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* Now to your morning briefing…

* Sun-Times | Medicare Advantage health plans dodged auditors, overcharged taxpayers millions: A review of 90 government audits reveals the plans have repeatedly tried to get around mandates to document medical conditions the government paid them to treat.

* WCIA | Sen. Bennett’s therapy dog law still making big impact, comforting child victims in Illinois: Prosecutors often hire victim advocates to help comfort victims, Sangamon county’s top victim advocate is so good, he doesn’t have to say a word to do his job. Gibson is a certified therapy dog. He was hired back in 2017, and since then, he’s made a huge impact.

* WAND | Sen. Bennett to be honored at Wreaths Across America: Wreaths Across America honors those buried in national cemeteries in all 50 states including the Danville National Cemetery. On Saturday 4,000 wreaths will be laid on graves with a special wreath honoring State Senator Scott Bennett.

* WILL 100 | Growing Asian American representation in the Illinois Statehouse : Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial demographic in Illinois. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Asians make up almost six percent of the state’s population. It also estimated the number of Asian people in Illinois increased by almost a quarter in the prior decade. But for all that growth, representation in state government has lagged. It was only in 2016 that the Illinois General Assembly had its first Asian American representative elected to office.

* Ted Slowik | Lawmakers on both sides face political pressure to oppose Illinois gun violence bill: This week, however, mainstream media paid modest attention to the testimony of survivors who spoke about the human toll of gun violence. It was one small step in a long struggle to wrest control of the narrative and talk about the human pain and suffering caused by guns, for a change.

* The Center Square | Supporters, opponents of Illinois gun-ban legislation prepare for fight: In the ongoing debate around proposed gun control legislation at the Illinois statehouse, advocacy groups on both sides are working to advance their positions… “The ISRA will not be entering into any negotiations on this piece of legislation,” Lombardo said in a video posted to the group’s website. “You’ve wanted to draw a line in the sand for a long time? OK. Now it’s time to draw that line. We will see the state of Illinois in court if this law is enacted. But we have a problem.”

* Crain’s | As Stellantis mulls Belvidere’s future, Pritzker moves to sweeten new EV incentives: Under the measure, expected to be put to a vote in the General Assembly’s January lame-duck session, Gov. J.B. Pritzker would get the huge “deal-closing fund” that other governors have. Insiders say the lack of such a fund recently cost the state a battery plant which, instead, was won by Michigan. The amount is being negotiated with General Assembly leaders, but Pritzker has suggested he’d like to have as much as $1 billion on hand to match offers from other states.

* WCSJ News | Departing Morris State Rep and Wife Now Own Local Business: Morris residents Ashley and David Welter purchased RE/MAX Top Properties from Vicki Geiger and Tana Nordaker on November 28th, 2022. Ashley Welter is the President and will be running the day-to-day operations of the office while pursuing her broker’s license. David Welter has been a broker with the office since October 2018.

* WTVO | New Illinois laws take effect Jan 1, 2023 after carjackings increase 767%: The first law makes it illegal to possess anything that unlocks or starts a car–other than a key fob– without permission of the owner. Such devices are considered burglary tools, the law states. Another law ensures that carjacking victims are not liable for violations or fees involving their stolen vehicles. The third provision that goes into effect on Jan. 1 provides grants and financial support to municipalities to assist with the identification, apprehension and prosecution of carjackers and the recovery of stolen vehicles.

* Tammy Duckworth | President Biden, make site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riots a national monument:Last year, along with my fellow Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, I introduced legislation that would designate the site of the 1908 Race Riots as a national monument. And while despite our efforts, Congressional gridlock has thus far prevented the bill from passing, there is still another path forward. The President can bypass that stalemate and give the bill an alternative way ahead through the Antiquities Act: a law that empowers the President to designate federal lands as national monuments in the hope of preserving and protecting spaces of historical or cultural significance.

* Sun-Times | Mayoral hopefuls agree solving crime is the answer — no matter what the question: Candidates often veered back to crime and public safety when answering questions on the CTA, businesses leaving the city and other matters at the forum, which was held on the Northwest Side.

* WGLT | Connie Beard to resign as McLean County Republican Party chair: Beard said she was resigning “due to a local change of residence and family needs.” The move comes about a month after a disappointing election for McLean County Republicans, in which Democrats achieved an even power-sharing split on the County Board and won seats representing Bloomington-Normal in the U.S. House, Illinois House, and Illinois Senate. Beard herself said “it makes no sense in sugarcoating the results,” which she called a “disappointment.”

* Lake Forester | Lake Forest mayoral race taking shape; ‘I think this is a really crucial time for the city’: Lake Forest is set to have a spirited mayoral race next year as former Alderwoman Prue Beidler has announced an independent candidacy, thus taking on the hierarchy of the Lake Forest Caucus.

* Sun-Times | Jury awards CPD whistleblower nearly $1 million: Isaac Lambert’s lawyers had sought as much as $2 million for veteran detective who was demoted for speaking out about 2017 shooting of an unarmed teen by an off-duty officer.

* Sun-Times | Ald. Sigcho-Lopez calls for hearings on CPD officer suspended over ties to the Proud Boys: The department’s handling of the probe “points out a much bigger problem about how internal affairs — and how, in general, the police department — is accountable to the public,” the alderperson said.

* Block Club Chicago | Proco Joe Moreno Should Be Kicked Off 1st Ward Ballot, Objectors Argue In Complaint: Two neighbors of candidate Sam Royko are challenging Moreno’s bid for office in part because of his criminal history, while a longtime backer of the former alderperson also is trying to get Royko tossed from the race.

* Washington Post | New penalties for companies that illegally fire workers who unionize: Companies that illegally fire or demote unionizing workers can now be held responsible for workers’ financial demise — including credit card late fees, lost housing or cars and health-care costs — in a move that could help some workers who have been fired from Starbucks and Amazon, labor activists say.

* In These Times | Crypto Predators Wage Class War with a Smile: This conjured aura of an urgent fear-of-missing-out propels entire industries. Billions of dollars can be made cultivating people’s fear that an opportunity is passing them by. It amounts to an entire chunk of the economy that does little more than pull up next to consumers in a mysterious van and yell, ​“No time to explain — get in!”

* Democracy Docket | New York Enacts Law To Count Valid Ballots Cast at Incorrect Polling Locations: On Tuesday, Dec. 6, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed into law S 284, which requires election officials to count provisional ballots cast by eligible voters who voted at the wrong precinct, but within the correct county and assembly district. Previously, New York would reject all ballots cast at incorrect polling locations, one of the factors that has contributed to New York’s exceedingly high ballot rejection rate, the third highest in the nation in 2020.

* CBS Chicago | NBA unveils the ‘Michael Jordan Trophy’ for the MVP: The NBA unveiled the newly designed “Michael Jordan Trophy,” on Tuesday, along with five other trophies trophies named after NBA legends. The winners will be presented to the end-of-season Kia Performance Award winners.