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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Sep 29, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go…
* Tribune | Tension between city and state over migrant crisis on the rise — as are cost estimates: During a briefing with reporters, Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, said the latest estimate of costs associated with migrants arriving in Chicago from August 2022 to the end of the year could reach $361.3 million, a whopping $58 million more than the previous projection. * ABC Chicago | SEC files fraud charges against COMED and Former CEO, found guilty in Madigan bribery case: The Securities and Exchange Comission charged ComEd and its former CEO Anne Pramaggiore Thursday with fraud in connection to the alleged corruption scheme involving former house speaker Mike Madigan. Commonwealth Edison and its parent company Exelon agreed to settle, paying a penalty of more than $46 million. However, charges against Pramaggiore will move forward. * WAND | Illinois police, fire leaders urge lawmakers to eliminate Tier 2 pension system: “We’re about 12 years into this two-tiered system - a system quite frankly that our members find not fair, immoral and wrong,” said Chuck Sullivan, President for the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois.”AFFI was one of several organizations speaking on behalf of first responders during a House Personnel & Pensions Committee hearing Thursday afternoon. * Benzinga | Illinois Is Paving The Way For Cannabis, Pritzker Says: ‘Here In The Land Of Lincoln We’re Trying To Do Things Differently’: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker highlighted the importance of that initiative Thursday in a keynote address at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago. […] “We couldn’t just legalize cannabis and say that our work was done. We had to address the trauma inflicted by the war on cannabis and the war on drugs more broadly, which incarcerated thousands … and tore apart families and neighborhoods in the process,” he said. * CBS Chicago | Illinois child care providers face “cliff” with pandemic funds set to expire: Several daycare owners told CBS 2 the funding was the only reason they survived the pandemic, and without it, parents and staff are going to face a serious dilemma. The American Rescue Plan funding has helped thousands of child care centers across Illinois pay their staff, upgrade their facilities and keep cots lower for parents. But it’s set to expire on Sept. 30. * WSPY | Chief of Staff for current 76th District State Rep. now running for the job: Amy “Murri” Briel, who is the chief of staff for current 76th District State Representative Lance Yednock, is announcing that she’ll run for the job in 2024. […] DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes has also announced that he will also seek the Democratic nomination. * Tribune | Chicago Housing Authority could continue to redirect funds under controversial HUD program extension: Called Moving to Work, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program allows CHA and other public housing authorities to use money allocated for housing vouchers and public housing for other purposes, such as providing free meals to seniors and youth and helping residents find jobs. * WBEZ | A politically connected Chicago Park District manager got a light punishment after mishandling a sexual harassment allegation: Maya Solis — a daughter of disgraced former Ald. Danny Solis — continues in her $126,072-a-year post as one of three region directors for the Park District, despite an internal investigation that found she learned about the sexual harassment allegation in 2018 and did not report it to the human resources department. * SJ-R | Shipman trustee accused of collecting and spending village funds for personal use: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that through payments to herself and on personal costs, Robinson spent anywhere from $10,000 to $65,000 in village money. According to the AG’s office, she paid herself by forging signatures on unauthorized village checks and used village funds to pay personal utilities and the rent on personal storage units. * WGN | Evanston residents protest Ryan Field renovations for 2nd straight day: The $800 million project would rebuild Ryan Field, but also rezone the area to allow for six concerts at the stadium, a major sticking point for many neighbors. The Evanston Chamber of Commerce released a statement Tuesday, saying they support the planned renovations, citing an economic impact study to back their stance. That study found the new stadium would generate $1.3 billion in economic impact to Cook and Lake Counties. * Aurora Beacon-News | Ceremonial lease signing marks milestone in development of VNA Health Care facility at old Copley Hospital site in Aurora: The development includes an independent living community for people with intellectual, cognitive and developmental disabilities, senior citizen residences, the East Aurora School District administrative headquarters, a five-acre park and playground and a soon-to-be VNA Health clinic. * WIRED | US Justice Department Urged to Investigate Gunshot Detector Purchases: Justice Department (DOJ) is being asked to investigate whether a gunshot-detection system widely in use across the US is being selectively deployed to justify the over-policing of mainly Black neighborhoods, as critics of the technology claim. * Block Club | City Drops Citations Against Migrant Barbers Arrested For Cutting Hair Without License: Chicago’s municipal code states it’s illegal to operate a business and exchange money without a proper license. People can be fined at least $250 for violations, according to the code. The men were not fined and have since stopped operations, one of the barbers previously told Block Club. * Crain’s | Art Institute again under fire over disputed ownership of artwork: The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office earlier this month issued a series of warrants for art created by Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele believed to have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II. While five museums and collectors in the U.S. voluntarily returned seven pieces of art from the stolen collection, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of three museums digging its heels in over ownership of the remaining three items.
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- Stormsw7706 - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 7:48 am:
Please don’t forget teachers in addressing the absurdities of the Tier 2 pension system. It has been significant in terms of bringing people into the profession as well as retaining existing staff. Plus teachers full retirement kicks in at 67.5 years of age. Beyond ridiculous and so self defeating.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 8:29 am:
It should be noted, however, that Northwestern had at the helm of their football program a coach who was 4-20 the past two seasons, while attempting to build and curry favor for a new $800 million dollar stadium…
… because the “Fitzgerald Way”, touting Pat Fitzgerald as the face… the face… of NU athletics.
So, if anyone is wondering why this pushback on the stadium picked up steam after the disgraced coach was ousted by the incredible work the student newspaper (not university officials) did, then maybe that’s also why you can’t grasp the poisonous culture exists in NU’s athletic department overall.
Ask yourself, what Power 5 university would build its culture and stadium renovation/building around a coach with a 4-20 record and tout them as the face of their athletics?
Culture, embracing that culture created… and thanks to the NU student newspaper we all know what has been allowed to fester.
- We've never had one before - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 8:33 am:
Dianne Feinstein - 90
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 8:39 am:
I know Mayor Irvin caught a lot of flack here when he ran for Governor. Still, the fact that his administration was able to get something done with the old Copley site is a great accomplishment that his predecessors could never pull off. It has been quite a turnaround from how the site was when he took office.
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 9:11 am:
Tier 2 is a non-starter for any professional with options.
- Gravitas - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 9:27 am:
The OW sample size is too narrow. The former NU football coach was 4-20 over the past two seasons (2021-22), but his team also won the Western Division in 2020 and the 2021 Citrus Bowl victory over Auburn. Overall, Fitzgerald won 5 bowl games with the Wildcats and he had the most wins (110) of any head coach in Northwestern history.
- Lucky Pierre - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 10:05 am:
Coach Fitzgerald’s record is 17 years long, not 2
211 games more than twice as many as #2 Pappy Waldorf
52% winning percentage and 5-5 in bowl games
What you did with his record is the opposite of cherry picking
I would also bet he will win his lawsuit against the University
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 10:35 am:
=== Coach Fitzgerald’s record is 17 years long, not 2===
It’s a bit creepy that you wanna use “culture” and whole picture here.
Other Power 5 schools have fired with 7-5 single seasons with a bowl win, because of culture or direction.
Keeping Fitzgerald is NU embracing such a sexualized and or racial hazing culture that even a 4-20 record can’t tear it down. Creepy. It took actual students to protect the athletes, Fitzgerald had no stomach in protecting his athletes, it seems. A “warrior” coach who never wore any uniform of an actual warrior. Creepy.
It’s also a bit creepy that a Catholic institution is allowing a man to mentor children when at best Fitzgerald was grossly negligent in protecting his own athletes or worse encouraged such hazing and still felt it was fine to tell parents … trust me with your child… I’ll take care of their safety. Creepy.
=== I would also bet he will win his lawsuit against the University===
What’s that look like exactly;
“They got hazed, but you can’t fire me for that, even if I didn’t know”?
“How am I suppose to know”?
“Player safety and protection isn’t part of my contract”?
Heaven help Fitzgerald if, under oath, he’s refuted about facts, events, times, players…
What university thinks Fitzgerald is good in a living room now to recruit student athletes?
So what exactly is winning there?
For NU, the toxic culture Fitzgerald cultivated is galvanizing a firewall on a building.
- Big Dipper - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:02 am:
Funny how first responders are conservative on just about every issue except public pensions and unions.
- Hannibal Lecter - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:15 am:
=== It’s also a bit creepy ===
The only thing creepy around here is you.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:18 am:
=== The only thing creepy around here…===
… is a catholic institution allowing a parent volunteer who lost his job by not protecting 18-22 year old men from others’ hazing of a sexualized and/or racial manner
It’s not like he got fired for a 4-20 record.
Again, it’s creepy.
- Gravitas - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 11:18 am:
Northwestern is a private university competing against conference rivals that are public universities. This salient fact was omitted from the Power 5 comparisons.
Apples and oranges.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 12:08 pm:
=== Overall, Fitzgerald won 5 bowl games with the Wildcats and he had the most wins (110) of any head coach in Northwestern history.===
So hazing and a toxic culture is acceptable?
I mean, “sure” to the administration, it took the student newspaper to highlight how toxic and *then* it was too much.
Again… you have programs fire coaches for 7-5 records, a bowl win, because there’s a feeling the culture and program are going the wrong way.
NU keeping a 4-20 coach is about the culture, not the record. And if the buyout was too big, like Texas A&M struggles with Jimbo Fisher, firing for hazing the first time was the best out.
NU wanted the Fitzgerald culture. Your argument makes the “first” discipline even worse. Not a great argument given Fitzgerald would go in people’s living rooms to talk about how safe their child would be playing at NU.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 1:43 pm:
===Northwestern is a private university===
So it’s cool if they allow hazing?
What is your point? Vandy is a private institution playing in the SEC but if they had a toxic culture of sexualized and racial hazing it would still be bad.
===This salient fact was omitted from the Power 5 comparisons.===
You have no point.
Other private universities in the power 5 include Duke, Boston College, Baylor, Miami (Fl), Stanford…
You thinking they’d be cool with what happened at NU?
I mean… yikes.
- Amalia - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 2:01 pm:
Boston College just shut down some swimming program due to hazing. don’t know what kind of hazing.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Sep 29, 23 @ 2:09 pm:
- Amalia -
Thanks, yes. According to the Google Key, there’s information on it. Appears to be students towards freshen on the team.
The university is suspending the team from competing.
“But a private university”
Hmm.
This post has the struggling of an $800 million dollar football building that is facing blowback because of many obstacles but assisted in that… a toxic football and athletic department.
You can’t expect support for that endeavor when folks still support the leaders of that culture who are now gone.