Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Enraging…
Related…
I think some of those 2023 employment numbers may actually be too high.
* Quad City Times…
The future of Moline’s long-planned passenger rail to Chicago now appears to rest with Amtrak.
Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati announced Monday that negotiations had broken down between the Illinois Department of Transportation and Iowa Interstate Railroad in the state’s quest to access the rail line for Moline-to-Chicago passenger service.
“We’re here to make sure our constituents know that the Iowa Interstate Railroad appears more interested in corporate welfare and someone else paying the bill for their track improvements than in being a good partner and bringing passenger rail to Moline,” Rayapati said.
Scroll down…
“We have certainly offered to assist Illinois DOT in these negotiations,” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said. “We have made the offer several times.”
Asked whether the Illinois DOT had taken up Amtrak’s offer, Magliari declined to say.
Um.
* Much of this is the times, part of this is that the police pulled back on arrests and part of this is just downright mismanagement of human and fiscal resources…
* Speaking of gross mismanagement…
* National Politico…
President Biden, well-placed sources tell me, may endorse Lightfoot if she makes the runoff against Vallas, but that could prove of little comfort if she finds herself in third (or worse) Tuesday.
Biden won the city with 82.5 percent.
Not sure what this means, unless it’s that Vallas hasn’t been truly called out on this, which would be accurate…
That the first Black woman to be mayor of this racially fractured city is judged more harshly by some than her white male predecessors is self-evident, look no further than the racist and homophobic tweets Vallas is now facing criticism for “liking.”
* Press release…
– The journey to equality must push forward. On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, along with constitutional experts, ERA advocates, and U.S. senators testified before the full Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing entitled, “The Equal Rights Amendment: How Congress Can Recognize Ratification and Enshrine Equality in Our Constitution.”
Stratton’s testimony focused on the need to give concrete voice and constitutional protection against gender discrimination regardless of race or socioeconomic background. She highlighted the entrenched disparities that continue to impact women, particularly women of color, that bring urgency to the efforts for gender equality.
“We simply cannot be our best selves as Americans, if we don’t proactively and intentionally seek ways to strengthen freedoms,” Stratton said.
In 2018, then-State Representative Juliana Stratton joined a bipartisan vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Illinois. When combined with the ratifications of Virginia and Nevada, the constitutional threshold required for it to become part of the Constitution was met.
On January 31, 2023, Chair and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin joined a bicameral, bipartisan group of his colleagues to unveil the introduction of a joint resolution affirming the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Stratton is raising her voice, not only as Lt. Governor, but as the mother of four daughters, and for the generations of women and girls to come, who deserve to be seen as equals. Please find key quotes from her testimony and background on the ERA.
KEY STRATTON QUOTES AS DELIVERED
“We live with the stark reality that despite being the most educated demographic in the United States, Black women are only paid 64 cents for every dollar paid to white men. There should be stronger remedies to make sure women, all women, are paid an equal wage based on their abilities and qualifications without discrimination based on sex.”
“We are seeing the eroding of women’s rights and their ability to determine what is best for their futures. Recent events have shown us all too well how easily decades of progress can be erased when our rights are not guaranteed by the Constitution.”
“Make no mistake: Should the ERA pass, it will not guarantee that women will be treated equally overnight. We all know, for example, that the struggle continues for racial justice and equal rights for Black people and other people of color under the 14th Amendment and women will also need to remain vigilant. But we need a firm foundation for equality that is long overdue.”
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Reuters | Some US Caterpillar workers plan possible strike once contract expires : - Union workers at four Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) U.S. facilities have threatened to strike for wage increases, improved safety measures and better healthcare benefits once a six-year labor contract expires this week. The contract, which covers roughly 7,000 union employees represented by the United Auto Workers at three manufacturing plants in central Illinois and a parts and distribution center in York, Pennsylvania, will end on March 1.
* Healthcare Dive | Illinois nurses file class action lawsuit against Ascension over wage issues: The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Illinois last week, pointed to Ascension’s cost-cutting practices more broadly, claiming that the Missouri-based nonprofit Catholic health system engages in “a variety of improper cost-cutting practices” in order to maximize its revenue and executive compensation, despite having $18 billion in cash reserves.
* Crain’s | Target and Solo Cup are opening huge warehouses in the southwest suburbs: In the larger deal, Target confirmed it has leased a 1.2-million-square-foot industrial building under construction in the Third Coast Intermodal Hub, an industrial park under construction in Joliet. It’s the biggest industrial lease in the Chicago area in more than two years and part of a multiyear expansion of Target’s local distribution network.
* Press release | State of Illinois Launches Coalition in Effort to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis in Illinois: The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) launched a new effort today to eliminate viral hepatitis in Illinois. The Illinois Hepatitis Coalition held its inaugural meeting, bringing together key stakeholders - including clinicians, academic researchers, and community partners - with the goal of formulating an equity-driven strategic plan to end the viral hepatitis epidemic in the state. The work of the coalition is funded through a $1.5 million federal grant.
* NYT | Why Chicago’s Mayoral Election Matters, Even if You Don’t Live in Chicago: America’s cities increasingly face similar problems, particularly worries about crime and hangovers from the pandemic. That’s why the mayor’s election in Chicago on Tuesday is about more than Chicago.
* Fox | Feds raid suburban Chicago home of businessman who ran for state office: The amounts Regnier and Keranen allegedly received in unemployment benefits, Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program loans totaled to at least $400,000. Regnier previously ran for election, looking to fill Illinois’ 1st Congressional District seat in the U.S. House, but lost the race last June.
* Illinois Newsroom | Some school board candidates this year are pushing to limit lessons on Black history. Where do Champaign Unit 4 candidates stand?: Some conservative groups are mobilizing in Illinois school districts against what they call “critical race theory,” or teaching about systemic racism. With early voting for April 4 school board elections underway, we asked the Champaign Unit 4 Board of Education candidates for their positions on the topic.
* BGA | Chicago’s City Council Spends One-Third of Its Meetings on Honorary Speeches: Chicago’s City Council is off to a slow start in 2023: Only about 40% of its time in session so far this year – or about two of every five hours between the opening and closing gavels– has been spent legislating. The other 60% was spent noting significant birthdays, retirements, tributes and other non-binding resolutions.
* Crain’s | Red ink threatens Allstate’s stock-buyback machine: Northbrook-based Allstate spent $2.5 billion on share repurchases last year despite posting a $1.4 billion net loss. In response, Allstate has slowed buybacks slightly. A $5 billion repurchase program that was supposed to be completed by the end of March has been extended through September. There was $802 million left on that authorization at year-end, and CEO Tom Wilson has said that will be completed.
* Crain’s | State Farm isn’t done raising auto rates: State Farm is raising rates for Illinois drivers it insures by 6.5% on average. The rate hike, the latest in a series from the state’s largest auto insurer, will add about $58 to the annual premium for the average policyholder, according to a filing with the Illinois Department of Insurance.
* NYT | What Layoffs? Many Employers Are Eager to Hang On to Workers.: Despite a year of aggressive interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve aimed at taming inflation, and signs that the red-hot labor market is cooling off, most companies have not taken the step of cutting jobs. Outside of some high-profile companies mostly in the tech sector, such as Google’s parent Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft, layoffs in the economy as a whole remain remarkably, even historically, rare.
* Tribune | ‘The Black guy dies first’: A Northwestern provost is our leading expert on representation in horror movies: “I get asked a lot about the renaissance of Black horror as connected to ‘Get Out,’” Coleman said, “and I lean into it, but at the same time, as the title of ‘Horror Noire’ says, Black people were showing up in horror for more than a century. Not always in great ways, of course. In caricatures. But unlike ‘Get Out,’ there are those Black horror films that didn’t win an Oscar but are beloved. Like Rusty Cundieff — Black folks know him.” His “Tales from the Hood” anthology horror films (executive produced by Spike Lee) have taken on abusive policing, gangs, white supremacy and the murder of Emmett Till.
* CNN | The 10 biggest revelations from Dominion’s explosive Fox News legal filing: Murdoch rejected that Fox News, as an entity, endorsed former President Donald Trump’s election lies. But Murdoch conceded that Sean Hannity, Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and former host Lou Dobbs promoted falsehoods about the 2020 presidential contest being stolen.
* Media Matters | On CNN, Kara Swisher discusses how Rupert Murdoch let Fox News hosts lie about the election: Swisher: Well I’m just completely shocked having worked for him for many years. This is ridiculous. They lied. That’s all. I mean it’s very simple as they knew what they were doing. They did it anyway. He used the term green. He did it for the money. He did it for the ratings and he could have stopped it and he nonetheless didn’t. And the distinction between — that he was trying to make there between people that work for him, sort of sounds a little like Donald Trump. Who are these people? I don’t know who they are.
* Reuters | US Supreme Court conservatives question Biden student debt relief: Under the plan, the U.S. government would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student debt for Americans making under $125,000 who took out loans to pay for college and other post-secondary education and $20,000 for recipients of Pell grants awarded to students from lower-income families.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release from yesterday…
On Monday, Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch traveled to the White House for a roundtable discussion with the historic five Black speakers from across the country. This meeting provided an opportunity for the speakers to discuss policy priorities and how to effectively work with the Biden administration.
“I truly enjoyed this roundtable discussion with fellow history makers as we aim to strengthen our working relationship with each other and this administration,” said Speaker Welch. “We are all ‘firsts’ in our states’ political history; like those before us who first blazed trails into the halls of power, we carry the expectation that we use these opportunities afforded to us to create more opportunities for all those who will follow us. We feel the ever-pressing desire to build a more equitable and just society in each of our respective states, and we know that if we work together, consensus can be built. I’m grateful that we have the luxury of working with a president who has been a partner to Black history makers, and who is fighting to protect everyone – no matter where you’re from, the color of your skin, how you choose to worship, or whom you love. Despite current efforts in other states to repeal our progress or hide from our history, we must use our collective voices to push forward in our daunting, yet noble cause to build a more perfect union.”
Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, hosted Speaker Welch, Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross of Maine, Speaker Adrienne Jones of Maryland, Speaker Joe Tate of Michigan, and Speaker Carl Heastie of New York.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris have ushered in some of the most significant federal legislation in decades and recognize the importance of a federal-state partnership to implement many of these critical laws,” said Director Chavez Rodriguez. “From economic opportunity, including lowering costs and expanding housing access and affordability, to voting rights, gun violence prevention, criminal justice reform, and reproductive rights, Administration and state leaders are aligned on an ambitious policy agenda.”
Monday’s discussion included open, candid conversations about challenges each respective state is facing, while also celebrating the progress that’s been made collectively as a nation. Speaker Welch highlighted Illinois’ historic criminal justice reform legislation, the assault weapons ban, efforts to rebuild Illinois’ fiscal house, and the state’s commitment to protect a woman’s right to choose.
* Coverage from The Grio…
The New York speaker said he would also like to see the federal government forgive some of the $8 billion in unemployment loan debt his state owes the federal government.
“The federal government was very generous in helping the states throughout the pandemic, but every state doesn’t have the same need,” Heastie asserted. “If we were able to forgive the debt, it would be a tremendous boost to small businesses who are still struggling throughout the pandemic.”
My first reaction when I read that quote yesterday was, “No way! Illinois got itself out of its UI hole and NY should, too!”
Then I stopped myself because I realized I sounded like people in other states when a certain Illinois Senate President asked DC for a pension bailout.
Heh.
* The Question: Is there anything specific you’d like DC to do for Illinois right now? Explain your reasoning.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Oof…
* WTVO…
A new bill in Springfield would increase penalties for people who harm Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) workers.
The measure would make committing Aggravated Battery against a DCFS worker on the job a felony. It would apply to people 21 and older.
The proposal, called the “Knight-Silas Legacy Act,” comes one year after Diedre Silas was stabbed to death while on a welfare visit.
State Senator Doris Turner, the bill’s sponsor, said that this is a protection for those workers. […]
She introduced the proposal last year. It made it through the Senate, but not the House.
* Senate President Don Harmon…
Proposes to amend the Judiciary Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that a Public Defender shall be appointed for each county in 2024 and every fourth year thereafter for a four-year term. Provides that in counties with a population of 1,000,000 or more the appointment shall be made by the president of the county’s board of commissioners with the advice and consent of the county board. Provides that the appointing authorities in other counties are the Circuit Judges of the Circuit Court of the Judicial Circuit in which the county is located. Authorizes 2 or more adjoining counties in the same Judicial Circuit, by joint resolution, to create a common Public Defender’s office for the counties joined. Requires individuals who are appointed as a Public Defender to be United States citizens who are licensed to practice law in the State. Specifies that the Public Defender’s salary is to be set by law. Effective upon being declared adopted.
* Illinois Newsroom…
State Representative Mike Marron is one of many Republicans critical of Governor J-B Pritzker’s ambitious budget proposals to add new state spending for education, childcare, and anti-poverty efforts. […]
In Danville, Marron filed House Bill 2200, to help the city obtain $10 million in state funding to extend water and sewer lines to the Batestown along U.S. Route 150 just west of the city. […]
Another proposal (HB2199) would provide $10 million to help pay for a railroad viaduct over Curtis Road — and a one-mile “complete streets” renovation of the road — in the Champaign suburb of Savoy. The road gained importance when it was linked to I-57 in 2010. Windsor Road on the northern border of Savoy is its only east-west road with a viaduct, allowing it to pass unobstructed beneath Canadian National railroad tracks that run through the town. Marron says train traffic blocking traffic on Curtis Road a mile south of Windsor effectively splits Savoy in two, slowing the response time for first responders trying to get from one side of the town to the other. […]
In filing House Bill 2201, Marron would like $2.5 million in state funds to demolish vacant buildings at the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. They were last used by Lincoln’s Challenge Academy, which moved to new buildings built nearby in 2018. But Rantoul village administrator Scott Eisenhauer said while available funding paid for construction the new Lincoln’s Challenge buildings, there was no money to demolish the old ones.
* Illinois News Joint…
September 19, 2022, a ruling by the Appellate Court of Illinois (Third District) delivered the judgment that the “smell of burnt cannabis” alone did not provide an “officer with probable cause to search the vehicle.” According to Associate Judge Daniel P. Dalton of the Whiteside County Court, the decision hinged “on the changing landscape of cannabis law.” During this session of the 103rd General Assembly, three bills dealing with the smell of burnt or raw cannabis in a motor vehicle may solidify that Appellate Court ruling.
The same day of the Appellate Court decision, Senator Don Harmon sponsored an amendment to the Illinois Vehicle Code and Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. On January 24, 2023, Sen. Rachel Ventura filed with the Secretary SB0125, and February 7,2023, Rep. Curtis J. Tarver, II filed with the Clerk HB1205.
SB0125 amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and provides that “the odor of burnt or raw cannabis in a motor vehicle by itself shall not constitute probable cause for the search of a motor vehicle or person.” After the first reading of the bill, SB0125 was referred to Assignments.
HB1205 provides that “if a motor vehicle is driven or occupied by an individual 21 years of age or over, a law enforcement officer may not search or inspect the motor vehicle, its contents, the driver, or the passenger solely because a law enforcement officer or a police dog trained in the detection of cannabis smelled that cannabis is present in the private motor vehicle. Provides that a defendant aggrieved by such an unlawful search and seizure may move the court for the return of property and to suppress as evidence anything so obtained.”
* Daily Herald…
For me, part of the draw of attending school in Illinois is the beauty of my campus — situated right on Lake Michigan, with grassy beaches and beautiful sunsets over the water. The unseen, zoomed-in version of that picture perfect scene, however, is the microtrash, the plastic pieces, the styrofoam that litter the lake’s shoreline.
It is this plastic, this unnecessary trash, that can and should be banned with the passing of a polystyrene foam ban by the Illinois state legislature. There is no legitimate purpose to single-use plastics; they are discarded, forgotten about, and (rarely) recycled in a pattern that perpetuates our destruction of the environment.
Illinois’ environment cannot afford the barrage of plastics, and we must begin to phase out plastics, starting with a ban on polystyrene foam.
Plastics not only litter our beaches, but they also litter humans and animals’ bodies. Recycled at a
rate of only 0.4%, single-use plastics easily break down into smaller pieces and are ingested by pets, and even by people themselves.
These plastics destroy the natural beauty of our state, they perpetuate a cycle of waste and they poison our bodies. It is now up to our state legislators to do their part to protect the environment and our bodies by supporting a ban on single-use polystyrene foam.
* Rep. Fran Hurley‘s HB4003…
Amends the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act. Provides that the mayor or president of the board of trustees of each city, village, or incorporated town and the president or chairman of the county board shall be the local cannabis control commissioner for his or her respective city, village, incorporated town, or county. Provides that the mayor, president of the board of trustees, or president or chairman of the county board may appoint a person or persons to assist him or her in the exercise of the powers and the performance of the duties of the local cannabis control commissioner. Provides for the powers, functions, and duties of a local cannabis control commissioner, including the power to recommend to the relevant Department that a license issued to a person within his or her jurisdiction be suspended or revoked for cause and to enter or to authorize any law enforcement officer to enter at any time upon any premises licensed under the Act to determine whether any of the provisions of the Act or any rules or regulations have been or are being violated, to examine the premises of a licensee, and to receive complaints from any citizen within the local cannabis control commissioner’s jurisdiction.
* Center Square…
State Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, has House Bill 1575 to reduce Illinois’ gas tax to 19 cents a gallon.
“We have a $50 billion budget that the governor has put forth for this fiscal year and to look at the government inefficiencies, the spending, the out of control spending that’s going on in the state of Illinois, we have enough income coming in,” Niemerg told The Center Square.
[Note from Rich: Rep. Niemerg surely knows that the General Funds budget and the capital budget are separate entities. He’s just grandstanding, with enabling provided by Center Square.]
Back to the story…
Kevin Artle with the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois is actively opposing Niemerg’s bill. He said the revenue is needed.
[Another note from Rich: Opposing this bill will be an easy job since it ain’t going anywhere, and Center Square surely knows this. Also, Kevin’s last name is Artl. No “e.”]
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* AP…
The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns.
The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a “critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data.” Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days. […]
Congress passed the “No TikTok on Government Devices Act” in December as part of a sweeping government funding package. The legislation does allow for TikTok use in certain cases, including for national security, law enforcement and research purposes.
TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said Monday: “The ban of TikTok on federal devices passed in December without any deliberation, and unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments. These bans are little more than political theater.”
Canada and the European Union have also issued bans, as has India.
* CBS News…
The directive from the Biden administration comes after the popular video app was banned by Congress on federal government devices in December, amid growing national security concerns that TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance could give access to user data to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
National security experts also fear that the CCP could use the app to spread misinformation and disinformation or manipulate the algorithm to control what users in the U.S. see. […]
Earlier this month, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said the Chinese government requires companies doing business there to turn over the keys to their data. […]
China blasted the ban on Tuesday. “We firmly oppose the wrong practice of the United States to generalize the concept of national security, abuse state power, and unreasonably suppress firms from other countries,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing, according to Agence France-Presse.
* I checked in with the governor’s office and was told that state devices here are not allowed to download any apps which aren’t on an approved list. TikTok, I’m told, is not on that list.
Even so, three identical Illinois House bills have been introduced to ban TikTok on state government devices. The three chief sponsors include two members of the Eastern Bloc, Reps. Chris Miller (R-No Relation) and Rep. Blaine Wilhour, and freshman GOP Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro….
Amends the Department of Innovation and Technology Act. Provides that the Department shall prohibit the use of TikTok on State devices by any State personnel or other person.
…Adding… From DoIT…
In Illinois, we have a policy that prevents apps and platforms that pose cybersecurity risks, without the need to explicitly call out every such possibility. This gives us the ability to move quickly in an ever-evolving cyber atmosphere. We additionally have software that prevents any downloading of such prohibited applications.
Here are the specific elements of the policy that prohibit the downloading or use of TikTok and other such applications.
· 4.3.1.18 Installing software that has not been authorized in writing by the requestor’s manager and an appropriate service request submitted to designated IT staff or Help Desk for processing.
· 4.3.1.20 Using IT Resources to play or download games, music or videos that are not in support of business functions.
* From the Guardian…
Should we be more worried about TikTok than other apps?
It depends on whom you ask. Several digital privacy and civil advocacy groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Fight for the Future say while the potential for China to exploit access to TikTok is indeed concerning, other apps and services offer government entities, including in the US, similar access to user data.
“Unless we’re also [going to] ban Twitter and Facebook and YouTube and Uber and Grubhub, this is pointless,” said the Fight for the Future director, Evan Greer. “Yes, it’s possibly a bit easier for the Chinese government to gain access to data through TikTok than other apps, but there’s just so many ways governments can get data from apps.” […]
Like other privacy advocates, Diebold said that “policymakers should pursue more promising solutions that address the underlying risks.
“For example, to address data concerns, lawmakers should prioritize passing federal privacy legislation to protect consumer data that would explicitly require companies to disclose who they share data with and hold them accountable for those statements,” Diebold said.
Your thoughts?
* More background…
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* WREX TV…
After a nearly a six-decade run, there’s now possibly years of uncertainty for 1200 workers at the Belvidere Stellantis plant, and 400 more from employees at local suppliers.
“It’s certainly devastating to community,“ said 35th District State Senator Dave Syverson
“It’s catastrophic to this community,” said UAW Local 1268 President Kevin Logan. “Not just Belvidere, but Rockford and Machesney Park and Roscoe. It’s going to hit the Northern Illinois area pretty hard”
At 5,400,000 square feet, Belvidere has one of the five largest auto assembly plants in the World.
“It is a state of the art plant,” said Morris.
But this state of the art plant is now idle with no promise of a return.
* WTVO…
The United Auto Workers and Stellantis have reportedly come to an agreement on options packages for Belvidere Assembly Plant employees.
The plant is set to be “idled” [today], on February 28th.
* Meanwhile, from a press release…
Stellantis announced today that it will invest a total of $155 million in three Kokomo, Indiana, plants to produce new electric drive modules (EDM) that will help power future electric vehicles assembled in North America and support the goal of 50% battery electric sales in the U.S. by 2030.
With more than 25 battery electric vehicle (BEV) launches planned in the U.S. between now and 2030, the Kokomo-built EDM will be integrated into vehicles designed on the STLA Large and STLA Frame platforms. Offering an all-in-one solution for electric vehicle powertrains, the EDM consists of three main components – the electric motor, power electronics and transmission – that are combined into a single module to deliver improved performance and range at a competitive cost. The optimized efficiency of the new EDM will help each platform achieve driving range up to 500 miles (800 km).
“While we continue our successful transition to a decarbonized future in our European operations, we are now setting those same foundational elements for the North American market,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. “By combining the benefits of the EDM with our new BEV-centric platforms and innovative battery technologies, we will offer our customers a variety of electric vehicles with unparalleled performance and range at more affordable prices. And with our in-house manufacturing capabilities and expertise, we will do it with greater flexibility and efficiency.”
Investments will be made at the Indiana Transmission, Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting Plants. The gearbox cover will be cast at Kokomo Casting and machined at Kokomo Transmission. Gear machining and final assembly will be at the Indiana Transmission Plant. Production is expected to start in the third quarter of 2024, following retooling. […]
Investments will be made at the Indiana Transmission, Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting Plants. The gearbox cover will be cast at Kokomo Casting and machined at Kokomo Transmission. Gear machining and final assembly will be at the Indiana Transmission Plant. Production is expected to start in the third quarter of 2024, following retooling.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Oops…
* Here’s the roundup…
* Public News Service | Officials Hold First-Ever Review of IL Pretrial Juvenile Detention System: Klein pointed out each of the 17 detention centers is not run or managed directly by the Department of Juvenile Justice, but by the counties where they are located. He emphasized the study is critical because, in past years, there has been a lack of transparency and lack of oversight over conditions in the centers.
* Tribune | As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year: “We are very concerned that people are going to fall off (Medicaid), and they won’t know about it until it’s too late,” said Susan Vega, programs manager at Alivio Medical Center, a federally qualified health center that serves many Chicago-area patients on Medicaid.
* Daily Herald | Rolling Meadows candidates welcome Bears but fear strain on city services: Incumbent Ward 5 Alderman Jon Bisesi and challenger Stefanie Boucher agree that the Bears’ redevelopment of the shuttered Arlington Park racetrack would overall be a benefit to their town. But they also worry about the strain on city services on gamedays and emphasized the need to be prepared for what may come.
* St. Louis Post Dispatch Editorial | Illinois Gov. Pritzker’s rhetoric and record are a fitting retort to a radical GOP: Pritzker warned of “a virulent strain of nationalism plaguing our nation,” one that seeks to make America a country “that bans books from school libraries about racism … and tells kids they can’t talk about being gay” and “signals to Black and brown people and Asian Americans and Jews and Muslims that our authentic stories can’t be told.” He called for learning that teaches kids “our true history, warts and all.” This is 180 degrees from DeSantis’ ideological agenda in Florida — an agenda supported nationally by too many in his party.
* Daily Herald | ‘What if that happens in my town?’ Mayors urge feds to slow merger after Ohio rail disaster: State Rep. Maura Hirschauer of Batavia referenced a plume of toxic gas going across residential neighborhoods in Ohio and noted that thousands of suburbanites live along the CP tracks. “A derailment like we saw in Ohio would be catastrophic.”
* Tribune | Walgreens to sell off Deerfield buildings, shrinking its HQ yet again as more employees work from home: No changes are planned for employees working in downtown Chicago’s Old Post Office. Walgreens moved many digital and IT employees there in early 2020, one of the first tenants to occupy the hulking riverfront structure after its renovation into an upscale office property.
* Sun-Times | O’Hare receives $50 million in federal grant money for upgrades at Terminal 3: The funds will be used for upgrades at Terminal 3, including an expanded passenger corridor and approximately 10,000 square feet of new concessions and amenity spaces.
* SJ-R | Audio, minutes of 2021 executive session about Wyndham’s $1.25 million utility bill released: In the Nov. 2, 2021 executive session, which was not open to the public, Mayor Jim Langfelder proposed negotiating $250,000 in debt forgiveness for the troubled downtown hotel, which has been up for sale.
* WAND | Illinois State Board of Elections prioritizing security well before 2024 election: Dietrich said eight cyber navigators are assigned to four geographic zones across the state to conduct risk assessments on electronic systems and assess the security of physical offices. He explained that the board also helps local election authorities improve their security yearly.
* AP | COVID-19 origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic, despite report hinting at a lab leak: Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed with “low confidence” in that it began with a lab leak, according to a person familiar with the report who wasn’t authorized to discuss it. The report has not been made public.
* Daily Herald | After historic find, University of Illinois soil scientists want to dig up more on state’s land: “I checked it out, and lo and behold, we had soil jars going back as far back as 1862,” he said. “Three years and a lot of grants later, we’re working to curate, to clean up and digitize them. We made a lot of progress on understanding how old the soils are and where they were taken.”
* AP | Latino Republicans push back on party’s immigration agenda: Overall, about a third of Latino voters were in favor of increasing law enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border, while two-thirds were opposed. About half said they disapproved of the way President Joe Biden was handling border security. Majorities of Latino voters who supported Republicans disapproved of Biden on border security and were in favor of increased enforcement at the border.
* Politico | Murdoch and other Fox execs agreed 2020 election was fair but feared losing viewers, court filing shows: The admission from Murdoch came in a libel suit voting equipment maker that Dominion Voting Systems is pressing against the TV network over its coverage of the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
* Mediaite | Murdoch Said Hannity Was ‘Privately Disgusted’ By Trump But ‘Scared to Lose Viewers,’ According to New Court Filing: The filing also noted that Murdoch and Scott, the CEO of Fox News, discussed the day before the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, having Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham issuing a joint statement declaring Biden had won and putting an end to the election conspiracy theories, which fueled the attack.
* Bloomberg | Murdoch Testified Fox Commentators ‘Endorsed’ Trump’s 2020 Election Lie: “It is fair to say you seriously doubted any claim of massive election fraud?” Murdoch was asked by a Dominion lawyer. “Oh, yes,” Murdoch said.
* NYT | Murdoch Acknowledges Fox News Hosts Endorsed Election Fraud Falsehoods: Asked whether he doubted Mr. Trump, Mr. Murdoch responded: “Yes. I mean, we thought everything was on the up-and-up.” At the same time, he rejected the accusation that Fox News as a whole had endorsed the stolen election narrative. “Not Fox,” he said. “No. Not Fox.”
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Tuesday, Feb 28, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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