laughter from the few attending the press conference along with a room-full of press.

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The Democrats’ Hamas Caucus: Could the convention in Chicago turn out to be an ugly rerun of 1968? – Wall Street Journal

When Joe Biden picked Chicago as the venue for his party’s 2024 convention, the thought was that this heavily unionized Democratic city provided a perfect stage to showcase how Bidenomics was making life better for American workers. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’d lobbied the president hard, was thrilled. Chicago is “your kind of town,” he told the president. Suddenly that theme is in jeopardy.

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Opinion: The paid leave policy is the latest threat to a restaurant industry under siege – Crain’s*

Table at restaurant near window

“The 121 restaurateurs who signed this op-ed have invested in the city of Chicago, financially and emotionally, over many years. We ask for a government that manages with a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer. We ask for nuanced and balanced decision-making. We ask for a proposal that allows operators a chance to cure any honest mistakes without the threat of a lawsuit. We ask for more time and for a true economic study with the new PTO ordinance. We ask for a thoughtful pause from the

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Is Michigan City the next New Buffalo? – Crain’s*

if all goes right, it could become a new hub of Lake Michigan shoreline living, with expensive rentals for either short-term use or long-time living, a restaurant scene and a train ride to Chicago that makes driving over the Skyway and through Gary a thing of the past. If all goes as planned, “Michigan City is going to be so cool,” says Joe Farina, a restaurateur who has venues in the South Loop and Oak Park and last year opened Cafe Farina on Franklin Street in Michigan City.

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Newsom, Pritzker signal White House ambitions in donations to S. Carolina candidate – Axios

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker both recently cut checks for a candidate in this month’s mayoral election in Charleston, S.C., Axios has learned. The donations to Charleston candidate Clay Middleton signal White House ambitions for both governors, as South Carolina recently moved to the front of the Democratic presidential primary calendar.

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At Chicago Teachers Union meeting, Palestinian war dominates, and boasting about Illinois being first state to roll back school choice – Second City Teacher

The delegates voted overwhelmingly in support of a letter demanding a Ceasefire in Israel’s assault on Gaza. VP Jackson Potter said in his report that Illinois is on the verge to be the first state in the nation to beat back vouchers. The Invest in Kids Illinois voucher scheme is set to sunset at the end of the year and Potter believes they have the votes to make sure it disappears.

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Proft: A Return to Chicago Law Prof. Richard Epstein’s ‘Simple Rules for a Complex World’ – American Greatness

Equal protection under the law is non-negotiable and thus universally applicable” said Proft, listing out Epstein’s rules. “We shouldn’t fund our enemies. We should know who’s coming into our country and why. We shouldn’t judge people based on a shared identity, but rather by their individual beliefs and conduct. And we shouldn’t give our government more money or power than it needs to enforce the freedoms enshrined in our Bill of Rights.”

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Chicago Democrats bicker about sanctuary status as city falls apart – Washington Examiner

Alderman Raymond Lopez called the opposition to the vote “despicable,” while Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said Chicago’s sanctuary status had nothing to do with illegal immigrants flocking to the city, which is a dubious claim, to say the least. Ramirez-Rosa said the council members who wanted a citywide referendum wanted “chaos” and “demagoguery” and “that’s what we got.”

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Obama Foundation previews presidential center construction site in Chicago – Politico

Michael Strautmanis greets workers at the job site.

“Just amazing,” said Strautmanis, a former Obama White House aide who hadn’t seen the view before. He said his mission is for the center to fit the Obamas’ brand. “The Obamas are special,” he said. “They’re important. They’re iconic. But at the end of the day, they’re two people who decided that they want to participate in creating civic change, and anybody can do that.”

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Chaos at City Council as Ald. Lopez attempts to take over meeting after lights turned off – Crain’s*

The meeting will be remembered as one of the City Council’s most chaotic since the infamous Council Wars of the 1980s. It doubled as a message that a growing number of City Council members are frustrated over the city’s handling of providing shelter for the 20,000 asylum seekers who’ve arrived in Chicago since last August. Lopez described the meeting as a “shitshow.”

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Democrats quietly move to succeed Biden – Axios

In recent months, more than half a dozen Democratic lawmakers have established national political organizations, embarked on resume-building foreign trips, and visited states that traditionally hold early presidential primaries. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and California Rep. Ro Khanna have traveled to New Hampshire in recent months — and Khanna returned this week to debate GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

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U.S. Representatives Darin Lahood, Mike Bost and Mary Miller among sponsors of NO GOTION Act to Stop Taxpayer Funding of CCP Companies – Press Release

Gotion is set to receive $7.5 billion in federal subsidies for its planned project in Manteno, IL. “Hard-working taxpayers should not be on the hook for billions in federal subsidies funneling to companies beholden to malign actors, like the CCP. It is clear that the so-called ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ is being leveraged by foreign adversaries to exploit loopholes to gain generous incentives and dominate key technologies in the United States…,” LaHood said.

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Two new polls find broad voter opposition to Gotion project, the Chinese electric vehicle battery plant planned for Illinois- Wirepoints

By 53% to 27% — a spread of 26% — Illinois voters are opposed to the Chinese project. Opposition significantly exceeds support in both parties, all age groups, both sexes and in all regions of the state. For independent voters, opponents outnumber supporters 48% to 28% in the statewide poll and 51% to 16% in the Kankakee poll. Voter opposition in Kankakee County is still stronger,

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Black Lives Matter and the World’s Oldest Hatred – Wall Street Journal

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While the body count was still being tallied, BLM groups in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington issued statements supporting Hamas’s tactics. BLM Chicago tweeted an image of a Hamas paraglider with a Palestinian flag attached to his parachute and the caption “I stand with Palestine.” What’s shocking isn’t the rhetoric of BLM leaders in the aftermath of Oct. 7 but that so many people who ought to

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Biden opens up funding for residential conversions — a sign of hope for downtown projects – Crain’s*

As Chicago’s downtown business district struggles under a post-pandemic malaise, President Joe Biden announced a slate of federal resources this week for developers and cities to speed up commercial-to-residential conversions. The White House initiative will open up funding from the Department of Transportation to finance residential development near public transit and facilitate transit agencies’ ability to transfer their properties to local governments or developers of affordable housing, according to a release.

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Monthly Case-Shiller Index: Chicago hits 4th month of fastest-growing home prices in U.S., but it’s not all good news – Crain’s*

Washington Park Court For the fourth month in a row, home prices grew faster in Chicago than in any other major U.S. city, according to a national index of August home prices. In August, home prices in the Chicago area were up 5% from the same time a year earlier. While it’s more evidence of the Chicago housing market’s resilience during the recent nationwide slowdown under the weight of rising interest rates, there’s also data in the report that shows Chicago-area home values lag well behind most big cities in

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Stellantis battery plant gives Pritzker momentum to land more EV deals – Crain’s*

The state ponied up more than half a billion dollars to land Gotion. It hasn’t disclosed how large an incentive package it has offered to Stellantis. But it’s expected to be larger. Pritzker declined to comment on the amount. Stellantis hasn’t commented on the announcement of the new facilities, which was made by the United Auto Workers in connection with a tentative contract agreement Saturday.

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Illinois cashes in with 3,000 jobs from Stellantis-UAW deal – Crain’s*

Illinois is a big winner in the new contract between the United Auto Workers and Stellantis, which will reopen its Belvidere plant to make trucks and build a new battery factory. The tentative deal reached Saturday could result in more than 3,000 jobs, more than doubling the company’s recent headcount, with an investment of billions of dollars, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says.

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Ukrainian Village Neighbors Suing Mayor, City Officials To Block Migrant Shelter – Block Club Chicago

The building is zoned for a neighborhood commercial district, which does not allow for the operation of a temporary or transitional shelter without special use approval, according to zoning law. The city has not issued any such permit through the Zoning Board of Appeals, according to the lawsuit. Because the Johnson administration has not gone through the standard city review process, which includes holding a community meeting and an option to testify in front of a city board, the city has “deprived” neighbors of their legal rights to give input on the shelter, according

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JB Pritzker and the Illinois Children – Wall Street Journal

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he wants his state to continue its Invest in Kids scholarship program, but only if he doesn’t have to spend political capital to pass it. That’s the message between the lines of his statement last week that he wouldn’t block the program, which gives scholarships to more than 9,000 low-income students, if someone else in Springfield can make it happen.

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Elite Universities Face Donor Revolt Over Mideast Conflict – Wall Street Journal

Scott Shay donated to Northwestern University every year after earning his undergraduate degree in 1979. He stopped in 2020 after researching a book on antisemitic conspiracy theories on campus. The former chairman of Signature Bank, he now donates to the Hillel and Chabad organizations at the university instead. After the Hamas attacks, other donors have reached out to him saying they are reconsidering their gifts. “I’ve heard from four people within the last hour,” Shay said Friday.

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What’s in store as the City Council gets set to scrutinize Johnson’s nearly $2B police budget – Crain’s*

But when Snelling begins his first departmental budget defense in the Budget Committee on Tuesday, members of the City Council will not know the exact dollar amount needed to cover CPD personnel in 2024. That’s because Johnson’s tentative deal with the city’s largest police union includes pay increases in 2024 beyond what Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget proposal accounts for.

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Illinois’ nuclear moratorium expected to be addressed in veto session – Center Square

With the fall veto session about to begin in Illinois, the state’s nuclear power construction moratorium hangs in the balance. The moratorium has been in place for decades and was implemented until a permanent waste storage option was made available. Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed a bill that would have lifted the moratorium on nuclear power construction. He has said he is in favor of Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs, but says the legislation was changed at the last minute.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupy U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Skokie office; police cite seven for trespassing – Chicago Tribune/MSN

Hatem Abudayyeh, the chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, said the group specifically addressed Schakowsky, who is the vice president of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, because of her “unbreakable” support for Israel, citing a statement signed by Schakowsky and other members of Congress stating their commitment to Israel is “absolute.” In Abudayyeh’s view, Schakowsky “can’t continue to call herself a progressive” if she keeps up that unilateral support for Israel.

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FEMA Assistance For Summer Rains Tops $304 Million for Cook County – FEMA

Federal assistance to Cook County residents affected by the June 29 – July 2 severe storms and flooding has topped $304 million. This amount includes FEMA grants of more than $235 million in Individual and Households grants for rental assistance, repair and replacement funding, and other needs grants that help replace personal property and provide storage and childcare payments. Comment: So much for that $4 billion deep tunnel system that was supposed to end routine flooding in Cook County.

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JB Pritzker Launches National Presidential Bid Behind Thin Facade. ‘Think Big’ or ‘Think Again’? – Wirepoints

It’s actually quite clever, from Pritzker’s perspective. By promoting himself nationally through Think Big, he will still be honoring his public promise not to challenge Joe Biden in the presidential primary. But if Biden drops out, gets pushed out or becomes incapacitated before the November 2024 election, as seems more likely each day, Pritzker’s name will be established nationally.

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Nearly 205,000 Illinoisans lose Medicaid in post-COVID purge – Crain’s*

The process, commonly referred to as “redeterminations,” resumed earlier this year after the winding down of COVID-era policies .Of those that lost Medicaid in August, September and October, about 62,179, or 30%, lost coverage because they were no longer eligible for Medicaid based on income requirements. Meanwhile, an additional 142,642, or 69%, were disenrolled because they did not submit required paperwork showing need for the program. Of those that lost coverage, more than 86,000, or 42%, had another source of health care or liability coverage and about 14,300, or about 7%, had Medicare

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Letter from Ken Griffin: Stop attacking me and focus on Chicago’s real problems, Crain’s – Crain’s*

Citadel founder Ken Griffin“A recent Crain’s editorial, ‘A pass-the-popcorn moment for Chicagoans’ (Oct. 2), presents a misguided narrative on my concerns about the film ‘Dumb Money’ and the future of Chicago. Let’s start with the film. My team identified some glaring factual inaccuracies in a trailer promoting ‘Dumb Money’ and raised those with the studio. As I told CNBC a few weeks ago, I haven’t seen the film, but I look forward to watching it. I hope the studio produced a great movie and that it offers important lessons for

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How states can avoid a COVID relief fiscal cliff – Route 50

Twelve states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania, used state and local relief funds to cover recurring costs that were equivalent to a significant 2.5% or more of their fiscal 2022 general fund expenditures. These 12 states, which are home to about 40% of America’s population and total state general fund spending, thus face a moderate to elevated risk of encountering fiscal cliffs if they don’t find money to replace the federal dollars used to shore up their budgets before those funds expire.

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More than half of Water Tower Place mall could ditch retail – Crain’s*

While moving retail out of more than half the 818,000-square-foot retail portion of Water Tower Place would be a tectonic shift at Chicago’s original high-rise mall, which opened in 1975, it’s certainly not a surprise. In the past three and half years, COVID shutdowns and organized retail theft by smash-and-grab teams have battered North Michigan Avenue and other shopping districts.

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As Temperatures Drop in Chicago, a ‘Humanitarian Catastrophe’ Is Coming Closer – PJ Media

As Temperatures Drop in Chicago, a 'Humanitarian Catastrophe' Is Coming Closer

There is a humanitarian crisis developing in Chicago. As temperatures drop into the 40s, thousands of migrants have been unable to find room indoors to sleep and are forced to camp outside — sometimes with no tents and no blankets. Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson had been promising “winterized” tents to shelter the thousands of migrants who are sleeping in police stations and makeshift shelters around the city. So far, nothing. And time is running out.

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Booze, beads and art among unclaimed gifts lavished upon billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker – Associated Press

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has so many fans and friends that he receives a $30 gift at the rate of one every three days, but because of his job he accepts none of them, and rarely even sees them. The state’s 25-year-old Gift Ban Act prohibits public employees such as Pritzker from accepting presents, with broad exceptions. Therefore, the high-priced hooch delivered compliments of the Japanese embassy and three bottles of tequila valued at $450 have remained untapped.

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Mayor Johnson’s budgeted amount for migrant crisis, $150 million, will only last six months, his floor leader says – Chicago Sun-Times

“We are well aware that $150 million will not cover the expenses for the entire year … We’re going to ask the state of Illinois to step up in the same way that New York state has and help reimburse about half of the costs the city incurs, as well as operate its own shelters,” Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) told the Chicago Sun-Times.

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Gov Pritzker slammed for taking funds designated for struggling Illinois renters to help migrants instead- BPR

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has reportedly diverted taxpayer funds away from the state’s rental assistance program to take care of migrants, and people are furious. Called the Illinois Rental Payment Program, the welfare program was designed to give people struggling with rent up to $25,000 per year to help them. Yet when asked earlier this month about how he intends to take care of incoming migrants, Pritzker admitted that the state doesn’t have extra money to spare and will therefore be using up money from already established programs,

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Criticism to Censorship: Illinois Village attempts to Silence Chinese Battery Factory Critics – Country Herald

The Village of Manteno is signaling a clear message: it’s done with the relentless criticism surrounding its Gotion Chinese deal. In a bold act following very intense opposition voiced in two town meetings, the Village channels an authoritarian tone.Comments found themselves disabled when the Village released an FAQ sheet, coupled with a promotional video courtesy of Gotion.

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Rich Miller: Reallocating demand moves to back burner – Pantagraph

Speaker Welch told reporters last Thursday he had “made it clear” to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson that “we were not expecting to do a supplemental budget in the veto session,” while the governor told reporters the week before that he hadn’t heard about any plans for a supplemental. Governors always know about supplementals because their office writes them.

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Chicago Sees Gatherings in Support of Palestinians, Israel – Wall Street Journal

Marchers in Chicago rallied in solidarity with Palestinians over the weekend.Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and a spokesman for the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine, said elected officials’ condemnations of Palestinians were “not acceptable. The reason for this escalation is decades of Israeli crimes–decades of home demolitions, of stealing of land, of killing of Palestinian people in their home and in the streets.” He said that about 2,000 people rallied outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago this weekend.

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Schools Cut Honors Classes to Address Racial Equity. It Isn’t a Quick Fix. – Wall Street Journal

Oak Park and River Forest High School officials pitched “honors-for-all” to the community for three years before implementing it. “I’m not willing to have my children succeed if it means they have to step on Black kids to do so,” Mary Anne Mohanraj, a board member for the high school, said in October 2021 before voting in favor, calling it a moral choice. State-issued survey data included in the report shows that after the changes were implemented, freshmen ranked classroom rigor and teacher expectations lower than prior years’ ninth-graders.

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CME Head Duffy Warns New Taxes Threaten Chicago’s Recovery – Bloomberg/Yahoo News

“I liquidated every piece of real estate in the state,” Duffy said in an interview this week. “I have leases where I am in an advantageous position, because now I can renegotiate. They’re all coming due. We like Chicago. There’s no reason for us to want to leave. But at the same time, if the atmosphere gets to the point where it’s intolerable, we have no choice.”

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Video: Liberal bigotry causes CPS failures & soaring crime? – Public Affairs

“Public Affairs” features show host Jeff Berkowitz interviewing P Rea, a WVON AM Radio hostess, literacy consultant, and a Black conservative emerging GOP Leader. The discussion centers on what has been and is largely causing the major problems (1) of decades long CPS and public education failures around IL and (2) soaring crimes in Chicago and Cook County, off and on, for decades.

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Dick Butkus Was a Creature of Old, Tough Chicago – Wall Street Journal

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“If Dick Butkus hadn’t been born in Chicago, someone would have had to make him up….The funny thing is that off the football field Butkus was a very nice man: whimsically sardonic, self-aware, quite at peace with the idea that others looked at him and in their secret hearts saw what, if caught in a tight spot, they wished they could be.”

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The Democrats’ Phony Border War – Editorial – Wall Street Journal

The wild bunch of mayors heading toward the Rio Grande are still afraid of the one action that might help slow the flow of migrants: Putting pressure on President Biden. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says he’ll visit Texas’ southern border soon to see the migrant issue firsthand. Each of these Democrats knows, or at least should, that the main obstacle to reforming asylum policy now is in their own party. Republicans would happily reform the asylum law but can’t without Democratic support—and that means leadership from the White House.

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‘Zuck Bucks’ Grift is Headquartered in Chicago and Born in Wisconsin; Voters Must Ban It in 2024 – American Greatness

Most Americans are now familiar with partisan billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s plot to funnel $420 million to thousands of local election offices in 2020, using the once-obscure Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) in Chicago. CTCL marketed its Zuck Buck grants as a way to shore up budget constraints and help Americans vote during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Loop office woes could soon hit Chicago homeowners’ pocketbook – Crain’s*

View of downtown Chicago from the Chicago River

According to a new analysis prepared exclusively for Crain’s by the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation and the Center for Municipal Finance at the University of Chicago, the property tax bill paid by the average Chicago homeowner could rise hundreds of dollars a year as office tower owners pay less because of the depressed value of their property. Homeowners effectively would pick up a bigger share of the tax load.

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Loop office tower owner faces $237 million foreclosure lawsuit – Crain’s*

 

161 N. Clark St.The owner of a Loop office tower has thrown in the towel on its $230 million mortgage, according to a foreclosure lawsuit filed late last week in Cook County Circuit Court, adding to the pile of distressed office properties plaguing the heart of the city. An entity led by Paris-based lender Societe Generale alleged in a complaint that the owner of the 49-story tower at 161 N. Clark St. defaulted on its loan by failing to make its loan payment due in August.

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The Progressive State Pandemic Hangover – Wall Street Journal

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“Personal income in California, Illinois and New York declined in 2022 for the first time since 2009 as Covid transfer payments ebbed…. Some states such as Florida and Georgia spent their federal funds on public-works projects. California, New York and Illinois used their allotments largely to cover pre-existing budget shortfalls, boost government worker pay, and bake into their budget new spending obligations. Those will become shortfalls once

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The case for optimism: Why we can overcome these dark hours for America and Illinois – Wirepoints

Character is destiny, it has long been said, but the courage to take a stand is an essential element of real character. Stand up as Manteno residents are doing. Stand up against all that’s going wrong in America and Illinois. Stand up in whatever way you can. The majority of our people will then prevail and their character will again be America’s destiny.

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Opinion: Illinois’ deal with a Chinese EV battery maker puts us at risk for espionage – Crain’s*

The Chinese flag

Former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella: “When taxpayers, citizen activists, state legislators, and members of Congress ask basic unasked questions on the hardest matters involving Gotion and the national security threat it presents, Gotion and its advocates set out to crush local opposition. We have seen it all in Michigan — media coverage, mocking, spin, pushback and shrill charges such as “xenophobia” and “racism.” This textbook disinformation is what happens when state and local governments become intertwined with a PRC-based and CCP-tied company.”

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Signature Room atop Hancock tower closes – Crain’s*

The former John Hancock Center at 875 N. Michigan Ave.

The longtime operator of the Signature Room restaurant near the top of the former John Hancock Center has closed the business. “Unfortunately, economic issues after the closure of our city and restaurant due to the COVID-19 pandemic persist. Chicago and Michigan Avenue have been slow to recover. Safety issues and negative publicity continues to deter visitors to Chicago. All of these issues are negatively impacting the health of our restaurant and are issues that are completely out of our control.”

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Texas Will Welcome ‘Fed Up’ Chicago Firms, Greg Abbott Says, and talking to CME – Bloomberg/Yahoo News

The Republican leader said he’s spoken to CME Group Inc., the world’s largest futures exchange, about relocating to the Lone Star State. CME and other Chicago-based trading firms have complained about a pickup in violent crime since the pandemic as well as potential tax increases floated by the mayor. “I actually have approached the CME,” Abbott said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg Television in New York. “There are some businesses in Chicago that are fed up.”

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Illinois Among 12 States at Risk of Budget Cuts When Pandemic Aid Ends, Report Says – Bloomberg/Yahoo News

“A lot of states have major issues. Illinois is dealing with refugees and wanting to provide health care for them,” said Beverly Bunch, a professor at the University of Illinois Springfield and author of the report. “That’s coming at the same time that some of these federally funded programs are being exhausted, and that makes it even more challenging.”

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Chicago trophy Aon Center valuation drops 47% – TheRealDeal

601W’s Aon Center Tumbles 47% in Value

One of the most prominent towers of Chicago’s skyline, the 83-story Aon Center was valued at $414 million, down nearly half from the $780 million it was worth when a $536 million loan secured by the property was issued in 2018, according to a report from credit ratings agency Morningstar.

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The era of America’s subminimum wage for tipped restaurant workers may be ending – CNBC

Early next month, Chicago’s City Council will move to make America’s third-largest city the latest jurisdiction to abolish the subminimum wage for tipped employees, requiring restaurants to meet the regular $15.80 minimum for bartenders, servers and more, up from $9.48 plus tips now. After a months-long public campaign that began shortly after Mayor Brandon Johnson took office in May, advocates reached a deal with industry lobbyists to phase out the tipped-minimum wage over five years.

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This quiet crisis, unfolding now, is the future of Social Security and Medicare – MarketWatch

A new report from pension consultants Milliman argues that the top 100 state and local pensions in the U.S. lost another $74 billion in August. Their overall funded status dropped from 76.8% to 75.3%. In Chicago, 80% of property taxes now go to bail out public-sector pensions. Nationwide, spending on schools and teachers is being squeezed to bail out teachers’ pensions.

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McHenry County pot dispensaries must warn of mental health risks – Axios

But the Pritzker Administration opposes: “Legalizing adult-use cannabis has always been about justice, safety, and equity in Illinois. The governor is disappointed to learn that the McHenry County state’s attorney prefers focusing on spreading disinformation instead of tackling the issues that actually keep residents safe,” the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office tells Axios.

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Sen. Tammy Duckworth discusses potential run for another term – FOX32 (Chicago)

“I can do as much as I can at the federal level and I can be the biggest cheerleader, but we’ve got to execute at the local level,” Duckworth said. “And that’s been a place that has not happened – that I didn’t see before. Both Democratic and Republican administrations, I never had the enthusiasm for growing business in Illinois and partnering with me for trying to bring businesses to Illinois the way I’ve had with JB [Pritzker].”

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Democrat politicians putting America — and Americans — last; China and migrants first – American Thinker

The lithium-ion batteries will be used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. The erstwhile Land of Lincoln’s Democrat governor, J. B. Pritzker, has offered Chinese Communist Party-linked battery manufacturer Gotion more than half a billion dollars in largess to build a plant in Manteno, a town located approximately 50 miles south of Chicago. Pritzker has decided to shrug off any national security concerns.

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The EV Jobs Myth – City Journal

The bottom line, by now, should be obvious. A monomaniacal attempt to create an all-EV future, especially in the time frames envisioned, involves not only more overall labor but an unprecedented offshoring of labor, as well as a massive misallocation of capital. The ultimate result will be economic havoc and bankruptcies—and that will certainly lead to fewer jobs.

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New Records: Biden DHS Has Approved Hundreds of Thousands of Migrants for Secretive Foreign Flights Directly into U.S. Airports – Center for Immigration Studies

Names of the cities were not released. However, “Biden officials have rarely, if ever, spoken of this “family unification” flight program in the year since implementing it, perhaps mindful of the political outcry over the late-night “ghost flights” that DHS stealthily arranges to ferry migrant children into various airports, and mindful, too, of strong recent political backlash in large U.S. cities like New York and Chicago to paroled migrants busing themselves in from the border. Here, migrants flying directly into America go uncounted in the monthly Border Patrol tallies, unnoticed, and without media inquiry, virtually all information about it almost

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‘Not Good For Us’: Manteno IL Residents Furious Over Secretive Deal With CCP-Linked Battery Firm – Daily Caller

Screenshot 2023-09-19 143045

Residents of Manteno, Illinois were outraged when they found out local and state officials had finalized a deal with a Chinese Communist Party-linked company to construct an electric vehicle battery “gigafactory” in their town. The multi-billion dollar deal, which Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on Sept. 8, was hashed out behind closed doors and without any public input, according to over a dozen Manteno residents who spoke to the Daily Caller

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US Republicans including IL Rep. Mike Bost push for security review of China-linked Gotion battery company coming to IL – Reuters

U.S. Senate receives classified briefing on leaked documents

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Treasury Department to conduct a security review over China-linked ownership of Gotion Inc, which plans to build electric vehicle battery plants in Michigan and Illinois, arguing its management is under Beijing’s sway. Text of the letter from lawmakers including Illinois Rep. Mike Bost is here.

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Lender seizing Palmer House retail space – Crain’s*

Palmer House retail shops

As a massive foreclosure lawsuit against the owner of the Palmer House enters its fourth year, the hotel’s State Street retail space is poised to be seized by a lender.The bid price shows how far the property’s value has fallen in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Rolling Out the Red Carpet for the Red Chinese – Breakthrough Ideas

Last Thursday Governor Pritzker signed a deal to give Gotion Incorporated, a Chinese company, $536 million in tax incentives to open an electrical vehicle battery-assembly plant in Manteno, Illinois. Here’s the problem, the owners of Gotion are Chinese Communists. The president of Gotion, Chen Li, whose signature is on the paperwork, is a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an important part of the Chinese Communist Party.

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Editorial: The tab for Johnson’s agenda is coming due — and biz is expected to pick it up – Crain’s*

“But to an administration that keeps signaling strongly that it’s focused primarily on improving the well-being of Chicago’s disadvantaged communities without regard for the well-being of the businesses and taxpayers whose livelihoods are critical to the whole city’s success, considerations such as these appear to be an afterthought. And they will continue to be — that is, until there are no businesses left to pick up the tab.”

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Trillion-Dollar Industry Powering Chicago Is at Risk of Leaving – Bloomberg/Yahoo News

The letters are stamped all over the hallways of Chicago’s giant skyscrapers and grand office buildings. DRW, IMC, CME, Cboe.These are some of the derivatives firms that collectively handle trillions of dollars a year in trades, greasing the wheels of global markets with everything from stock options to corn futures. Most of them have called Chicago home for decades — providing thousands of jobs within the city’s $75 billion finance industry. Now, the firms’ commitment to the Windy City is being tested by some $800 million in taxes proposed by a new mayor staring down a budget gap

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America’s Warrior Diplomat, Rahm Emanuel, Takes On China’s Xi Personally – Wall Street Journal

China’s Communist Party chief Xi Jinping doesn’t have to worry about opposition leaders at home criticizing his record. But not far away, a U.S. diplomat has seized that role for himself with barbed and sometimes sarcastic criticism. Rahm Emanuel, Washington’s ambassador in Tokyo, is stepping up personal attacks on Xi, depicting the Chinese leader as an incompetent steward of the economy, a foreign-policy

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Senate Judiciary Committee Recommends April Perry to Become Chicago’s First Female U.S. Attorney – WTTW (Chicago)

A former federal prosecutor and ethics officer with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is one step closer to becoming the first woman ever to lead Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 12-9 in favor of recommending April Perry to become the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. With the committee’s approval, she is now set for a final confirmation vote before the full Senate.

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Markham’s ex-public library director charged with embezzling more than $770,000 from cash-strapped town – Chicago Tribune/MSN

The former head of the public library in south suburban Markham has been indicted on federal charges alleging he embezzled nearly $800,000 from the cash-strapped town over more than a decade and spent it on personal items such as tickets, auto repairs and home mortgage payments. Xavier Menzies, 51, of Chicago Heights, was charged in an indictment made public Friday with four counts of wire fraud.

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Former Ambassadors Call On Treasury Dept To Place CCP-Linked Battery Firm Coming to Illinois Under ‘Review’ After DCNF Investigations – Daily Caller

The company is poised to build a factory near Big Rapids, Michigan, within about 100 miles of a military installation that has hosted Taiwanese soldiers receiving training from members of the National Guard. Another Gotion, Inc. plant planned for Manteno, Illinois, is within about 30 miles of two other U.S. military installations, the DCNF reported.

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Chicago mayor vows new revenue, long-term pension fix – The Bond Buyer

Muni market participants from investors to ratings agencies are watching closely to see how the new administration tackles the city’s biggest pressures, from underfunded pensions to crime, and whether Johnson will continue former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s path toward structural balance that was rewarded with a series of rating upgrades.

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Commentary: Improving retail options requires a new game plan – Crain’s*

Mari Gallagher, “nationally known expert on neighborhood markets, food access, food security and public health”: “Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration should consider a few municipally owned or nonprofit grocery options and a community engagement effort that uses existing carrots and sticks to set a new commercial tone that, over time, other retailers match. Some local independent food stores aspire to step up, but they don’t have the purchasing power of dollar and convenience store chains. Why not help them with a collective purchasing initiative?”

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Federal taxpayers will fund billions more than actual cost of Illinois battery plant to be owned by Chinese company with CCP ties – UPDATED – Wirepoints

State of Illinois tax incentives exceeding half a billion dollars are a comparatively small part of taxpayer money that will go to Gotion, Inc. for an electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in Illinois. Through federal tax credits alone, which so far are going mostly unreported, Gotion will be paid billions more than its construction costs.

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Chicago’s largest law firms see dip in local attorneys – Crain’s*

This year’s list of Chicago’s 25 Largest Law Firms saw local attorney headcounts dip by an average 0.2% from June 2022 to June 2023. One figure that increased across all firms in the past year was associate base salary. Most firms in Crain’s top 10 have upped their associate base salary to $215,000 — a 13% rise since 2021.

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The Chicago Teachers Union Chief Sends Her Son to Catholic School – Wall Street Journal

Ms. Gates’s son deserves a quality education, but so do his neighbors. With any luck this controversy will improve the odds of renewing the Invest in Kids program. But the real moral and political scandal remains the same: that thousands of Chicago’s children are locked into failing public schools as part of a political job-protection program for the teachers union.

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Pritzker stands by Biden as polling shows concerns over fitness – Center Square

A recent CNN poll shows more than half of Democrats question Biden’s fitness. The 80-year-old is running for a second term. At an unrelated event Thursday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked about the poll and said Biden’s age brings experience. “Let’s face it, Joe Biden has gotten more done in two-and-a-half years as president than most presidents get done in eight years and it’s because of his experience,” Pritzker said. “So, people can talk about age, but let’s also talk about experience.”

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Editorial: The CTU chief’s actions speak louder than her words – Crain’s*

“No matter where you stand on the contentious issue of school choice — shorthand for the debate over using state money to help families defray the cost of private schools — most fair-minded people can agree on this: Vociferous opponents of school choice should probably live by the rules they would enforce on others. And yet, it’s come to light that one of the harshest critics of school choice in Chicago [Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis-Gates] — who has gone so far as to characterize those on the opposite side of the debate as racists — is sending one

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Opinion: Business shouldn’t be on the hook for $5 billion in unemployment fraud – Crain’s*

Sen. Win Stoller: “This audit revealed that due to gross incompetence and mismanagement by IDES, the state of Illinois lost more than $5 billion in wrongful unemployment payouts, including massive fraud, between March 2020 and September 2021…. Now that this audit makes it clear the unemployment insurance trust fund deficit is almost entirely the fault of gross mismanagement of the state’s unemployment insurance program, the Pritzker administration needs to face the music…. Illinois businesses did not create the state lockdowns that put people out of work, nor are they at fault for

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CTU president defends sending her son to private school, calling it a result of “unfair choices” for South Side families – WBEZ

“It was a very difficult decision for us because there is not a lot to offer Black youth who are entering high school” in Chicago, Davis Gates said. “In many of our schools on the South Side and the West Side, the course offerings are very marginal and limited. Then the other thing, and it was a very strong priority, was his ability to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, which quite frankly, don’t exist in many of the schools, high schools in particular.”

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Greg Hinz: Immigrants should be welcomed, not spurned, Chicago – Crain’s*

Hinz: “There is a worsening labor shortage in this town — and not just at hotels and restaurants…. That’s why Johnson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and even some Republicans — such as Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb — are urging Biden to take a little political risk and issue rules allowing refugees (who are in this country legally) to work while their cases are adjudicated. We’ll see what the White House does. Chicago was built by immigrants — literally. And they could help rebuild it, if the pols get out of the way.

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With 40% service cuts looming, a new plan would remake the CTA and Metra – Crain’s*

L tracks in front of Chicago skyline

With a looming financial cliff threatening to force cuts by as much as 40% in Chicago-area public transit service, voters are getting their first look at a plan that’s spent months in development on how to remake the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace for the post-COVID era. The plan is, to use its own word, “bold” — calling for new investments and fare cuts funded by expanding the state sales tax to

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Illinois Legislative Staff Assoc. releases statement on Speaker Welch not recognizing their union – WAND (Decatur)

“Only eight months ago he publicly referred to efforts to undercut the labor movement as ‘extremist’, and yet that is precisely what he and his aides are now doing…. Our good faith efforts to engage with the Speaker and his aides have been either rebuffed, redirected, or met with stubborn disregard…. We have the legal right to form a union. If there was any doubt of this before, that doubt was removed by the passage of the Workers’ Rights Amendment. Equal protection under the law is a fundamental American value, and the right to organize is the law of the

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Towns could opt out of Illinois rent control ban under proposed law – Crain’s*

rent control

Individual towns and cities could decide the statewide ban on rent control no longer applies to them — that is, if legislation proposed in Springfield passes. While statewide efforts to lift the ban move slowly, “it makes a lot of sense to empower local communities to make the decision themselves if they should opt out of the current ban on rent control,” said state Sen. Mike Simmons, whose 7th District covers the lakefront from Rogers Park to Wrigley Field.

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How the ‘urban doom loop’ could pose the next economic threat – Washington Post

All across the country, downtowns, office spaces and shopping centers are at risk of becoming ground zero for a new economic hazard: the urban doom loop. The fear is that a commercial real estate apocalypse could spiral out and slow commerce, wrecking local tax revenue in the process.  Crucially, wonky tax rules mean certain places are more exposed than others: Chicago and Boston, for example, have large office footprints and rely heavily on property tax revenue.

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Opinion: The simplest fix for Illinois’ Tier 2 pensions is the best one – Crain’s*

Derek Douglas, president of the Commercial Club of Chicago and its Civic Committee, Jack Lavin is president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Sarah Wetmore, acting president of the Civic Federation: “We agree this issue needs to be addressed. But in doing so, we urge the General Assembly to stick with the simplest, most cost-effective fix for the safe harbor compliance issue: changing the Tier 2 pensionable salary cap to match the pay cap used to determine Social Security benefits, known as the Social Security Wage Base (SSWB).”

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Downtown residents give thumbs down to NASCAR repeat – Crain’s*

The online poll was conducted for Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, whose ward includes the central business district. The survey was open to anyone who chose to participate and, thus, is not scientific and may have attracted a disproportionately negative sample. Of the 662 ward residents who responded to the survey, 58% said they were “negatively impact(ed)” by the closure of DuSable Lake Shore Drive and other thoroughfares, compared to just 34.7% who said they were not. The remaining 7.3% were reported as “indifferent.”

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Opinion: Let’s not let misperceptions define us, Chicago – Crain’s*

Chicago skyline

Larita Clark is CEO of the Metropolitan Pier & Exposition Authority. Emilia DiMenco is CEO of the Women’s Business Development Center. Jaime di Paulo is CEO of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Michael Fassnacht is CEO of World Business Chicago. Lynn Osmond is CEO of Choose Chicago. Charles Smith is executive chairman of the Business Leadership Council: “We must do our part to communicate what makes Chicago great to our friends, colleagues and family. Rather than allow misperceptions to define us, we need to stand together as a

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The Staggering Economic Impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour – Time

Taylor Swift onstage during the Eras Tour's final night in Los Angeles on Aug. 09, 2023. (Kevin Winter/TAS23—Getty Images )

The Illinois governor credited the musician with reviving the state’s tourism industry after her three nights in Chicago. She was even mentioned in a report by the Fed, crediting her with fueling the national tourism industry. “If Taylor Swift were an economy, she’d be bigger than 50 countries.” Typically, every $100 spent on live performances generates an estimated $300 in ancillary local spending on things like hotels, food and transportation. But

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New IL anti-doxing law could be used by ‘powerful’ to silence critics with lawsuits, threats – Cook County Record

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois opposed the law and representatives testified against it during hearings held in Springfield. “The law is hopelessly over-broad,” said Mark Glennon, executive editor of Wirepoints, a Wilmette-based economic and government research-commentary nonprofit. “It goes far beyond the malicious conduct normally associated with doxing and past clear constitutional limits on what speech the government can muzzle.”

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Chicago’s answer for car thefts: Sue the automakers – Forbes

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called the automakers’ failure to include immobilizers “sheer negligence” and said it “disproportionately impacts low-income Chicago residents” noting that “offenders have used stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles to commit other crimes, including reckless driving, armed robbery, and murder.”

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Editorial: Get set to write the Johnson administration a big blank check – Crain’s*

“Would anyone who has followed Chicago politics for any length of time ever write City Hall a giant blank check? Certainly no one in their right mind. And yet, that’s precisely what proponents of the newly redrafted “mansion tax” ordinance would have us do — and they have the added advantage of being able to characterize anyone who opposes their idea as a heartless creature who doesn’t care about the homeless people their measure is designed to help.”

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker Welcomes Hostile Foreign Spies Into Illinois’ Police Force – The Federalist

Illinois Chicago Police car

Imagine this nightmare scenario. An American citizen walking on American streets is arrested, detained, and questioned by a police officer who serves a hostile foreign government such as China, Russia, or Iran. The foreign cop might be a spy charged with keeping track of U.S.-based persons of interest on behalf of his government. This spy, who doubles as an American cop, has the power to act under American law, investigate U.S. residents, and even use lethal force, should he see fit.

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Springfield’s way of doing business should change – Opinion – Shaw Local

State Sen. Donald DeWitt: Here in Illinois, you may have noticed the constant news coverage on the many legal challenges that are making their way through the various court systems over recently enacted Illinois laws and mandates. These lawsuits are based on the grounds that the state of Illinois has violated the constitutional rights of Illinois residents.

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Loop landlord files for bankruptcy in potential delay for office-to-residential conversion – Crain’s*

A venture led by Chicago investor Musa Tadros that owns the office property at 105 W. Adams St. filed for bankruptcy protection July 31. The maneuver could delay a $178 million plan from a pair of local developers aiming to convert Tadros’ property into 247 apartments, one of five projects Chicago planning officials selected earlier this year for further review as part of the city’s LaSalle Street Reimagined initiative.

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How will Johnson fill a public health spot that’s more politicized than ever? – Crain’s*

Arwady’s departure represents a new era for CDPH, one in which Chicagoans could see the public health department and its role transform dramatically if Johnson’s policies pan out. As is clear from Johnson’s removal of Arwady, CDPH’s next leader will be under intense pressure to align policies and programs with the mayor’s ambitions. Johnson’s plans, dubbed “Treatment Not Trauma,” include sending therapists to 911 calls and reopening 14 city-run mental health clinics.

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Illinois passes a law that requires parents to compensate child influencers – CNN

Starting July 1 2024, parents in Illinois will be required to put aside 50% of earnings for a piece of content into a blocked trust fund for the child, based on the percentage of time they’re featured in the video. For example, if a child is in 50% of a video, they should receive 25% of the funds; if they’re in 100%, they are required to get 50% of the earnings. However, this only applies in scenarios during which the child appears on the screen for more than 30% of the vlogs in a 12-month period.

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Central Illinoisans weigh pros and cons of 4-day school week – WCIA (Champaign)

Hundreds of school districts across the nation are starting four-day school schedules this fall. Now, parents in Central Illinois are wondering if the state will follow suit. While more than 900 school districts in 25 states are going full force on the new method, Rantoul teacher Tonia Kirby said Illinois should pump the brakes. “We already have so many kids that don’t have structure at home, I think that day would be a detriment,” Kirby said.

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Another Progressive Double Standard – Wall Street Journal

image

What is it about political leftists that makes them unable to keep their hands off Chicago parks—and also unable to live by the standards they demand of others? Now, if you can believe it, the city of Chicago has chosen a park dedicated to the city’s first female mayor as the site for a new statue of a progressive activist who didn’t support the right of women

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University of Chicago report finds 30 million Americans view violences as justified to keep Trump from power – Res Ipsa

The chilling answer is found in a new report out of the University of Chicago showing that almost 12 percent of the population, representing 30 million people, believe that violence is warranted to prevent Trump from assuming the presidency. That is almost double the number who believe that violence is warranted to ensure that Trump does become president.The problem is that political figures on both sides are attempting to harness this rage.  They are playing a dangerous game.

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Obama’s Chicago days: Biographer describes letters Obama hopes the public never sees – FOX News

Garrow called his memoir “Dreams From My Father” essentially fictionalized, said he was too lazy to be a good Supreme Court justice, and said his presidency will be considered a failure in the long run because of its foreign policy shortcomings. If he sounds like an abrasive right-wing figure, he isn’t – he calls himself to the left of Obama on issues like health care, is avowedly pro-choice and lamented Obama hadn’t modeled his post-presidency after Jimmy Carter, whose humanitarianism has often received better reviews than his one-term stint in the White House.

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‘Identity and Justice’ scholar at U of I Chicago explores ‘structural racism in chemistry’ – The College Fix

Professor Terrell Morton is an “Identity and Justice in STEM Education” scholar who “draws from critical race theory, phenomenology, and human development to ascertain Black students’ consciousness and how it manifests in their various embodiments and actions that facilitate their STEM postsecondary engagements,” according to his faculty bio.

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Editorial: Transfer tax hike is the last thing downtown Chicago needs – Crain’s*

Brandon Johnson addressing the Chicago city council

The truth is the tax as currently drafted would hit a lot of people who are far from fat cats, particularly in the residential market. The Bring Chicago Home idea has, not surprisingly, drawn vociferous pushback from commercial real estate owners in particular, who point out — correctly — that this kind of a tax, levied now, would deal a body blow to a downtown office and retail market that’s never fully recovered from the effects of COVID and the work-from-home ethos it engendered.

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O’Hare still hasn’t clawed its way back in passenger traffic rankings – Crain’s*

O’Hare International Airport was the fourth-busiest airport in North America in 2022, as it struggled to regain its pre-pandemic flying level. Last year was the second straight year that O’Hare’s total passenger count trailed not only Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, but also Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver, according to Airports Council International.

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Pritzker’s CNN Interview: People Dislike Biden’s Handling of Economy Because of ‘False Rhetoric’ from GOP, How Trump Handled COVID – Breitbart

Gov. JB Pritzker stated that people have negative views of President Joe Biden’s handling of the economy because they haven’t gotten over their feelings from “the last year of the Trump administration, in which he did absolutely nothing to protect people from coronavirus.” Pritzker also blamed “the false rhetoric coming from the Republicans, who are pushing Facebook fakery.”

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UIC Education professor probes causes of systemic racism in chemistry – UIC Today

In a commentary for Nature Chemistry, Morton, assistant professor for identity and justice in STEM education in the UIC College of Education, applied the framework of critical race theory to the field of chemistry, where diversity remains a particular challenge even relative to other sciences. He identified factors such as feelings of invisibility or hypervisibility in Black students, differences in financial and social capital, and lack of intersectionality in diversity programs as systemic barriers facing students, faculty and career scientists in chemistry.

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Gov. JB Pritzker signs law to strengthen protections for Illinois temp workers – Chicago Tribune/MSN

The legislation, signed Friday by Gov. JB Pritzker, amends the state’s day and temporary labor services law to require workers employed by staffing agencies to be paid the same as company employees they work alongside in comparable jobs once the temp workers have worked for a company for 90 days. It also makes it easier for temp workers to sue over alleged violations of the law.

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Chicago Mayor Johnson snaps at reporter for calling teen riots ‘mob actions,’ not ‘large gatherings’ – New York Post

“That’s not appropriate,” the newly minted mayor said in response to a reporter’s question about trends like “mob actions” the city has endured. “We’re not talking about mob actions. I didn’t say that,” Johnson barked back. “These large gatherings … it’s important that we speak of these dynamics in an appropriate way.”

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Lender seizes LondonHouse retail space in downtown Chicago – Crain’s*

360 N. Michigan Ave. retail

The Chicago developer that turned a historic Michigan Avenue building into the LondonHouse hotel — and sold it for a record high price several years ago — has surrendered the ground-floor retail portion of the property to its lender. The retail space adds to a long list of distressed commercial properties downtown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many retailers in the central business district have shuttered because of a lack of regular foot traffic from office users, given the rise of remote work.

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Why Do Operators of Video Gaming Terminals Have Such Influence in Illinois? – Bonus

Video gaming terminals (VGTs) are a major industry in Illinois and influence much of what’s happening with gambling in the state. Illinois has about 45,000 terminals, far more than any other state. The terminals are located in about 8,200 locations, which include restaurants, bars, and truck stops. Perhaps the biggest reason VGTs are crucial to Illinois is the tax revenue they bring to the state and local municipalities. Illinois charges a 34% tax on the 45,000 video terminals’ income. Of that, 5% goes to local municipalities.

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Opinion: Charter schools have proven their academic worth. Chicago and Illinois must invest in them – Chicago Sun-Times

A recently released Stanford University study shows the impact charter schools can have on closing achievement gaps for students of color. Researchers discovered that students who attend charter schools show more academic growth over the course of a school year compared to their peers at district-operated schools. In Illinois specifically, that difference was equal to charter school students attending 40 extra days of school for reading and 48 extra days for math.

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Chicago-area new home sales had their biggest spring since 2008 – Crain’s*

Chicago-area builders sold more new homes this spring than they have since 2008, thanks in large part to the paucity of existing homes for sale, according to a new report. It’s an increase of nearly 38% from the same time a year ago. “I’m not at all surprised to see this surge,” said Erik Doersching, CEO of Tracy Cross & Associates. “Sales would have been even higher if more developments were open, but supply is constrained because there’s not enough building going on.”

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IL appeals panel ends lawsuit in which Pritzker accused of helping friend Thornley defraud state – Cook County Record

A state appeals court in Springfield has ended a lawsuit that could have proven to be politically embarrassing to Gov. JB Pritzker, saying Pritzker’s political ally Attorney General Kwame Raoul has “virtually unfettered” ability to shut down any action that someone seeks to bring on behalf of the state, even if the decision may appear to have political implications.

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Real estate giant Jones Lang LaSalle looks to unload part of HQ – Crain’s*

The Chicago-based company this month formally began marketing more than 61,000 square feet at its Aon Center headquarters for sublease, representing about 30% of JLL’s workspace in the East Loop skyscraper. Separately, another big new sublease listing hit the market in recent weeks from cybersecurity company Trustwave, which put its entire 71,792-square-foot office at 70 W. Madison St. up for grabs. The pair of new listings add more available office space to a downtown market already awash in it. The office vacancy rate in the central business district reached an all-time high of

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J.B. Pritzker, Public Union Boss – Wall Street Journal

image

Union chiefs and the politicians they support sit on both sides of the bargaining table. That was demonstrated again last week when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a whopping new contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Afscme). Unions are running the table in Illinois because Mr. Pritzker and state Democrats essentially work for the unions that provide the cash for re-election campaigns.

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States, including Illinois, siphoned away $750 million in infrastructure law climate funds – Washington Post

With $14 billion in new federal funding, the infrastructure law was supposed to jolt efforts to protect the U.S. highway network from a changing climate and curb carbon emissions that are warming the planet. New records show the effort is off to an unsteady start as hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent elsewhere. Illinois spent $39 million elsewhere.

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Riding the ‘Barbie wave’: Chicago moviegoers and businesses alike celebrate the movie – Chicago Tribune/MSN

ENTER-MOVIE-BARBIE-FANS-5-TB

Excited fans have been leaving their Mojo Dojo Casa Houses (the character Ken’s renaming of Barbie’s Dreamhouse) and flocking to Chicago’s theaters to see what has become a summer blockbuster. In its first weekend on July 21-24, Barbie made $162 million in the U.S. and broke Warner Bros.’ opening week-Monday box office record. Businesses in Chicago have also capitalized on to the movie, giving fans a taste — literally — of the Barbie dream.

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Illinois college ordered to pay Christian student $80K for silencing conservative views – WFVX (Bangor. ME)

As part of the settlement won by Alliance Defending Freedom, three professors at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) will take mandatory training related to free speech on college campuses. The settlement also stipulates that SIUE officials must revise their student handbook and policies to “ensure students with varying political, religious and ideological views are welcome in the art therapy program.”

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Greg Hinz: Good intentions aren’t enough to shape smart tax policy – Crain’s*

Though business people like any other group exaggerate the downside of tax hikes, you don’t have to be a genius to conclude that jacking up taxes at a time when the Loop is reeling is counterproductive. I mean, Johnson is talking about spending tens of millions of dollars to convert old LaSalle Street office buildings to residential use. Raising the transfer tax so much at one time could undo the progress the city wants on LaSalle.

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Opinion: Something is rotten with the city of Chicago’s pension funds – Crain’s*

Dana Levenson, former Chicago CFO: “If you’re looking for a magic bullet to cure the city’s pension fund debacle, you won’t find one here. However, at a minimum, the pension funds need to achieve market returns, and benefits, unfortunately, cannot increase. If all sides could come to an agreement about what more must be done, perhaps there’s hope for the city of Chicago’s pensions. If not, get ready for the doomsday scenario: pension fund bankruptcies and huge property tax increases.”

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Chicago leads nation in home price growth at last – Crain’s*

Chicago-area single-family home values rose 4.6% in May compared with May 2022, according to new data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices released this morning. That’s the highest growth for any of the 20 cities that the index tracks. At this time last year, Chicago was 18th on the list, near the end of a 61-month stretch when home values here consistently ranked at 20th or only a few places higher in terms of year-over-year growth.

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Opinion: For newly arrived investors in the American Dream, Chicago is the first stop – Crain’s*

Chicago is renowned for its deep-dish pizza, iconic skyline and rich musical heritage. It is also home to a vibrant and diverse community, with immigrants comprising 20% of the city’s population, and 14% of Illinois’. What may come as a surprise to some, considering negative national immigration rhetoric, are the achievements of this community, especially in business.

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Editorial: The taxman cometh — but he’s very, very late – Crain’s*

For the second year in a row, Cook County has delayed sending out notices to property owners informing them what they owe for the second installment of their property taxes. The county treasurer normally sends out the bills in early July, with taxes due in early August. This kind of lousy customer service — and that’s really how county officials should think of it — would never be tolerated in the private sector. If Kaegi, the Board of Review and the treasurer’s office can’t cooperate to ensure a stable, predictable flow of tax bills and deadlines, then it’s incumbent upon

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Small businesses in blue states are feeling the regulatory heat this summer – The Hill

Getting paid not to work also seems to be a popular policy in blue states this year. For example, Illinois joined two other blue states — Nevada, whose legislature is controlled by Democrats, and Maine — in passing a law earlier this year that requires employers to provide paid time off to their employees, regardless of the reason. As if high crime and taxes aren’t enough, employers in Chicago and the rest of Illinois now have lots of new regulations to deal with. In addition to the mandated time off they have to provide (mentioned above), they now face new

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Attorney General Kwame Raoul: Fortune 100’s DEI efforts are under attack by GOP attorneys general – Crain’s*

“A recent letter addressed to Fortune 100 CEOs, sent under the signature of 13 Republican state attorneys general, purported to remind corporate leaders of their obligations under federal and state law to refrain from discriminating on the basis of race….The letter’s suggestion that a private employer’s diversity and inclusion program may constitute discrimination is, in a word, ludicrous.”

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Opinion: Illinois Democrats have spent billions, yet minority families are worse off – Crain’s*

Former GOP House member Mark Batnick: “Illinois’ economic racial equity ranks worst in the nation, according to a recent WalletHub study.Despite a rich history of minority representation and executive leadership at the highest levels of federal, state and local government, Illinois minority families are materially worse off here than in any other state. How could that be? Unintended consequences.

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Opinion: There’s a stealth campaign to lure business away from Illinois. Lawmakers must halt it. – Crain’s*

Mark Hanna , Jack Lavin, Mike Murphy and Keith Staats: “The cumulative effect of perimeter rule flips dramatically increased traffic to far-west destinations intent on expanding their tourism and conference industries at the expense of traditional conference destinations, such as Chicago’s McCormick Place. More than 3,000 associations are based in Washington, D.C., and many hold an annual conference.” The perimeter rule regulates certain prized air traffic routes.

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Orphe Divounguy: Chicago housing market moves could sway our population drain – Crain’s*

“When housing affordability fell to an all-time low across the country, due in part to a large increase in mortgage rates, less expensive metros like Chicago become relatively more attractive places to live. While I’m not counting on a full reversal of Chicago’s long-running exodus, current housing market conditions may actually help slow the city’s population decline.”

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The Case Against Local Reparations – Bloomberg

As city and state programs pop up to compensate Black Americans for past harms, two experts are calling the idea of local reparations “an oxymoron.” Rather than refer to programs like Evanston’s as reparations, the authors say they should be called “racial equity initiatives.”

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Harvey, Illinois, launches bond exchange offer on defaulted debt – The Bond Buyer

The deal would allow investors to shed the bonds’ default status, resolve investor litigation, and give the fiscally troubled Chicago suburb more time to repay its debt. It’s billed by Harvey officials as a central step in an effort to restructure various debts with the aim of attracting economic development and bolstering a beleaguered tax base hurt by outmigration, shuttered businesses and an aging population. The city also has weak tax collection rates that pose a drag on its budgets.

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The States in America Where Incomes Grow Faster – Wall Street Journal*

Earnings nationwide rose 5.4% on average between the first quarters of 2022 and 2023, but much less in New York (2.6%), Indiana (2.6%), California (2.9%), Connecticut (3.4%), Rhode Island (3.6%), Maryland (4%), New Jersey (4.3%), Oregon (4.5%) and Illinois (4.6%). Meanwhile, earnings in the same period surged in North Dakota (9.7%), New Mexico (9.6%), Nevada (9.1%), Florida (9.1%), Nebraska (8.6%), Hawaii (8%), South Carolina (8%), Alaska (7.9%) and Texas (7.7%).

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Downtown’s office vacancy surge hits new record high – Crain’s*

Most of the recent uptick in vacancy came from new supply. Demand, meanwhile, was relatively strong: Net absorption, which measures the change in the amount of leased and occupied space compared with the prior period, rose by more than 427,000 square feet during the second quarter, according to CBRE. Comment: Note that these are occupancy rates based on how much space is under lease. Actual utilization based on entry card swipes has ticked up a bit recently to just over 50%.

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New York investor takes big loss on Streeterville apartment sale – Crain’s*

seneca apartment building chicago

New York-based Vanbarton Group sold the Seneca, a 286-unit vintage building in Streeterville, for $55 million in mid-June. The price represents a 27% loss of value from the $74.9 million that Vanbarton paid for the Seneca in December 2014. New York-based Vanbarton Group sold the Seneca, a 286-unit vintage building in Streeterville, for $55 million in mid-June to a unit of San Francisco-based FPA Multifamily, according to a deed filed with Cook County. The price represents a 27% loss of value from the $74.9 million that Vanbarton

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The Inequity of Public Education in Chicago – RealClear Politics

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy: “Shame on Mayor Brandon Johnson, Barack and Michelle Obama, Governor Pritzker, Speaker Welch, and every other Illinois Democrat who tolerates the appalling failure of Chicago’s schools while also decrying the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action at elite colleges. You are all hypocrites.”

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Study: Illinois is the lowest-ranking state in the country for Black wealth, employment – Center Square

While many are puzzled over the root of the problem in such a diverse state, systemic racism may be a factor, said Larry Ivory, president and CEO of the Illinois State Black Chamber of Commerce. Ivory brings not only a national but a global perspective to the issue as he is also chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce member.

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Amendments to Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act Impact Both Staffing Agencies and Their Clients Who Engage Contingent Workers for Work That is Not Professional or Clerical – JD Supra

Amon other things, the new law requires that laborers assigned to a client for more than 90 calendar days receive “equal pay for equal work,” including benefits, as compared to direct employees of the client. Requires staffing agencies to make inquiries about safety at the client worksite, advise the client of any existing job hazards, provide training to its laborers placed on assignment, and provide information about the training to its client.

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These Ohio pols really hate this Illinois law – Crain’s*

Power lines over an Illinois soybean field

A bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers is blaming Illinois’ landmark 2021 clean-energy law for jeopardizing reliability in their state and potentially raising costs for their ratepayers. And they’re threatening to take legal action against Illinois in response. The Ohio legislators cited PJM’s estimate that about $2 billion in new high-voltage lines would be needed to transport power between states to make up for the plants that are closing or are required to close.

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Alderman Ray Lopez: An open letter to President Biden on what migrants — and Chicago — need now – Crain’s*

Alderman Lopez: “The longer the Biden administration waits to address this issue, the more uncontrollable this situation will become locally as well as nationally. This is not a hypothetical exercise in government; rather, it is a humanitarian crisis the likes of which many American citizens have never witnessed in their communities. It is impacting cities and states across this country and in every neighborhood struggling to address the needs of the new arrivals.”

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Partisan gap is so wide the U.S. could become ungovernable, Rep. Quigley says – Crain’s*

Reaching consensus after a close election or lively floor debate “is not guaranteed anymore,” Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat who represents much of Chicago’s North and Northwest sides and adjacent suburbs, said in an extraordinarily candid presentation to the City Club. “It’s no longer a certainty that we’ll recover, that we’ll get past” the disputes of the day, be they over abortion, election rules, Ukraine policy or Donald Trump. As a result, America’s foreign allies have begun to ask “whether America is back — or back for how long?” Quigley said. And uncertainty is growing over whether Congress will

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Invest South/West projects ring up sky-high construction costs – Crain’s*

affordable_housing_lightfoot.jpg

That’s one of the great ironies of Invest South/West, a massive economic development initiative launched four years ago by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Construction costs for the program’s affordable housing projects in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods exceed $600,000 and even $700,000 per unit, far higher than the $450,000 to $500,000 per unit for the ritziest high-rises under construction in and around downtown.

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State investments net a record return – Crain’s*

With interest rates high and the Illinois treasury for a change relatively cash flush, the state in May earned nearly $200 million on its $43 billion investment portfolio — a record figure both in the raw amount and in the rate of return, according to Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs.

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Real estate agent to Chicagoans: Please don’t leave – Crain’s*

On June 21, a Chicago real estate agent sent a newsletter to 20,000 people that addressed a sore subject: people leaving the city because of crime and other problems. He urged people to stay and help heal the city’s ills. The newsletter is the latest flashpoint in a contentious debate citywide and more specifically in real estate circles. Are people leaving Chicago and, if they are, is it because of crime?

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Greg Hinz: A sign the awkward honeymoon between Johnson and biz may be over – Crain’s*

Johnson put no business people on his pension advisory panel. “That is exactly what many in business circles fear. That Johnson will smilingly take any financial offerings they choose to make in summer jobs, etc., and then ram through anything more he wants. It’s too early to say that for sure. But denying a key interest group a seat at the table, even at this stage, is not a good sign.”

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Chicago pension task force begins work – The Bond Buyer

A “working group” made up of city, state, and labor officials tasked by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson with finding long-term funding and structural fixes to pension funding strains held its first meeting this week with a fall legislative veto session the target for initial action.

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Letter: University of Chicago Lives Up to the Principles – Wall Street Journal

“My experience shows how the Chicago Principles work in practice. If I were at a different school, I might have been railroaded or officially denounced. Some of my classmates complained to the university’s DEI bureaucracy and communications team, but they were rebuffed. Administrators here consistently protect free speech, so students can write whatever they want without winding up in university discipline purgatory.”

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Investor takes big loss in $173 million Streeterville apartment sale – Crain’s*

North Water Apartments, a 398-unit property at 340 E. North Water St.

Invesco sold North Water Apartments, a 398-unit property at 340 E. North Water St., to Miami-based Crescent Heights for $173 million, according to real estate data provider CoStar Group. The price represents a 28% drop in value for the Streeterville property since 2016, when Invesco bought it for $240 million. Brokers and landlords say many out-of-town investors have “redlined” Chicago, wary of the risk of rising property taxes, the city’s struggles in

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Pritzker faces blowback over cuts to health care for undocumented people – Crain’s*

How big of a price is Gov. J.B. Pritzker going to pay for a political deal that got his fiscal 2024 budget through the state legislature — but is now provoking unprecedented criticism from the state’s Latino community? Some answers may come this week after a weekend in which Latino leaders absolutely whacked the Democratic governor over his administration’s Friday announcement that it will make big cuts in the state’s health insurance for undocumented immigrants.

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Historic Loop office tower goes up for sale – Crain’s*

The Burnham Center at 111 W. Washington St.

A 22-story vintage Loop office tower, the last building designed by Daniel Burnham, has hit the market, and it’s likely to fetch a price that would result in a loss for its owners. A venture led by Chicago-based Golub & Co. has hired Cushman & Wakefield to sell Burnham Center, a 584,000-square-foot building at 111 W. Washington St., a property the venture bought for $80.3 million in 2019.

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Alderperson wants Chicago pension funds to invest in real estate developments – Crain’s*

Prompted by a Crain’s report on local developer Sterling Bay pitching the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund to become an investor in the Lincoln Yards development, Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, will introduce a resolution at next week’s City Council meeting calling for a hearing in the Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, which he chairs.He said the potential investment prompted him to wonder, “Why aren’t we doing that? Why aren’t some of our pension funds taking a look at investing in projects here in Chicago and creating economic development?”

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Falling house prices in Chicago show the toll of remote work and crime – Crain’s*

Home prices in Chicago, but not in the suburbs, have been declining all year, a warning sign that working from home and a seemingly intractable crime problem are hurting the city’s real estate market. Chicago is not alone. In five big cities with distinct city-suburban markets and declining prices, city home values are down more than those in the metro area by at least 2 percentage points.

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Opinion: How a charter would help Chicago, and how to get one – Crain’s*

Chicago’s lack of a city charter is a striking feature of its government, both because nearly every peer city has a charter — akin to a city constitution — and because a charter could support other reforms. Joe Ferguson, a former Chicago inspector general and now executive director of charter advocacy group (re)Chicago, explains how a charter could help Chicago and outlines the road map to adoption.

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Greg Hinz: Paul Vallas’ new role might reveal something about his true political leanings – Crain’s

“The rap on Paul Vallas during the mayoral race was that despite calling himself “a lifelong Democrat,” he really was a not-so-closeted conservative Republican running in a city whose overall political slant is well to the political left…. But today he offered his critics a ton of ammunition suggesting that voters were right about him after all, with the announcement that he has taken a position with the Illinois Policy Institute as a policy adviser. The institute is a Chicago-based libertarian think tank that regularly argues for lower taxes, privatized pensions for government workers and school choice. It

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Chicago and Illinois to receive more federal funds for care of migrants – Crain’s*

A knowledgeable source says the next tranche of refugee aid to be announced early in the week will include $19.3 million for Illinois, with just over half of the aid — $10.5 million — allocated for Chicago. Both surely wanted more; the Chicago City Council just appropriated more than $50 million to pay for food, shelter and other expenses through June. But it’s a lot better than the $8.5 million they had to split in the last award in May.

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Chicago-area hospitals rationing cancer medications amid nationwide shortage – Chicago Tribune/MSN

Chicago-area hospitals are struggling with a nationwide shortage of cancer medications, leading local doctors to sometimes ration the life-saving drugs. Two of the drugs in short supply are carboplatin and cisplatin. The medications are often used together to treat a range of cancers, including lung, breast, and prostate cancers, as well as many leukemias and lymphomas.

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Chicago Business Group Backs Big Push Into Violence Prevention – Wall Street Journal

The Civic Committee, which has backed other major initiatives like modernization of O’Hare Airport but has largely steered clear of public safety, this month rolled out a plan with an ambitious goal of cutting homicides in the nation’s third-largest city in half from their recent peak within five years. It involves bringing the city, nonprofits and the business community together to boost investment in neglected neighborhoods, create more jobs for people at risk of getting involved in violence and greatly expand violence-prevention efforts.

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Illinis, Maryland, New Jersey post highest foreclosure rates as U.S. as U.S. foreclosure activity spikes in May – ATTOM Data

And metropolitan areas with a population greater than 1 million with the worst foreclosure rates in May 2023, included Cleveland, OH, were: Jacksonville, FL (one in every 1,699 housing units); Baltimore, MD (one in every 1,908 housing units); Chicago, IL (one in every 1,991 housing units); and Orlando, FL (one in every 2,049 housing units).

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The Great Covid Business Migration – Wall Street Journal

A new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that small businesses also left town. New York led in net business out-migration (487), followed by California (456), Illinois (208), Maryland (50) and Pennsylvania (33). One result is turmoil in commercial real estate in New York City, San Francisco and Chicago. Another is persistent higher unemployment in California (4.5%), Illinois (4.2%) and New York (4%), compared to a national average of 3.7% and 2.6% in Florida.

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What I Learned About ‘Woke’ Capital and Milton Friedman at the University of Chicago – Wall Street Journal

It takes time for academic work to filter into politics; Friedman’s pro-business radicalism had to wait a decade for Ronald Reagan as the 1970s saw government regulation of evermore areas of the economy. The critiques of capitalism I heard echoing around Booth’s Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired halls ring true: Politicians all-too-frequently boost big business and get a small slice of oligopolistic profits back as donations.

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