CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued Executive Order 2026 – 04 to strengthen guardrails across state government, prohibiting state employees from using nonpublic information to participate or assist any person in prediction markets and event-based contracts. Illinois is doubling down on its commitment to a transparent and ethical government by bolstering its current state laws to prevent insider trading amid the rapid growth of online prediction markets and event-based gambling contracts. "Prediction markets have rapidly grown into a space where people can bet on real-world events without any oversight, including events people can influence,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This opens the door to insider trading and abuse of confidential information. While the Trump Administration continues to be riddled with stories of appointees looking to make a profit, Illinois is stepping up to ensure those who are serving the public not their own personal financial gain.”

Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order today banning state employees from using insider information to bet on prediction markets:

What would be your advice for someone moving to Chicago?

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Had the biggest jump scare ever when I saw my TikTok comment being reposted on tumblr 😩😩

Pritzker: Housing plan key to 'future of the state' - Evanston Now Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma signals support, saying it would take a divisive conversation "out of our hands."

New from me:

Pritzker on his BUILD Plan:
“When you run into people who are maybe opposed to this, ask them, 'What are we going to do then? What is the alternative?' There really isn’t a good alternative to this.”

to no one’s surprise i am still a zutara shipper

(No I haven’t forgotten about the 2008 SDCC video Bryke made to make fun of zutara shippers. Such weirdo behavior)

It’s so weird whenever the creators of a show have beef with their fandoms. Like wdym Bryke is STILL beefing with the Zutara fandom? It’s just a ship (mind you, a ship that has kept the ALTA fandom alive for YEARS), chill out.

Over $22M spent in House primary - Evanston Now Winner Daniel Biss was outspent by his two top opponents in race to succeed Schakowsky.

Between campaign expenditures and outside spending, over $22 million was spent in the 9th district Democratic primary to succeed Evanston congresswoman Jan Schakowsky

From me:
evanstonnow.com/over-22m-spe...

If you need a reminder about what the outside spending looked like as a whole:

AIPAC's shells ended up spending over $7 million, with more than half that in pro-Fine ads, and then about an even split of anti-Biss and anti-Abughazaleh

My first day as a Bluesky engineer, I hope everything's going okay!

zutara cathedrals everywhere

Love this! Cat-holicism wins! I'm feline that it's Cat-astrophic for Trump fur sure! 😏🐾

This super PAC is a quarterly-filing super PAC, so it only files every three months (probs won't ever spend money again, but that's another point)

Because it was formed and funded until after Dec. 31, 2025, it was able to hide its donors until today

Tell your Congressional rep to oppose H.R.8250. There are different reasons you can give your rep for opposing it. I told my rep to oppose it because it will lead to more data breaches. Just last week I received an email that I'm a Settlement Class Member in another data breach lawsuit.

So I'll definitely do a closer look at who spent what and where they spent it, but the most interesting thing that jumps out at me first is staff:

Laura Fine paid a salary to almost 30 people
Kat Abughazaleh paid a salary to 12 people
Daniel Biss paid a salary to 4 people

Evanston learned Flock was sharing data with other communities that then shared data with ICE, so mayor/Congressman-elect Daniel Biss canceled the contract for violating the terms, & had city workers cover up the cameras until Flock retrieved them.

$48.68 per vote

$104.65 per vote

“The pope is incorrect on matters of theology” is actually a pretty common take among American trad caths 😭😭

Something something he’s not speaking ex cathedra something something discipline not dogma 🫠

Probably the second most popular Catholic call & response chant tbh

(The most popular one is God is God! All the time!)

This actually already is a pretty common Catholic chant!!

Back in my “Catholic Camp counselor” days, I would do a call and response to this to get the kids to pay attention

With all the news about Trump beefing with the pope, this is my PSA to GO LISTEN TO GEN Z EX CATHOLICS! We have a unique perspective of the far right sect of the church because we were thrust into it with the rise of American Catholic media and missionary companies like Ascension Presents & FOCUS

Remember when Bishop Barron was just some dude on relevant radio? Yeah, me too 🫠🫠🫠🫠

Catholic Media LOOOOOVES converts. It’s why so many of apologists / speakers at Catholic conferences tend to be dominated by converts & reverts

JD Vance doesn’t understand what it feels like to be scrupulous all the time

Going to start a thread on final FEC reports for IL9 as they roll in over the next 24 hours

First up, State Rep. Hoan Huynh, who chose not to run for reelection in Springfield but placed 7th last month

Raised Q1 2026: $25k
Spent Q1 2026: $398k
COH: $9.35
docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/form...

Official government website of the Illinois General Assembly Welcome to the Official government website of the Illinois General Assembly

Seriously though, this preview of what members of the ILGA want THE ENTIRE INTERNET to look like if they pass @jbpritzker.bsky.social’s ‘Digital Age Assurance’ law HB 5511.

www.ilga.gov/Legislation/...

A new office cat joined this week. Steve is doing the onboarding. Steve loves cats.

Circuit breaker pitch fails in close vote - Evanston Now But Wesley tenants may get more help.

New from @amartinez99.bsky.social and me:

Last night, the Evanston City Council rejected a pitch from 1st Ward Ald. Clare Kelly to create a local property tax circuit breaker for qualified homeowners who have owned a home for 15+ years, providing property tax relief

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