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Gov. JB Pritzker delivers his State of the State address at the state Capitol on Feb. 18, 2026. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune via Pool)
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Facing a projected $2.2 billion gap and massive uncertainty over federal funding flowing into Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday proposed a $56 billion state budget plan for fiscal year 2027 beginning July 1.
That number reflects a 1.6% increase in spending from fiscal year 2026, which senior budget officials in the governor’s office say is due almost entirely to increased expenses tied to medical costs, pensions and evidence-based funding for school districts.
Budget leaders also stressed the dangers proposed by inconsistent federal funding, citing near-weekly threats for a wide array of programs that could cost the state up to $1.7 billion in the coming fiscal year.
While that federal cash doesn’t necessarily flow directly into the state’s general revenue fund, cuts from Washington have ripple effects on the state’s economy.
More context:
In addition to the danger of lost funding, the budget also includes new costs tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill in the form of $50 million for new staff and eligibility monitoring for changes to SNAP and Medicaid requirements.
Pritzker told lawmakers that the second Trump administration has come at an $8.4 billion cost to Illinois, which has sparked more than 50 court cases over the legality of funding freezes and clawbacks.
To help close the budget gap, Pritzker’s proposed budget proposes several new revenue streams, including an estimated $200 million from a social media platform fee that would be earmarked for education. That fee would need to be passed through a bill in the General Assembly. For the largest social media firms with 1 million Illinois users or more, the proposal calls for charging $165,000 per month and an additional $.50 per month for each user over the 1 million user mark. Additional revenue would also come from changes to corporate tax structure, and from taxing table and electronic games in casinos at the same rate.
Despite the budgetary challenges, officials stressed the progress the state’s finances have made during Pritzker’s tenure, including credit rating upgrades, an increased GDP, refinancing bonds to save on interest costs, and an improved pension funding ratio.
With Pritzker’s presidential ambitions and the 2028 looming large, many Republicans said the governor’s speech was clearly focused beyond Illinois.
“I’m not sure that I can call it a budget address,” said state Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro.) “It seemed a little bit more like a campaign speech and increasing his national profile.”
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A white-winged scoter dined out on invasive red swamp crayfish in River Park, on the North Branch of the Chicago River, in early February. (Courtesy of Mike McCawley)
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When a white-winged scoter had been spotted on the North Branch of the Chicago River, skilled photographers took some stunning images of the seaduck, which they shared on social media. And in the process, the birders inadvertently provided a couple of researchers at Loyola University with a key bit of documentation they hadn't anticipated, one that proved without a doubt what, til now, had only been a theory.
There, in the beak of the scoter, was quite the catch: a red swamp crayfish, clear as a bell, about to go down the gullet.
The curious cluster of non-native swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) at River Park, where the North Branch and North Shore Channel converge, happens to be a focus area of study for Loyola Professor Reuben Keller, who specializes in aquatic invasive species. One of Keller's graduate students, Tava Oosterbaan, had recently wrapped up a study looking at the presence of microplastics in the crayfish.
While it had already been established that fish in the river were eating the crustaceans, it was pure speculation birds were doing so as well.
“We haven’t seen a bird with this crayfish in its mouth in our river,” Oosterbaan said. “When we got those photos and we got to see them, it was kind of like a ‘Eureka.’”
What it might mean:
After trapping red swamp crayfish along the length of their North Branch/Channel stronghold, and then dissecting them and analyzing their stomach contents, Oosterbaan made a surprising discovery.
The amount of microplastics contained in the crayfish guts was “startling," Oosterbaan said.
Compared to all other existing literature on crayfish, the specimens from the Chicago River contained microplastic loads anywhere from 10 to 300 times greater than previously recorded. (Microplastics are defined as less than 5 millimeters, or smaller than a pencil eraser.) When a scoter swallows a swamp crayfish whole, all of those microplastics are going down the hatch too.
Minimally, Oosterbaan's results suggest crayfish might be a significant vector when it comes to microplastics entering the food chain, given how many other organisms eat crayfish.
“This is pretty new territory," Oosterbaan said. “It does call for more research.”
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(WTTW News)
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The Chicago City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to pay $29.2 million to four men man who spent a combined 71 years in prison after they were convicted of separate murders between 1991 and 1997, bringing the total cost of defending and settling 13 lawsuits naming disgraced former Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara to $159 million, records show.
The largest settlement would pay $16.6 million to Demetrius Johnson, who was 15 years old when he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison in connection with a 1991 murder. Johnson was released from prison in 2004 and awarded a certificate of innocence in 2020.
An additional $6.95 million is set to go to Angel Diaz, who was 21 when he was convicted of a 1995 murder and sentenced to 44 years in prison. Diaz was released from prison in 2010 and awarded a certificate of innocence in 2023.
In addition, taxpayers are set to pay $4.85 million to Ariel Gomez, who was 17 when he was convicted of a 1997 murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Gomez was released on parole in 2017, and his conviction for murder overturned in February 2018.
Finally, $800,000 would go to William Negron, who was 17 when he was convicted of a 1994 murder and sentenced to life in prison. Negron’s conviction was overturned in 2017, and he was released in 2018 after serving his sentence after being convicted of a separate murder in 1994.
Thirteen lawsuits naming Guevara have now been resolved by paying Chicagoans who had been wrongfully convicted of murder $141.3 million. In addition, Chicago taxpayers have paid $47.4 million to attorneys to defend Guevara and the other officers he worked with during his 29-year career.
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More From WTTW News:
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Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American saint, will be honored with a statue in Little Italy’s Arrigo Park, where a statue of Christopher Columbus once stood, Chicago Park District officials announced.
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson’s children gathered outside their family home in Chicago on Wednesday to honor and highlight the life and legacy of their father, the civil rights leader who died Tuesday at the age of 84.
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Back in the Day: February 19, 2016 - Tribune Unearths Photo of Young Bernie Sanders Arrested During Chicago Protest
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A decade ago, the nation was in the midst of a contentious presidential primary election season. On the Democratic side, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was up against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On this day 10 years ago, the Chicago Tribune unearthed a photo of a young Sanders, then a student at the University of Chicago, getting arrested by CPD at a Civil Rights protest. The black-and-white photo, which was discovered that year in the Tribune’s archives, shows a 21-year-old
Sanders being taken by Chicago police toward a police wagon and was confirmed by the Sanders campaign. “Bernie identified it himself,” said Tad Devine, then senior adviser to the campaign. “He looked at it — he actually has his student ID from the University of Chicago in his wallet — and he said, ‘Yes, that indeed is (me).'” Sanders’ time as a student protestor propelled him to a life of public service and activism.
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This Week’s Arts and Culture Events
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Every Thursday, WTTW News newsletter producer Josh Terry highlights his picks for the week’s must-see cultural events.
Chicago has been graced with a welcome “false spring” these past few days. The city’s neighborhoods have been alive with activity: people are out and about, going for strolls, exploring their city comfortably with temperatures that don’t even require a jacket. While it’s supposed to cool down once again this weekend, keep your momentum strong by taking in all the arts and culture events happening around you. These events below are just a small, curated slice of how you can spend your weekend.
Theatre: “Pivot” — Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Since 1995, Edgewater’s excellent Rivendell Theatre Ensemble has highlighted and produced women’s stories. Many of its plays are either written by women or directed by women, and its mission to provide “unflinching and compassionate work that centers women’s* stories while shining a light on societal issues that affect us all” has remained strong. The company kicks off its 30th season with “Pivot,” directed by ensemble member Hallie Gordon and written by Alex Lubischer, a “dark comedy about getting your way, making a scene, and father-daughter dances to the Chicks.” It runs through March 21. Buy tickets here.
Film: Oscar Nominated Shorts — Music Box Theatre
Every year during Oscar season, I try to watch as many of the nominated films as possible. The hardest categories to catch up on are the nominated live-action short films, the animated short films and documentary short films. Thankfully, the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview is screening all three categories this month. The first two, live action and animated, are on the docket this weekend. Check the calendar for all the available screenings following the Friday premiere.
Photography: Alexa Viscius, “Portraits of People Who Make Music” — Epiphany Center for the Arts
One of the city’s best photographers is Alexa Viscius, who’s been documenting Chicago’s music community with a tasteful, expressive and intimate touch for years. More than her local artist peers, she’s also snapped portraits of acts like Big Thief, Cameron Winter and many others. She’s presenting her work at Epiphany Center for the Arts in a show called “Portraits of People Who Make Music.” The opening reception is Sunday, Feb. 22, and it runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. It’s free, but you should RSVP here.
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What is the most underrated Chicago food item?
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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