* Media advisory…

State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, Chair of the House Health Care Licensing Committee, will continue the process of addressing the ongoing delays in licensure processing by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), by holding a public hearing of his committee on Sep. 27 at 10:00 a.m. in room C-600 on the 6th Floor of the Michael A. Bilandic Building on LaSalle St. in downtown Chicago.

The delays have led to many professionals, including nurses and other health care workers, as well as their employers, having to worry about their ability to keep working should their licenses lapse. Morgan and other lawmakers on the Committee will hear from health care providers, representatives of health systems, pharmacies and IDFPR. Hearings of this kind are often among the first steps in crafting policy in response to a given problem, and typically determine the direction that future legislative or regulatory efforts will take.

* AP…

Amazon is being sued by U.S. regulators and 17 states over allegations that the company abuses its position in the marketplace to inflate prices on other platforms, overcharge sellers and stifle competition. […]

They allege the company engages in anti-competitive practices through anti-discounting measures that deter sellers from offering lower prices for products on non-Amazon sites, mirroring allegations made in a separate lawsuit last year by the state of California. The complaint says Amazon can bury listings that are offered at lower prices on other sites.

The complaint also says the company degrades the customer experience by replacing relevant search results with paid advertisements, biasing its own brands over other products it knows to be of a better quality and charging heavy fees that forces sellers to pay nearly half of their total revenues to Amazon. […]

Last quarter, Amazon reported $32.3 billion in revenue from third-party services. According to the anti-monopoly organization Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the fees cost U.S. sellers 45% of their revenue in the first half of this year - up from 35% in 2020 and 19% in 2014.

Ugh.

More here and here. Illinois, by the way, is not among the plaintiffs.

* Illinois isn’t on this list, either…

Target said Tuesday that it will close nine stores in major cities across the country, citing violence, theft and organized retail crime.

The company will close one store in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, two locations in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland area and three more in Portland, Oregon. The discounter said it will shutter the stores for good on Oct. 21.

Speaking of Target…

Theft has been a major problem for a lot of retailers, and the Lowe’s CEO sees a straightforward answer. […]

While Lowe’s uses technology to prevent theft, [Lowe’s Chief Executive Marvin Ellison] made clear that having people on its store floors helping customers leads to less theft. Lowe’s had a roughly 1% shrink rate in its most recent quarter, which is below industry averages. […]

The CEO called his company’s results “a differentiated performance relative to the other major retailers.” But he also quietly placed blame on retailers like Target, Walmart and Walgreens for simply not investing in the people needed to serve customers.

Yep. Hire more people. They can help keep an eye on things. The last time I was in a Target a few months ago, it was almost like they had no employees at all.

* Buried deep within this Chicago Tribune story entitled “As migrants clash near high-volume shelters, neighbors and businesses grow alarmed: ‘We don’t feel safe’”…

(C)rime stats don’t show a marked difference in and around the areas of high-volume shelters from prior years

Hmm.

* Crain’s…

For the third month in a row, home prices grew faster in the Chicago area than in any other major U.S. metro area, according to new data from the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices released this morning. Chicago-area single-family home values rose 4.4% in July compared with the same time last year.

The report echoes one that came from Illinois Realtors last week, showing that Chicago-area home prices are growing at twice the speed of the nation’s. The two reports differ on their timeframe and type of measurement — today’s is an index, while last week’s is a simple mathematical calculation — but the message is similar: Home prices in Chicago are growing fast compared to other big cities.

Chicago had the strongest price growth among 20 major U.S. metros that the Case-Shiller Indices track. Chicago first took the top spot in the index’s report for the month of May, which was released in late July.

* Crain’s…

A New York real estate firm is betting $50 million that two of its downtown Chicago office buildings can win over tenants at one of the toughest times on record for landlords.

AmTrust Realty announced it will pour the new equity into renovations at its 41-story office tower at 1 E. Wacker Drive and 25-story building at 33 N. Dearborn St., two of seven office buildings the firm owns in the heart of the city. The investment is a long-delayed first part of a $100 million plan that AmTrust laid out nearly two years ago to reinvest in its local portfolio.

* Letter to the editor…

As President of the Pope County Historical Society, I’d like to address the recent article by Capitol News Illinois regarding Governor Pritzker’s expanding cultural protections for Native Americans and Mandating History Lessons. Our historical society applauds this action especially since our county seat, Golconda, was the first stop where the Cherokee crossed into Illinois on their Trail of Tears. As you know, our history and treatment of our Native American brothers and sisters was not always positive, but this is a step in the right direction to healing that relationship.

I would like to address the Governor’s reference to the significance of the Buel House in his remarks. He is correct that this historic property is rich in history for Native American Nations, the State of Illinois, and our community. Yet, since 1996, we have pleaded for funding to maintain and repair this historic landmark. The building is in disrepair and getting worse with every weather event. At one time, the Buel House was also an important part of education for schools and visitors alike to learn about our local history and the Trail of Tears.

We respectfully ask Governor Pritzker to authorize funding for the repair of this historic site and open the Buel House to the public, again. This will be another important step in expanding cultural awareness and honor to Native Americans while preserving a piece of local history and tourism.

Respectfully,

Charles Cossey, President
Pope County Historical Society

* Press release…

This week, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced that over 24,000 young people were employed through the One Summer Chicago (OSC) program during the summer of 2023, representing a 19% increase from the previous year. The OSC program is a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Family and Support Services, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, City Colleges of Chicago, community-based organizations, corporate partners, and local companies to offer employment and internship opportunities to young people ages 14 to 24.  

“The data from this summer is an encouraging start and a tremendous step forward for youth in our city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “My administration is committed to investing in our young people, and I am pleased that we were able to reach over 24,000 of them in the first few months of my administration. In the years ahead, we will continue bringing together our City partners, business partners, community organizations, faith, labor and all other stakeholders to significantly expand these programs to create pathways for our young people to thrive, during the summer and beyond.”
 
The OSC program consists of three interconnected programs:  

1. Chicago Youth Service Corps (CYSC): Employs youth ages 16-24 year-round through programming focused on leadership development and local/civic engagement.
2. Chicagobility: Employs youth ages 14-15 through project-based learning and skill-building experiences.  
3. Summer Youth Employment Program: Employs youth ages 16-24 through job placement or training programs to provide work experiences and develop skills for career pathways.  

The total number of participants in this summer’s program marks an increase of over 4,000 young people in comparison to last year’s total. Of the participants engaged in this summer’s programs, 1,771 youth have disabilities, 13,903 are attending Level 2, Level 3, or Option schools, 2,698 are English as a Second Language Learners, 755 are young people who are experiencing homelessness or are unstably housed, 233 are in the foster care system, 219 are justice-involved, and 2,494 are youth who are out of school and out of work. Across all OSC partners, youth completed 2.43 million hours of work experience and project-based learning. Youth earned over $33.9 million in wages.  
 

* Heh…

Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) violated the First Amendment by blocking six critics from his official Facebook page in 2021, and now faces a trial to determine whether he should pay those critics damages, a federal judge ruled Monday. […]

In response to a request for comment from WTTW News via text message, Gardiner initially responded with a phone call before saying he had called back by mistake “after hitting the wrong button.” He hung up without comment.

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

* WCIA | Central Illinois counties continue navigating end of cash bail one week after new system takes effect: “We’ve had a slight headcount drop in our jail, we’re down about 295 this morning, which is down about 10 from our average over the last month or so,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell said. “That’s kind of what we expected.” Campbell said they’ve had about 50 people behind bars ask for their cases to be considered under the new system. Of those 50, nine have had hearings but none of them have been released.

* WCIA | Scherer calls for drastic measure to crack down on Blue Cross Blue Shield: Scherer and representatives from Springfield Clinic count 92 of the clinic’s doctors that remain on the Blue Cross Blue Shield directory, despite the clinic and the health insurance company splitting more than a year and a half ago. Scherer wants the Department of Insurance to stop Blue Cross Blue Shield from taking on any new clients until they fix the issue.

* WICS | Forever chemicals found in several Illinois drinking water locations: IEPA put together a study from 2020-2022 that sampled drinking water throughout the state of Illinois. Among those areas, these chemicals showed some kind of detection in Decatur, Lincoln, Athens, and Peoria. According to the most recent study in August of 2023 by the Environmental Working Group, chemicals were detected in several Illinois locations including Macoupin and Christian counties.

* Sen. Patrick Joyce | Joyce: New energy in 40th Senate District from battery plant announcement: With production beginning next year, Gotion will build state-of-the-art electric vehicle batteries at the new plant. That will help meet the expected demand for electric vehicles across the country, with a focus on lithium-ion battery cells, battery packs, and energy storage system integration. The state of Illinois will fund a new manufacturing training academy near the plant site, and award grants to workforce providers to expand training and prepare employees for their new jobs at the plant directly from our region. This historic investment will create more than 2,6000 new jobs in Manteno.

* WICS | Champaign and Vermilion counties receive over $800,000 for local revitalization efforts: The Illinois Housing Development Authority recently approved $19 million to support affordable housing and community revitalization efforts across Illinois. Awarded under the Strong Communities Program, the initiative will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation and demolition of abandoned residential properties in their communities.

* Farm Week | Summer farm visits strengthen rural, urban ties: Heading into fall veto session, state Rep. Mary Beth Canty plans to look for ways to address rural fire protection staffing shortages and maternal care deserts after her experience with Illinois Farm Bureau’s Adopt-A-Legislator® program. Canty, D-Arlington Heights, who was “adopted” by the Bureau County Farm Bureau, recently spent the day in Bureau County, touring ag facilities, driving a tractor, meeting FFA students, discussing rural EMT services and touring a grocery store to talk about combating food deserts in rural communities. She was joined by Cook County Farm Bureau and state Sen. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City.

* Rockford Register Star | Freeport sales tax proposal falls short again: The city is a seeking a sales tax increase to raise money to help fix the city’s roads. The council rejected a proposed 1% sales tax hike last week. Aldermen James Monroe and Don Parker proposed a .75% sales tax increase instead and asked for a special council meeting to vote on it.

* JG-TC | EIU’s Burge a co-lead on largest-of-its-kind national religious research project: Last month, Eastern Illinois University launched a new project titled “Making Meaning in a Post-Religious America,” led by political science professor Ryan Burge and independent scholar Tony Jones. The Making Meaning Project will complete the largest-ever survey of Americans who are not religiously affiliated. The results of that survey will then guide Burge, Jones, and other team members in studying how these American ‘nones’ explore, identify, and embrace meaning, purpose, and transcendence in their daily and collective lives.

* Chicago Mag | Glenn Poshard: Let’s Emphasize Commonalities Between Chicago and Downstate: Glenn Poshard is one of the great “what ifs” of Illinois politics. If Poshard had won his race for governor in 1998, the state would have been spared the leadership — and the prison terms — of George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. (“I wouldn’t have gone to jail,” Poshard once said.) As Poshard relates in his new memoir Son of Southern Illinois, written with journalist Carl Walworth, he lost that race because he was pro-life on abortion — not a position a Democratic nominee for governor would take today. Poshard swept his native Southern Illinois, but lost the collar counties, and even some socially progressive lakefront wards in Chicago — not an electoral map a Democratic candidate for governor would produce today. We talked to Poshard about the politics of abortion, and what the Democrats can do to win back Southern Illinois.

* Chicago Reader | Dying while in the county’s care: Tyler Spratt was among 15 people who’ve died this year while detained at the jail. Loved ones of those who lost their lives and advocates who work with people imprisoned in the jail tell the Reader they’ve largely been kept in the dark. In some cases, they say investigations dragged on for months with little or no communication. In others, they say jail officials waited hours before telling them their loved ones had died. And above all, they say there’s no public accountability for the violence and death meted out behind bars.

* News-Gazette | Five new drones give UI police eyes in the sky: “People think that if law enforcement gets these, there’s going to be clouds of drones hovering over us and always looking at us and watching what we’re doing. That’s not the case,” Lt. Robert Benoit said. “We don’t have the ability, manpower or resources to constantly fly these things just to watch people.” At large events, the drones can be used to monitor traffic patterns and keep an eye out for disturbances in crowds, but even then, they must primarily stick to the edges.

* Block Club | ‘Merch Cuts’ In Chicago? Outcry Sparks Closer Look Into Venues Taking A Cut Of A Band’s Merchandise Sales: Earlier this month, punk musician Jeff Rosenstock derided the practice in a Twitter thread, and shared a spreadsheet of which venues on his upcoming tour required him to fork over part of his merch profits. […] Then last week, indie musician Tomberlin shared her experience online about being asked to pay 30 percent of t-shirt profits to a venue outside Washington, D.C., where the singer-songwriter opened for Ray LaMontagne.

* The Southern | The little high school that could: Cobden continues to rack up wins: The small-town school, deep in southwestern Illinois, has faced several challenges over the years, but one of the most recent and the biggest was seeing their historic gym condemned — no more cheering fans filling it to its 800 capacity.

* Miami Herald | Florida now leads the country in book bans, new PEN report says. How did that happen?: The nonprofit, which advocates for freedom of expression, recorded 3,362 instances of bans in public school classrooms and libraries from July 2022 to June 2023 across the country. Out of these, about 1,400 — or 40% of the national total — took place in Florida.

* AP | New cars are supposed to be getting safer. So why are fatalities on the rise?: Roadway deaths in the U.S. are mounting despite government test data showing vehicles have been getting safer. While the number of all car-related fatalities has trended upward over the last decade, pedestrians and cyclists have seen the sharpest rise: over 60% between 2011 and 2022. It coincides with a steep increase in sales of SUVs, pickup trucks and vans, which accounted for 78% of new U.S. vehicle sales in 2022.

* Bloomberg | Mansueto turns to Messi to boost his struggling bet on the Chicago Fire: From free tickets to see superstar Lionel Messi to synchronized LED bracelets, billionaire Joe Mansueto is pulling all the stops to boost his struggling, multimillion-dollar bet on Chicago soccer. Mansueto’s Major League Soccer team, the Chicago Fire, is counting on an upcoming match against Messi’s Inter Miami to help break with years of stagnant valuations for the club and some of the lowest attendance rates in the US league.