More than two months ago we posted, “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control.” Shortly thereafter, local community leaders almost universally voiced their opposition to Pritzker’s plan to diminish local control and property values via his “BUILD,” plans.
Needless to say, we were dumbfounded when an email was forwarded to us with the subject line, “Call For Action: Support the BUILD Plan to Increase Inventory.” That message was sent by, “North Shore-Barrington Association of Realtors (NSBAR).” Since most recognize the reputation (many) realtors have, suffice it to say consider the source as we continue…
The NSBAR message begins with, “Please contact your legislator and tell them to support the BUILD Plan to increase housing inventory and ease housing costs for Illinois families.” State Rep. Martin McLaughlin has not been shy in voicing his opposition to Pritzker’s land grab plans stating, “It’s just a bad idea.”
The NSBAR pitch states the BUILD plan will, “Eliminate local housing bans.” One does not need to read further, but those wishing to can do so here.
All we can advise is when buying or selling a home, choose your representative and attorney wisely.
Related: “Village of Barrington President shares perspectives on Pritzker’s BUILD plans,” “(Ignoring public opinion) Pritzker says of BUILD Plan for homes would not cost taxpayers,” “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential It’s just zoning”
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Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Ethics, Fools and their money, Immigration, Land Disconnection, Land Use, OP/Ed, Organizations, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Springfield, Unions, Zoning Board | 2 Comments »
On Monday May 18, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., a meeting conducted by Barrington Community Unit School District 220 will take place at 515 West Main Street, Barrington, IL 60010. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the district’s plan for providing Special Education services to students with disabilities who attend private schools and home schools within the District for the 2026-2027 school year.
If you are a parent of a home-schooled student or a parentally placed private school student who has been or may be identified with a disability and you reside within the boundaries of Barrington Community Unit School District 220, you are urged to attend. If you have further questions pertaining to this meeting, please contact Nicole Kozeneski at (847) 844-4225.
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Posted in 220, Barrington Education Association, Property Taxes, School Districts, Unions | Leave a Comment »
A 10-year-old Goldendoodle, named Maya, died and a Lake Forest family blames Blue Buffalo’s dog food with leading to her death. They have since filed a class action lawsuit in federal court. | Provided Photos
By Sam Borcia | Lake & McHenry County Scanner
A Lake County family has filed a class action lawsuit against Blue Buffalo Company alleging that their dog died from a serious heart disease linked to grain-free dog food that the company sold.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by The G Law Group, along with co-counsel Florek Law, on behalf of plaintiffs Ryan Walsh and Diana Walsh, of Lake Forest.
The suit alleges Blue Buffalo’s grain-free products have repeatedly been linked in scientific studies and FDA investigations to diet-related dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and other adverse cardiac conditions in dogs.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively, often leading to heart failure and death.
The lawsuit complaint references multiple complaints to the FDA regarding the link, as well as research showing that grain-free diets, such as those containing peas, can interfere with taurine absorption.
Taurine is an amino acid that is essential for myocardial health. The plaintiffs’ attorneys say research shows that dogs’ heart function improved after switching from grain-free to grain-inclusive diets and receiving taurine supplementation.
The lawsuit said Blue Buffalo continued to market its products as “the healthiest food possible” made with “the finest natural ingredients” despite thousands of FDA complaints and research linking grain-free dog food to DCM.
Article continues here.
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Posted in Animal Welfare, Lake & McHenry County Scanner, Topics Of Interest | Leave a Comment »
A net of nearly 56,000 people and $6 billion in income left the state in 2023, according to IRS data.
By Bryce Hill | Illinois Policy Institute
Illinoisans who leave take a lot of money with them.
Federal tax returns show the state lost 55,609 people and $6 billion in adjusted gross income on net in 2023, the most recent IRS data available.
Most of those people were high-income. While people of all income levels left Illinois in 2023, the heaviest loss was among those making more than $100,000 a year. They made up 60% of the state’s net migration losses.
The economic impact of those departures is even greater: Filers making more than $100,000 took more than $5.5 billion with them — 90% of the state’s income loss.
Illinois lost residents to 38 states and the District of Columbia in 2023. By far the largest share of individuals and income was lost to Florida, which gained 10,583 residents and $2.4 billion in income from Illinois.
Texas was No. 2, adding 7,795 residents and $488 million in income from Illinois.
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Posted in Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Illinois Policy Institute, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Taxes | Leave a Comment »
The District 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items on their agenda include:
- FOIA Request Report
- Revised Personnel Report
- Consideration to Approve 2026-2027 Meal Prices
- Consideration to Approve 2026-2027 NSLP Food Service Renewal
- Consideration to Approve Transform 220 Bids
- Project Work Order #12 to the Pepper Construction Company Master Agreement
- Consideration to Approve a BHS Athletic Program Donation Agreements
- Grade Level Program Transition Update
- Transform 220 Pre-Construction Update
- Teaching and Learning / Equity Update
A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.
Related: “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency”
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Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions, What the Ficke (Bradford)? | Leave a Comment »
The lease on the BCFPD fire station adjacent to Village Hall is being reviewed according to their agenda. | Courtesy Google maps
The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees meets this evening at 6:30 PM at 22222 N. Pepper Road in Lake Barrington. Topics on their agenda include:
- Station 37 (Barrington Hills) Lease Review
- Local Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) (Type IV) Memorandum of Understanding
A copy of their agenda can be viewed here.
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Posted in Agendas, BCFPD, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Jewel-Osco, Open Meetings Act, Overhead, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, VBHPD | Leave a Comment »
An analysis by WIRED and Indicator found nearly 90 schools and 600 students around the world impacted by AI-generated deepfake nude images—and the problem shows no signs of going away. | PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION: WIRED STAFF; GETTY IMAGES
By Matt Burgess | WIRED
It usually starts with a photo downloaded from social media.
Around the world, teenage boys are saving Instagram and Snapchat images of girls they know from school and using harmful “nudify” apps to create fake nude photos or videos of them. These deepfakes can quickly be shared across whole schools, leaving victims feeling humiliated, violated, hopeless, and scared the images will haunt them forever.
The deepfake crisis hitting schools started slowly a couple of years ago, but it has since grown considerably as the technology used to create the explicit imagery has become more accessible. Deepfake sexual abuse incidents have hit around 90 schools globally and have impacted more than 600 pupils, according to a review of publicly reported incidents by WIRED and Indicator, a publication focusing on digital deception and misinformation.
The findings show that since 2023, schoolchildren—most often boys in high schools—in at least 28 countries have been accused of using generative AI to target their classmates with sexualized deepfakes. The explicit imagery, containing minors, is considered to be child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This analysis is believed to be the first to review real-world cases of AI deepfake abuse taking place at schools globally.
As a whole, the analysis shows the worldwide reach of harmful AI nudification technology, which can earn their creators millions of dollars per year, and shows that in many incidents, schools and law enforcement officials are often not prepared to respond to the serious sexual abuse incidents.
Article continues here.
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Posted in AI, Big Brother, Deception, Education, Ethics, News Media, Privacy, School Districts, TMI, Topics Of Interest, WIRED | Leave a Comment »
Mike Moran, Village of Barrington President
“Barrington has always taken a thoughtful and balanced approach to growth, preserving the character of our neighborhoods while planning responsibly for the future. With that in mind, I am writing to share serious concerns and urge opposition to House Bill (HB) 5626, known as the BUILD legislation. View the full text of the bill and its status here.
This proposal would override local zoning and require municipalities like Barrington to allow multi-family housing on nearly every residential lot.
Local zoning authority grants the Village the power to create and maintain single-family residential districts, which cover most of the Village’s footprint. In these locations today, only single-family homes are permitted. This helps to maintain the existing character and density of our neighborhoods.
What BUILD Would Allow by Lot Size:
Because all single-family residential lots in the Village exceed 5,000 sq. ft., this legislation would allow for any single-family residential lot in the Village to be redeveloped into a 6 or 8-unit building without any ability for the Village to prohibit such redevelopment. In short, if you live in a single-family residential district, the home next to yours could become a 6 or 8-unit apartment building.
This legislation raises several concerns. It removes local control, does not reflect the character of our neighborhoods, and could place additional strain on parking, infrastructure and schools. It also creates the risk that existing single-family homes, including naturally affordable housing, could be replaced by higher-density development, leaving uncertainty about future costs and fees.
Barrington supports responsible growth, but these decisions should remain local and grounded in careful planning. The Village will continue to share updates and information about this legislation in the coming months. I encourage you to visit the Village’s website to stay informed.”
Related: “(Ignoring public opinion) Pritzker says of BUILD Plan for homes would not cost taxpayers,” “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential It’s just zoning”
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Posted in Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, School Districts, Unions, Village Code, Zoning Board | 1 Comment »
Chicago Mayor claims restaurant industry is ‘tied to slavery’
By Elaine Mallon | Fox News
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson linked the restaurant industry to “slavery” Wednesday as he defended his push to eliminate the tipped wage, doubling down after surviving a City Council effort to block the policy.
Johnson’s remarks came after the Chicago City Council failed to override his veto of a measure that would have halted the city’s phaseout of the subminimum wage for tipped workers — a policy set to raise base pay to the full minimum wage by 2028 that is opposed by restaurant owners who warn it could drive up prices and cut jobs.
He called on Chicagoans to “challenge city council not to do stuff like take wages away from Black and Brown people,” saying that most workers in the service industry who rely on tips are minorities.
“You just watched the entire city council, in transparency, try to take wages away from the very people who are part of an industry that has its ties to slavery is hiding from that,” Johnson said. “I am boldly declaring that we need reparations in this city, and that’s why I’m funding it.”
City aldermen voted last month to end the wage increase for tipped workers, but Johnson vetoed it.
Restaurant owners and associations have pushed back on the city’s phaseout of the subminimum wage, saying it will shrink their already tight profit margins. Chicago’s City Council failed to meet the 34-vote requirement to overturn the phaseout.
Johnson’s comments came in response to a question from a person who claimed that Johnson’s Reparations Task Force was not in compliance with Illinois state law, which mandates that all public bodies hold public meetings. Johnson denied the assertion that his task force, which he launched in June 2024, was not being transparent with the public.
Article continues here.
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Posted in Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Entertainment, Fox News, Overhead, Politics, Unions | 2 Comments »
Image courtesy PridesCrossing
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ramped up his campaign for new housing in Illinois, and he expects taxpayers to pitch in.
After announcing the Building Up Illinois Developments Plan during his budget address in February, the governor urged support for it Friday at the City Club of Chicago.
Pritzker said the BUILD Plan is ambitious and comprehensive.
“It’s designed to eliminate unnecessary barriers and lower costs for housing construction and renovation, produce a wider range of family-friendly housing types and streamline permitting,” the governor said.
Pritzker said Illinois faces a gap of more than 142,000 housing units and needs to build about 225,000 units over the next five years.
The governor said most of the BUILD Plan would not cost taxpayers anything, but he said there would be an investment.
“The BUILD Plan also includes about $250 million to help spur development of housing and help people to afford housing,” Pritzker said.
Article continues here.
Related: “Gov. JB Pritzker’s ambitious housing plan for Illinois: More four-flats, looser rules,” “Pritzker to propose statewide zoning laws to spur homebuilding, limit local control,” “McLaughlin’s press conference video recording regarding Pritzker’s proposed municipal zoning powers grab posted,” “‘It’s just a bad idea’: Suburban officials oppose Pritzker’s plan to reduce local control over residential It’s just zoning”
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Posted in Clown Car, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, FUBAR, Mad Cows, New Normal?, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Springfield, Taxes, The Center Square, Topics Of Interest, Zoning Board | Leave a Comment »
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