Illinois Democrats push for last-minute goals as Joe Biden’s era ends

WASHINGTON — One month before President Joe Biden cedes the White House to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, Biden's administration and the Democratic majority in Illinois' congressional delegation are scrambling to check off final items on their to-do lists. The top priorities for those representing the Chicago area on Capitol Hill include pardons for nonviolent offenders, including former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., cracking down on Chinese trade policies and solidifying legal protections for immigrants who might otherwise get caught up in mass deportations promised by Trump. But the congressional timeline is more compressed than usual as Congress is scheduled to…