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It’s a new week. Start it off right with these stories from WTTW News. |
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(Graphic by WTTW News) |
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Open enrollment for health insurance in Illinois through the Affordable Care Act began Saturday and ends Jan. 15, with special enrollment for pregnant people available at all times during the year.
Monthly premiums for 2026 plans are expected to be higher for those enrolling in ACA exchange plans because COVID-era subsidies are expiring. Originally established in the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, these subsidies were used to lower costs for ACA plans. The Trump administration has sought to cut the subsidies to reduce federal spending.
One of the major issues behind the current government shutdown is that Democrats want to preserve the subsidies to ensure that millions across the nation continue to be insured.
The Illinois Department of Insurance has released estimates around what might happen if the subsidies expire and what that could mean for residents who are insured through Affordable Care Act exchange plans.
What to know:
Nearly 550,000 Illinoisans are enrolled in ACA exchange plans through Get Covered Illinois, the state-run marketplace for health insurance. The goal is to create an accessible platform for residents to buy and compare plans best suited for their needs. 91% of those enrolled benefit from the subsidies as recipients of enhanced premium tax credits.
Residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans are expected to pay, on average, nearly 80% more for health insurance. Estimates show that Lake County will expect to have a 47% increase in monthly costs, Kane County 66%, DuPage County 71%, Will County 83% and Cook County 95%. The estimated price hikes would heavily impact rural Illinois, with an estimated 274% increase in monthly premiums for Jackson County and 456% in Effingham County.
Ann Gillespie, director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, said the Trump administration’s policies to cut Medicaid spending, eliminate subsidies and establish higher tariffs are “already causing ripples throughout the health care market, including in the commercial market, because as people are preparing — particularly providers, hospitals and physicians — for the big drop in revenue they’re going to have with the hits, they’re reexamining their rates that they charge commercial carriers.” |
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Tear gas cannot be used in combat, according to an international chemical weapons treaty, but it is not prohibited as a “riot control agent.” (Bobislav / iStock) |
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Federal agents’ use of tear gas during immigration enforcement raids has drawn intense scrutiny in Chicago. Late last month, it was dispersed in the Old Irving Park neighborhood as many residents were on their way to a Halloween parade. But the deployment of these chemicals — referred to as “riot control agents” — has long come under question by human rights organizations.
Here’s a look at the history of tear gas and why it remains so controversial.
What exactly is tear gas?
For starters, it’s not a “gas.” It’s actually a liquid or solid, released as droplets or particles. Tear gas tends to be classified as a “chemical irritant,” and the term itself, per the Centers for Disease Control, is often used interchangeably to refer to a variety of substances, including pepper spray, that have short-term effects on the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs and/or skin.
What does tear gas do?
According to the Physicians for Human Rights, tear gas/chemical irritants “cause pain and inflammation via multiple mechanisms. These agents work on pain and temperature receptors to cause sensations of burning and severe pain.”
Under certain conditions, reactions can be more severe, resulting in injury or death, depending on a person’s exposure and underlying health issues, how much of the chemical was released and whether the space in which it was released is enclosed. The long-term health effects haven’t been well studied.
Why is tear gas legal?
The Chemical Weapons Convention — an international arms control treaty signed by nearly 200 countries including the United States — bans the use of tear gas (or “riot control agents”) in combat. But the convention does not prohibit the use of tear gas when it comes to “law enforcement including domestic riot control.”
This seeming contradiction has long been pointed to as a significant flaw within the Chemical Weapons Convention, leaving the use of tear gas open to interpretation and abuse. |
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Protesters gather outside an ICE processing facility in the Chicago suburb of Broadview, Ill., Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh) |
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Detainees at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in suburban Broadview have been blocked from speaking with legal counsel and subjected to “inhumane” conditions during their incarceration, a new lawsuit alleges.
The suit, brought on behalf of Broadview detainees Pablo Moreno Gonzalez and Felipe Agustin Zamacona by the MacArthur Justice Center and the ACLU of Illinois, claims ICE officials have “cut off detainees from the outside world” by preventing them from making confidential phone calls to their lawyer or a prospective lawyer.
“By blocking access to detainees inside Broadview, Defendants have created a black box in which to disappear people from the U.S. justice and immigration systems,” the lawsuit states.
Federal prosecutors in the case revealed during a hearing Friday afternoon that both Moreno Gonzalez and Zamacona were transferred out of Broadview to a jail in Kansas early Friday morning, just hours after the lawsuit was filed.
U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman granted a request from the attorneys representing the men ordering their return to the Northern District of Illinois. That may mean the men are sent back to Broadview, where they would remain held while they seek a Habeas Corpus petition granting their release.
Gettleman also ordered that federal authorities must take all steps to allow attorneys access to Moreno Gonzalez and Zamacona, saying no attorney should be kept away from their clients, “particularly in a case of this magnitude.”
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Back in the Day: November 3, 1995 - Dennis Rodman Debuts for the Chicago Bulls, Team Kicks Off Historic 72-Win Championship Season
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After three consecutive championships from 1991 to 1993, the Chicago Bulls needed a spark. By fall 1995, they had spent most of the past two seasons without their superstar Michael Jordan, thanks to an unsuccessful career pivot playing professional baseball, and had been knocked out of the playoffs twice. With Air Jordan back on the team, in the offseason, they decided to add an extra piece in the flamboyant defensive stalwart Dennis Rodman. The ex-Pistons player made his debut for the Bulls on this day 30 years ago on Nov. 3, 1995. In a season-opening match against the Charlotte Hornets, Rodman grabbed 11 rebounds in the 105-91 victory. Michael Jordan scored 42, kickstarting a historic season for the Bulls. They’d become the first team to notch 70 wins in NBA history and cruise to another championship season. Want more Bulls history? Watch this 1995 “Chicago Tonight” segment featuring Phil Ponce leading a roundtable discussion on the Rodman signing.
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This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings |
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
University of Chicago
Join the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy for two events called “Inequality Reconsidered: A Week with the Stone Center.” On Tuesday, the school will host Samuel Bowles, one of the most influential scholars of socioeconomic inequality, for a talk called “The Origin and Future of Economic Inequality.” On Thursday, Bowles will join scholar Steven Durlauf for a roundtable discussion on “Why Economic Inequalities Endure.” Register for both events here.
CTA
The Chicago Transit Authority Board is seeking public comment before it considers a new transit bill passed in Springfield. A 6:30 p.m. public hearing will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at CTA headquarters. If you want to submit a comment, written statements must be submitted by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, while those who want to give oral statements should register before the hearing, by completing and submitting a Request to Speak form online at transitchicago.com/finance by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. More details can be found here.
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Spend a part of your week volunteering with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. They’re looking for a variety of donations and volunteers. Check their website for how you can help. |
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What’s your favorite cocktail bar in the Chicago area? Tell us where and why. |
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published. |
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry |
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