Frank Calabrese

Here is the rest of the conspiracy indictment

Influencer and candidate for Congress Kat Abughazaleh, local Democratic committeeman Michael Rabbitt, and Chicago aldermanic aide Cat Sharp were indicted by the Feds for allegedly blocked and damaged an ICE officer’s car at Broadview on Sept 26, 2025.

Wild. Hakeem Jeffries flies into Chicago and Springfield to say the Democratic House majority depends on Illinois redistricting… only for Illinois Dem leaders to say "no thanks."

Cook County Commissioners Bridget Gainer (10th, North Side), Tara Stamps (1st, West Side), and Sean Morrison (17th, West Suburbs) did not file petitions this morning. All other incumbents did. Opponents for Gainer and Morrison filed. One week remains.

Border Patrol Agents Detain 2 City Employees During ‘Lawless’ Little Village Raids, Ald. Rodriguez Says “These federal agents are operating lawlessly, demonstrating utter disregard for our constitutional rights,” Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd Ward) said.

“At least seven people were detained by agents during the mid-morning raid, including Jacqueline Lopez and Elianne Bahena, Rodriguez’s chief of staff, who is an elected member of the Ogden (10th) District Police Council. Both are U.S. citizens, Rodriguez said.”

Lawless is the correct word rn.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, in office since 2010, raised $281K and spent $291K last quarter, ending with $621K cash.

Her challenger, Ald. Brendan Reilly, raised $912K and spent $200K, closing with $1.4M — more than double the 15-year incumbent.

Chicago Inspector General: Mayor Johnson’s top advisor Jason Lee should be fired for refusing to cooperate in an ethics probe.

The investigation centered on allegations Lee tried to trade removal of a West Loop homeless camp in Ald. Bill Conway’s ward for political support.

Kina Collins is back again. She is a progressive who thrice challenged Rep. Danny Davis, including a close 52–45 race in 2022. Kina filed to run for Congress once more in Illinois’ 7th District for 2026.

Michael Madigan is now at the Federal Prison Camp in Morgantown, West Virginia.

“Country roads, take me home… to the place I belong.”

Billionaire Lester Crown just dropped $100,000 to back an Illinois statewide redistricting reform referendum 💰

My great-grandfather left Italy for New York in 1906, became a U.S. citizen in 1918, and made a home on 2418 Wentworth Ave in Chicago, once Italian, now the heart of Chinatown.

CUBS WIN! 🏳️‍

RIP Sister Jean, Loyola’s beloved icon.

Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele is scheduled for her DUI trial from November 13–14, with a pretrial hearing on November 12. (That’s my reading of the handwritten court notes.)

Judge April Perry just set oral arguments for the National Guard lawsuit for Thursday. Illinois v. Trump.

Congressman Mike Quigley files paperwork with the Illinois state board of election to run for the mayor of Chicago

James Comey’s lawyer is Patrick Fitzgerald. In DC he is known as the prosecutor in the Scooter Libby case. In Chicago he is known as the U.S. attorney who convicted Gov. Blagojevich. He served under both Bush and Obama, something unheard of today.

Update: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson didn’t have the clout or votes to make Ald. Daniel La Spata chair of the Zoning Committee. Ald. Bennett Lawson will remain interim chair indefinitely.

Normington Petts survey of likely Democratic voters in IL-08, Aug 18 to 21, 2025, n=400, MOE ±4.9. Note: Bean paid this firm $104,779 in 2010, her last race, and she lost to Joe Walsh url4027.email.politico.com/ss/c/u001.6g...

IL-08 Democratic primary initial ballot: Bean 10, Ahmed 8, Morrison 5, Bankole 3, Tully 3, Khot 1, Others 1. Undecided 68. From Normington Petts, a pollster that has previously worked for Bean. #IL08

Mayor Brandon Johnson reshuffles Chicago city council chairs to bolster base and progressive support. Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) replaces Walter Burnett (27th) as Zoning chair; Ald. Emma Mitts (37th) named vice-mayor

Brace for impact: Tax hikes loom for South, West side homeowners Property assessments double for 37,000 homes in Chicago’s historically neglected neighborhoods amid fresh investor interest.

Story from @adquig.bsky.social @alexnitkin.bsky.social on how South & West Side homeowners are bracing for tax bill shocks after assessments doubled or tripled: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/21/t...

Chicago South & West Side face massive tax hikes: 37,000+ properties saw assessments double since 2023. Median jumps hit 119–160% in Englewood, Roseland & North Lawndale (vs 22% citywide).

MARIA
PAPPAS
BAG

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas just broke the caps by donating $101,000 to herself. She has no known opponent for the 2026 Democratic primary. Pappas has not had a contested primary since 2018, when she won 82%. Maybe Pappas is fundraising for a 2027 Chicago mayor run?

Round 2 Voting

Beach 144
Evans 109

Round 1 Voting (info from a judge)

Charlie Beach 123
Tim Evans 117
Nicole Patton 14

Patton supported Beach in the second round.

Judge Tim Evans, who has served as Chief Judge of the Cook County Circuit Court since September 2001, just lost in the second round of voting to Charles Beach to be the next chief judge. Chief Judge is elected in a ballot among judges.

Chicago Ald. Brendan Reilly just dropped his Cook County Board President video. Not sure a white guy can beat Toni Preckwinkle, but he has $689,098.60 on hand and a downtown donor base youtu.be/mY102G3Rr8s

Past his term's midpoint, Mayor Johnson's job approval rating stands at 26%, survey shows Chicagoans are disenchanted with Brandon Johnson no matter where they live, how old they are, what race they are or how much money they earn.

ChicagoSpeaks survey by UChicago’s NORC + Mansueto Institute. n=1,111 Chicago adults, fielded June 23–July 9, 2025. chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/20...