Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Chicago Sun-Times: FBI secretly recorded Mike Madigan at his law office pitching firm’s services
The FBI secretly recorded Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan trying to get business for his private law firm from a developer brought to him by Ald. Danny Solis, who was weighing the developer’s request to build a hotel in Chinatown, according to a federal court affidavit obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The affidavit makes clear for the first time that the federal investigation that has snared powerful Chicago Ald. Edward M. Burke extends beyond City Hall and into the Illinois statehouse, examining politicians’ longstanding practice of merging personal and political business.
Chicago Tribune: 13th Ward hopeful David Krupa files lawsuit alleging House Speaker Michael Madigan, Ald. Marty Quinn violated his civil rights
The 19-year old DePaul University student who’s challenging Ald. Marty Quinn in Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s home ward is suing them for allegedly violating his constitutional rights in challenging his petition signatures.
David Krupa filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging that Quinn, Madigan and their political organizations entered into “an agreement to engage in a campaign of intimidation, harassment and illegal tactics against (Krupa) to cause him to withdraw from running for alderman or else hinder his campaign to the point where he could not get sufficient signatures to obtain ballot access in the municipal election of February 26, 2019.”
Chicago Sun-Times: Viagra, sex acts, use of a luxury farm: Feds detail investigation of Ald. Solis
Retiring Ald. Danny Solis (25th) received sex acts, Viagra, free weekend use of an Indiana farm once owned by Oprah Winfrey and a steady stream of campaign contributions in exchange for shepherding official City Council actions, according to allegations in a federal court affidavit obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The allegations are contained in an explosive search warrant application that helps explain why Solis, the powerful chairman of the City Council’s Zoning Committee, agreed to spend more than two years cooperating in a federal investigation during which he is known to have secretly recorded at least a dozen conversations with Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), the former chairman of the City Council’s Finance Committee.
Peoria Journal-Star: Progressive push ahead for new governor, Legislature
Newly-elected Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker comes into office with supermajorities in both chambers of the 101st General Assembly, which begins in earnest Tuesday.
Pritzker promises to deliver on a progressive legislative agenda that stands in stark contrast with that of his Republican predecessor, former Gov. Bruce Rauner.
State Journal-Register: State legislators lay out plans for recreational marijuana proposal
Marijuana “bars” would be prohibited, and teenagers caught driving under the influence of marijuana would lose their licenses, a Springfield audience was told Monday night by lawmakers crafting a bill to allow recreational use of cannabis in Illinois.
Hearing those details pleased state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, whose town hall-style meeting on the issue attracted close to 100 people at Lincoln Library.
Chicago Tribune: Why the Illinois exodus? The rich get bashed, and off they go
The break-up emails arrive steadily, almost therapeutically, from authors seeking affirmation of their decision to end a dysfunctional relationship.
The familiar anguish: We tried to make it work … we waited until the kids were out of school … we worked up the costs and finally put the house on the market.
WBEZ: City Colleges Are Being Reinvented. So Why Aren't Students Going?
Yessica Roman was managing a bakery when she decided to pursue her dream to work in medicine.
She enrolled at Malcolm X College, one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago, to earn a medical assistant certificate. It was there she was connected to an externship at Northwestern’s integrative medicine program, where she got four weeks of on-the-job training.
Daily Herald: 'City Works' is a go: Hoffman Estates OKs homes, stores, restaurants at AT&T site
Hoffman Estates officials Monday unanimously approved a detailed redevelopment plan for the former AT&T campus, including a 90-day extension for the New Jersey-based developer to complete its purchase of the 150-acre site before its conditional rezoning expires.
Somerset Development hopes to repeat the success of its similar redevelopment of the old Bell Labs building in Holmdel, New Jersey, by converting the AT&T buildings into a mix of stores, restaurants, entertainment venues and offices called City Works.
Daily Herald: DuPage County continues using former election commission attorney
The longtime attorney for the now-disbanded DuPage Election Commission will continue to represent the county in election-related matters.
Pat Bond, the commission’s lawyer since 1996, has been appointed as a special assistant state’s attorney by State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. Bond will provide legal representation for the county clerk’s office regarding its election duties.