February 27, 2026/

Illinois quick hits: Chicago debt deal pushes payments down road

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Chicago debt deal pushes payments down road

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is reportedly structuring the city’s debt with a deal that makes no payments for the next three-plus years. The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board found that the city is preparing to solicit bond investors for more than $500 million to cover back pay owed to firefighters and anticipated costs to settle lawsuits.

The report says the cost of the debt is likely to rise as investors demand higher yields in response to Chicago’s precarious financial condition.

Man sentence to 15 years for producing child porn

A district judge has sentenced a Richland County man to 28 years in federal prison plus 15 years of supervised release after he admitted to producing child pornography.

According to court documents, a mother discovered cell phone video of her 13-year-old engaging in sexual acts with Joseph Jared St. Pierre, 37, of Olney in July 2024.

State Reparations Commission issues report

The Illinois African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission has released a 294-page document examining how slavery and its vestiges produce historical harms and continue to generate inequities for Black Illinoisans.

The commission said the report will help inform debate over how to repair and redress the damage. The report authors said it was beyond the scope of the document to determine what the remedies should be.

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