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Reader comments closed for Independence Day

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We’re taking a little break. I hope everyone has a great Independence Day. We’ll be back a week from Monday.

* The full Double Door show is here. Mick, Keef and the boys will play us out

Well, I be sittin’ there waitin’, waitin’ for you to come home

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Injustice Watch

A man died at the Cook County Jail last Friday following a confrontation with correctional officers in which he was beaten, body-slammed, and injected with sedatives, records show.

Cory Ulmer, 41, was described in an internal report by the sergeant in charge during the incident as “combative” and disobeying his jailers’ commands. At one point, Ulmer managed to “head butt” [Sgt. Enrique Reyes], the report says. […]

Investigators from Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office went to the home of Ulmer’s stepfather to inform the family of his death, but provided them no details.

A 2-year-old state law requires Dart’s office to notify families of people who die in his custody “as soon as possible in a suitable manner giving an accurate factual account of the cause of death and circumstances surrounding the death.” […]

The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force has opened an investigation into Ulmer’s death.

A recent AP investigation found 94 people had died after given sedatives and restrained by police from 2012 through 2021.

…Adding… From Sheriff Dart’s office…

Shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, June 21, Cory Ulmer, age 41, was being escorted to the Cermak Health Services (Cook County Health and Hospitals System) emergency room to be evaluated by medical staff when a struggle ensued. Following the struggle, Ulmer suffered a medical emergency in the emergency room. Ulmer was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:27 p.m.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force to conduct an independent investigation, per protocol. As with all cases of in-custody deaths, to prevent any conflict-of-interest issues, the cause of Mr. Ulmer’s medical emergency and the circumstances surrounding it are currently the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Task Force. They are responsible for determining the facts of the death investigation. It would be incredibly irresponsible for the Sheriff’s Office to release any information that could affect or in any way impede the Task Force’s work.

Mr. Ulmer was returned to custody at the Jail on June 20, after he refused to return to his EM host location and did not provide an alternative host site. Ulmer was placed on EM after being charged with Aggravated Battery/Use of a Deadly Weapon for stabbing and slashing a woman as she was waiting at a bus stop.

Eleven Sheriff’s Office employees have been reassigned. It is not uncommon for staff involved in an incident to be reassigned until the investigation of the incident is complete.

* Capitol News Illinois


From the interview…

Governor Pritzker: We’ve never been a chip manufacturing state. I mean, that’s just not part of what Illinois has had. But [quantum] gives us an opportunity, because those chips are being manufactured for quantum. And so we think there’s an opportunity for us to maybe get into that industry.

We passed the micro bill here in Illinois to incentivize it. The federal government’s provided dollars for grants and so on to incentivize it. We think we can win some of that too. But I think we’re in pretty good stead on the quantum front.

* Housing Action Illinois…

To afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Illinois, full-time workers need to earn $28.81 per hour. This is Illinois’ 2024 Housing Wage according to Out of Reach, a report published jointly today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Housing Action Illinois.

In many areas, including Chicago and the collar counties, as well as in the Kendall County metro area, the Housing Wage is now well above $30.

Released annually, the Out of Reach report calls attention to the gulf between wages and what people need to earn to afford their rents. The report shows that affordable rental homes are out of reach for millions of low-wage workers and other families. The report’s “Housing Wage” is an estimate of the hourly wage full-time workers must earn to afford a rental home at fair market rent without spending more than 30% of their incomes.

Other key findings from the report include:

    * In the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville metro area, the Housing Wage climbs to $32.96.

    * The highest Housing Wage in Illinois is in the Kendall County metro area, where it reaches $33.48.

    * Even in more affordable counties, the lowest the Housing Wage in Illinois is $15.52.

    * Based on the state housing wage, a person earning the state minimum wage must have 1.8 full-time job(s) or work 71 hours per week to afford a modest one-bedroom apartment.

    * Based on the state housing wage, a person earning the state minimum wage must have 2.1 full-time job(s) or work 82 hours per week to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

Nationally, the 2024 Housing Wage is $32.11 per hour for a modest two-bedroom rental home and $26.74 for a modest one-bedroom rental home.

With the cost of rent growing further out of reach for those with the lowest incomes and absent an adequate housing safety net, it is no surprise that homelessness has been on the rise. Even in Illinois, where the state has invested significant resources in preventing and ending homelessness, a growing population has no place to call home.

“During the past two years, Illinois has done a great deal at the state level to invest in preventing and ending homelessness by allocating significant new state funding to eviction prevention, shelter, and rapid rehousing programs,” says Housing Action Illinois Policy Director Bob Palmer. “But we need a much higher level of federal investment to increase permanent housing solutions, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, public housing, and supportive housing to end homelessness. Unfortunately, the budget proposal just released by House Republicans reduces funding.”

Click here for the study.

* Some commentary on this week’s US Supreme Court decisions…


*** Statewide ***

* Center For Criminal Justice | Recidivism Patterns Among Those Released from Prison in Illinois: The majority (75%) of those exiting prison in Illinois during 2018 and 2019 were not arrested for a violent offense within 3 years of their release from prison. […] The shortened lengths of Mandatory Supervised Release (MSR) resulting from Illinois’ Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act will reduce the proportion of individuals at risk of being returned to prison for a technical violation related to a new arrest for a violent crime.

* WBEZ | For-profit cosmetology graduates rarely earn more than high school grads: Illinois for-profit cosmetology, esthetician, nail tech and barber schools reported median earnings for their students 10 years after enrolling ranging from $15,420 to $34,368, according to data reported in 2021 dollars. The median earnings of a high school graduate in Illinois was $34,591, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 five-year American Community Survey. And Illinois cosmetology students are typically spending an average of $14,700 a year to attend. Meanwhile, the quality of education at these unregulated for-profit institutions is uneven at best, WBEZ learned in interviews with former and current students who were among the more than 250 who responded to a WBEZ survey. The winners in this system are Illinois’ beauty schools — more than 80% run by for-profit companies — that have a monopoly on training students for the state’s required licensing exams.

* USA Today | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week: Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 7,859 in the week ending June 22, down from 9,940 the week before, the Labor Department said.

*** Chicago ***

* ABC Chicago | Chicago hate crimes spike, especially anti-Jewish incidents, report says; ordinance targets fliers: Fliers, graffiti and the defacement of Chicago landmarks are among the kinds of crimes and incidents reported. The report found in 2021 there were 109 incidents, 205 in 2022, 303 in 2023 and, as of June 15, 124 reported so far in 2024.

* Tribune | Bronzeville microgrid, largest of its kind in Illinois, is a step toward more reliable power, experts say: The Bronzeville Community Microgrid, which went online last month — powered in part by solar panels at a midrise housing project — is the largest neighborhood microgrid in Illinois, and part of a broader effort to build a grid that’s cleaner, more reliable and more secure. Microgrids — essentially minigrids that deliver electricity in defined areas — were the original grids in the United States and have been used extensively in remote parts of Alaska.

* ABC Chicago | BARK Air expands airline to Chicago with flights catered to dogs: BARK Air set off on its maiden voyage in May, when they were offering trips from New York to Los Angeles. It was pretty popular last month already, with 15,000 requests for new destinations. […] It will cost you $6,000 for a domestic flight, and $8,000 for an international flight for one dog and one human.

* Block Club | Ravenswood’s Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe Recognized By ‘Michelin Of Pizza’ For Its NY-Style Slice: A trio of influential pizza critics ranked Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe as one of the top places for a slice in the nation. […] Since 2018, the trio has put out a yearly list of the best pizzerias in Italy and around the world, without any preference to style. For this year’s guide, Jimmy’s Pizza Cafe was ranked number 9 in the guide’s list of 50 Top Pizza Slices in the USA for 2024.

* WTTW | Riding the Chicago Street Race Track With NASCAR Driver Brad Keselowski: Keselowski, who is both a NASCAR team owner and runs the 3D-printing company Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, is hoping the economic benefits help win new fans. “What the Chicago race stands for, to me, is NASCAR getting out of their comfort zone,” he said. “They’re trying something new, and this might be great and it might flop. The bleeding edge of innovation and risk-taking is where all success comes from in life.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Labor Notes | Illinois Amazon Drivers Strike, Demand Union Contract: Amazon drivers at the DIL7 delivery station in Skokie, Illinois, struck June 26 over the company’s violations of federal labor laws. A hundred drivers have organized with Teamsters Local 705 and are demanding that Amazon recognize and bargain with their union, after presenting cards signed by a majority of the workforce.

* Daily Southtown | Federal fraud charges for former Lincoln-Way chief Lawrence Wyllie dismissed due to health issues: The case against Wyllie, who was District 210 superintendent from 1989 to 2013, dates to September 2017, came after a yearlong investigation by the Daily Southtown that exposed questionable financial practices at Lincoln-Way. These included private use of public funding and deals benefiting staff, including the development of a $45,000 dog-training center called Superdog. Wyllie continues to collect a taxpayer funded pension that in 2020 was more than $351,000, and grows annually to account for cost-of-living increases, according to state records.

* Crain’s | Developer reviving former AT&T campus lands new largest tenant: Holmdel, N.J.-based Inspired by Somerset Development announced new leases with three companies totaling 86,000 square feet of office space at Bell Works Chicagoland, deals that bring the transformed portion of the building at 2000 Center Drive in the northwest suburb to about 80% leased. Leading the group is security and safety system designer Convergint, which will become the largest tenant at Bell Works when it moves its headquarters into 50,000 square feet in the building. Convergint will relocate from about 40,000 square feet at 1 Commerce Drive in Schaumburg and has also leased 14,000 square feet of warehouse space at Bell Works.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Deere workers learn of more layoffs: Our Quad Cities News has learned that 279 employees at the Harvester Works Plant in East Moline will get layoff notices Friday. Union Local 865 informed its members employees will be told their last day is Aug. 30.

*** National ***

* WSIL | US prices didn’t rise last month for the first time since November: The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — a closely watched inflation gauge that the Federal Reserve uses for its 2% target — was unchanged from April and slowed to 2.6% for the 12 months ended in May from 2.7% the month before, according to Commerce Department data released Friday. […] Cheaper prices at the pump certainly helped (energy prices were down 2.1% for the month) and falling goods prices (down 0.4%) helped to slow overall inflation, according to the report. Food prices increased just 0.1%.

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Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.

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Another question raised about new state shelters

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* We talked the other day about the state opening two new migrant shelters in Chicago, one in Hyde Park and the other near Midway Airport. Brief excerpt

Additional State-supported shelters are beginning to serve New Arrivals in Chicago. Two new shelters, operating as part of the City of Chicago’s existing shelter system, will prioritize families as they transition to independent living. This is in addition to a State-supported shelter in Little Village, bringing the total of State-supported and funded shelters in Chicago to three, with a total combined capacity of 2,000 people.

* The Tribune published a story this morning about the plan. This was near the end of the piece

Officials have yet to detail a plan for how they would respond to a larger-than-usual number of buses arriving in Chicago in late summer.

It’s unclear whether there will be another summer surge of migrants after Biden placed restrictions on the border at the beginning of June. The restrictions came after Congress failed to pass a bipartisan immigration and border security proposal earlier this year.

But the city is still housing hundreds of migrants in downtown locations such as in Streeterville and in the Loop.

The two state-supported shelters are further from downtown and the convention events, which volunteers working with migrants suspect may be an attempt to keep people loitering outside shelters away from the spotlight during the convention.

* So, I asked the administration about this. Alex Gough…

The administration makes decisions on shelter locations with the safety of those living in them in mind first and foremost. These locations in particular provided ample space for more people to live as they transition to permanency.

I was also told the state got a good deal on the sites, which were fairly easy to retrofit. The state also has a shelter in Little Village, which is not downtown.

Thoughts?

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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.


We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Lorena and Sugeiri, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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US Supreme Court allows cities to assess criminal penalties on people who camp in public places

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* CBS News

The Supreme Court on Friday sided with a small Oregon town that imposes civil punishments on homeless people for sleeping in public spaces, finding that enforcement of its anti-camping rules is not prohibited by the Eighth Amendment’s protections from cruel and unusual punishment.

The 6-3 decision from the court in the case known as City of Grants Pass v. Johnson is its most significant involving homelessness in decades. It comes as cities nationwide grapple with a spike in the number of people without access to shelter, driven in part by high housing costs and the end of aid programs launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ruling is likely to clear the way for state and local officials to mete out civil punishments in an effort to curtail homeless encampments, which have spread throughout the West as a result of a federal appeals court decision in the case involving anti-camping ordinances from Grants Pass, Oregon.

A number of state and local leaders across party lines have defended camping bans as necessary for protecting public health and safety, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found laws imposing civil penalties on homeless people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go are unconstitutional.

* American Bar Association

The plaintiffs who challenged the law had cited Robinson v. California. The 1962 Supreme Court decision held that criminalizing the status of narcotics addiction, with a possible punishment of 90 days in jail, is cruel and unusual.

The Supreme Court in Robinson bypassed a due process clause argument in reading the Eighth Amendment to impose a limit on what a state may criminalize, Gorsuch said.

* Rolling Stone magazine

Supporters of Grants Pass’ case included many conservatives, who have been seeking to remove homeless populations to boost public safety, as well as liberal leaders in West Coast cities overwhelmed by a spike in homelessness as rent prices soar. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) was among the high-profile figures to file an amicus brief in the case. “The United States Supreme Court can establish a balance that allows enforcement of reasonable limits on camping in public spaces, while still respecting the dignity of those living on our streets,” Newsom said in a statement in March.

Opponents of the case, however, fear that the Supreme Court’s ruling could open the floodgates for jurisdictions cracking down on homeless populations. “If the Supreme Court were to allow for such a punitive regime, then we’re going to have a race to the bottom to make it as uncomfortable as possible for people to survive,” John Do, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Northern California, told Rolling Stone in March.

* From the decision

Grants Pass’s public-camping ordinances do not criminalize status. The public-camping laws prohibit actions undertaken by any person, regardless of status. It makes no difference whether the charged defendant is currently a person experiencing homelessness, a backpacker on vacation, or a student who abandons his dorm room to camp out in protest on the lawn of a municipal building.

* From Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent

Grants Pass’s Ordinances criminalize being homeless. The status of being homeless (lacking available shelter) is defined by the very behavior singled out for punishment (sleeping outside). The majority protests that the Ordinances “do not criminalize mere status.” Ante, at 21. Say- ing so does not make it so. Every shred of evidence points the other way. The Ordinances’ purpose, text, and enforcement confirm that they target status, not conduct. For someone with no available shelter, the only way to comply with the Ordinances is to leave Grants Pass altogether.

* Chicago Coalition for the Homeless…

Today, Friday, June 28, 2024, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) is deeply disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court limited the rights of people experiencing homelessness in a decision in the Johnson v. Grants Pass case.

Originating from Grants Pass, Oregon, the Supreme Court decision allows cities to penalize people for sleeping outdoors if they even have a blanket to stay warm, even when they have nowhere else to go. Lower court decisions in the case found that fining and arresting people in those circumstances was “cruel and unusual punishment” under the 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

The Court’s decision does not recognize the reality of the lived experience of people with no place to go. As noted in the first sentence of Justice Sotomayor’s dissent, “Sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime.”

There is a severe shortage of affordable housing in Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the country and a lack of emergency shelter to address the need. Anti-bedding ordinances, like those at issue in the case, would be particularly harmful to people experiencing homelessness in climates like Chicago and Illinois. Any such measures passed here would punish Black Chicagoans and Illinoisans, who disproportionately experience homelessness.

    “Fining and penalizing people experiencing homelessness does not solve homelessness. Indeed, criminalizing homelessness only serves to exacerbate it,” said Patricia Nix-Hodes, Director of the Law Project of CCH. “The solution to homelessness is to provide permanent affordable housing.”

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH), alongside 27 partner organizations, filed an amicus brief in the case, raising the importance of the case and the impact on people experiencing homelessness in Chicago and Illinois. Pro bono partner Much Shelist supported CCH in filing the brief, and attorneys Steven Blonder, Josh Leavitt, and Charlotte Franklin were instrumental in drafting the brief. Legal Council for Health Justice and Law Center for Better Housing also partnered on the brief.

Read the amicus brief here.

CCH joined the National Homelessness Law Center and hundreds of other organizations that submitted more than 40 amicus briefs in support of people experiencing homelessness.

* Fox 2 St. Louis back in March

A growing number of Madison County cities are banning homeless camps on public property. Godfrey and Granite City passed ordinances last week. Wood River and Alton previously passed bans. […]

Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine is advocating for all county communities to adopt similar regulations and is collaborating with the Madison County Board to pass an ordinance for the county’s unincorporated areas. The aim is to create a consistent strategy across the county, avoiding a disjointed mix of regulations.

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It’s almost a law

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Capitol News Illinois

Abortion remains legal as an emergency medical procedure in Idaho, for now, after a Thursday U.S. Supreme Court ruling, while a bill that would cement those protections in Illinois law awaits Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature. […]

Pritzker, a longtime proponent of abortion rights, is expected to sign a bill sometime soon that would enshrine protections similar to the federal EMTALA law in Illinois statute.

The proposal, House Bill 581, would codify abortions as a “stabilizing treatment” that doctors must offer when necessary, in emergency situations such as ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, and fertility loss related to pregnancy complications. The measure passed on partisan lines.

Its chief sponsor, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, said on Thursday that the “primary reason” the bill was introduced was to preserve the status quo in case a Supreme Court decision casts doubt on EMTALA’s coverage of abortion procedures.

* Center Square

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker could soon sign a measure saying hotels with less than 50 rooms can’t provide single use plastic bottles containing things like shampoo.

Opponents say Senate Bill 2960 targets small business owners and puts unnecessary mandates on them. Proponents argue the measure protects the environment. State Rep. Laura Fine, D-Glenview, sponsored the measure in the Senate.

“Plastic is one of the top sources of pollution in our country,” said Fine. “According to conservation.org, 26 billion pounds of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year. At this rate by 2050, plastic will outweigh fish in the ocean. This bill is part of the solution.” […]

If a hotel is caught using single use plastic, they will be issued a written warning. Upon a second offense, they will be fined up to $500.

* Advantage News

A bill that had bipartisan support and is on the governor’s desk would remove eligibility requirements for individuals seeking to take a nursing assistant certification exam in Spanish.

House Bill 5218 requires the Illinois Department of Public Health to offer the exam and it prevents the department from implementing “impractical” eligibility requirements.

State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, said the nursing assistant certification exam is currently available in Spanish but no individual has been able to take the exam due to the requirements needed to take the Spanish exam. […]

State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, urged a “yes” vote on the Senate floor. He pointed out that the Spanish CNA test costs more to take than the English test.

“We’ve got bilingual folks who are more comfortable taking written exams in Spanish, which makes sense,” said McClure. “We’ve got a lot of people who don’t speak English in our nursing homes and they need to be cared for. This is not an automatic entry into a position. After you take this test you still have to apply for a job and the nursing home needs to interview you to make sure you meet the requirements for this particular facility.”

* HB255 was sent to the governor last week

Establishes the Illinois Youth and Young Adult Conservation and Education Pilot Program (rather than the Illinois Youth and Young Adult Conservation and Education Program). Provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall administer the Program. Provides that grants under this Act are limited to units of local government and non-profit entities located in the State of Illinois that provide conservation education and employment opportunities for youth and young adults of this State. Provides that the Program is subject to appropriation. Adds education and internships to purposes within the Program. Changes references to enrollees to references to interns. Defines terms. Changes references to the Director to references to the Department. Removes provisions that exclude contracts entered into for this Program from the Illinois Procurement Code. Removes changes to the Illinois Procurement Code. Makes other changes. Repeals this Act on June 30, 2029.

* Center Square

House Bill 2161 is now on the governor’s desk. The bill seeks to prevent discrimination by an employer based on an employee’s family responsibilities.

During debate on the House floor last month, state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, gave a real life example of the type of discrimination the bill aims to prevent.

“A woman who applied for a promotion at work and her boss asked, ‘you have kids at home right?’ She said, ‘I have four kids,’ and the boss said, ‘you’re a stellar employee but it sounds like you got a lot on your plate at home. So we’re going to give the promotion to someone else,’” said Guzzardi. “In that instance they gave the promotion to a man who also had kids and she had a gender discrimination claim, but had the employer given a job to a woman with no kids, that would have been perfectly legal. That kind of discrimination isn’t currently prohibited under the Human Rights Act.” […]

Guzzardi, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure simply closes a loophole in the state’s discrimination protections and mentioned other states that have passed similar legislation are seeing the number of lawsuits filed go down.

* HB307 sponsored by Rep. Kam Buckner has been sent to the governor

Amends the Freedom of Information Act and the Student-Athlete Endorsement Rights Act. Changes the definition of “student-athlete”. Makes changes concerning compensation, including prohibiting the Act from being interpreted to consider a student-athlete as an employee, agent, or independent contractor of an association, a conference, or a postsecondary educational institution (instead of providing that a student-athlete shall not be deemed an employee, agent, or independent contractor of an association, a conference, or a postsecondary educational institution based on the student-athlete’s participation in an intercollegiate athletics program). Makes changes concerning publicity rights agreements. Provides that no postsecondary educational institution or employee acting within the employee’s course and scope of employment at a postsecondary educational institution is liable for damages related to the ability or inability of a student-athlete to earn compensation for the use of the student-athlete’s name, image, likeness, or voice. Provides that specified information that includes, reveals, or otherwise relates to the terms of an existing or proposed student-athlete publicity rights agreement is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a postsecondary educational institution may provide intangible benefits as an incentive to individuals, companies, or other third parties that provide money, benefits, opportunities, or other services to an outside entity functioning primarily to support the creation and facilitation of publicity rights agreements for student-athletes.

  4 Comments      


Open thread

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

  16 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jun 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: ‘We should have a sense of urgency’ as farm drainage tile drives nutrient pollution. Investigate Midwest

    - An increased use of agricultural drainage tile is one reason a 2025 deadline to reduce nitrate and phosphorus entering the Gulf of Mexico by 20% is unlikely.

    - Drainage tile, a system farmers use to drain water from croplands, is also a contributor to the historic loss of up to about 100 million acres of wetlands in the U.S.

    -Tile is a major influence on the massive amounts of nitrate that flow into the Gulf of Mexico. About 90% of this nitrate comes from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, which are connected to highly tiled states like Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

* Related stories…

* Delayed again!


*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker calls SCOTUS emergency abortion ruling ‘small respite’ as state protections await his signature: The proposal, House Bill 581, would codify abortions as a “stabilizing treatment” that doctors must offer when necessary, in emergency situations such as ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, and fertility loss related to pregnancy complications. The measure passed on partisan lines. Its chief sponsor, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, said on Thursday that the “primary reason” the bill was introduced was to preserve the status quo in case a Supreme Court decision casts doubt on EMTALA’s coverage of abortion procedures.

* Tribune | Fallout from Supreme Court ruling just beginning in Michael Madigan racketeering case: The fallout from the ruling will be particularly acute in Chicago, where federal prosecutors have used the 666 law for years to bring political corruption indictments, including Madigan’s, where it makes up five of the 23 overall counts charged against the longtime speaker of the House. In a minute order posted to the docket Thursday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey ordered both sides to meet and confer on the issues — including whether they should proceed with pending motions to dismiss and if the U.S. attorney’s office will seek a superseding indictment — and report back to him by July 8.

* Sun-Times | On Kennedy Expressway, Illinois Tollway, no speed cameras are watching despite what signs say: But there aren’t any speed cameras in work zones on the Tri-State or the other toll roads overseen by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. And the Kennedy hasn’t had any work-zone speed-enforcement cameras since construction began on the expressway early last year. The Illinois Tollway used to have speed cameras, an agency spokeswoman says, but not for many years.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | State adds two migrant shelters months before DNC, causing objections from lawmakers: Ahead of August’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration this week revealed it’s opening two new shelters to house up to 1,700 migrants, though the governor’s office sought to downplay the timing. […] [Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar] and state Sen. Mike Porfirio, a La Grange Democrat who also represents the area, said in a statement this week they only learned Pritzker’s administration was moving forward with its plans after it sent out a news release detailing the shelter openings. During previous discussions about the shelter being located in a former hotel near Midway Airport, the lawmakers had raised numerous questions and public safety concerns. (Click here for more info)

* WREX | Several new laws set to go into effect Monday in Illinois: The new law will allow a license to be obtained without as much documentation and also act as a form of identification for things such as opening a bank account or renting homes. […] [Mary Lou Castro] believes this change is imperative as non-citizens work to navigate everyday life. “Making you feel more at ease, more at home. They’re paying taxes, they’re working like everybody else and just providing the same services that any individual has to in the state of Illinois in order to survive and move forward,” Castro said.

*** Statewide ***

* AGRI News | ICGA, oil industry sue EPA: The Illinois Corn Growers Association joined 12 other state corn organizations and oil industry representatives to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for its inequitable and costly electrification of America’s vehicle fleet. […] “In its multi-pollutant rule, the EPA incentivized the electric vehicle industry for its ability to reduce carbon, but refused to acknowledge the positive impact of renewable fuels,” ICGA President Dave Rylander said. “Ethanol is currently decarbonizing our atmosphere. Why are we penalizing our current solution for a technology that is not obtainable at its proposed level today?”

* WGEM | Illinois residents warned about firework safety and regulations: Novelty fireworks such as smoke bombs and sparkles are legal to set off during the fourth. However, bigger fireworks such as mortars are illegal in the cities themselves. Violating these laws is a class A misdemeanor which can lead to fines ranging from $75 to $2,500.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Chicago wants to reach violence victims at the hospital bedside: Chicago will use $3 million in American Rescue Plan funding on hospital-based violence intervention to help those at risk of a repeat of violent injury. The Chicago Department of Public Health on June 26 said it was looking for proposals from qualified hospitals and community-based organizations to deliver programming and services to victims. The project aims to promote partnerships between hospitals that provide care to the highest volume of patients with violence-related injuries and the community-based organizations that can serve them.

* Tribune | CTU lobbyist helped craft mayor’s letter to Senate president at heart of Springfield selective enrollment fight: Harmon pointed to Johnson’s promise in the late May letter as evidence of the trust between the two officials, saying the mayor’s “commitment to me is even more clear and more binding than the bill would have been.” But public records provided to the Tribune reveal a CTU official helped craft the eleventh-hour letter that likely saved the teachers union and Johnson from an embarrassing defeat in the statehouse, as well as an earlier, watered-down version.

* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools lays off nearly 600 support staff members: The school district acknowledged Thursday that nearly 600 support staff were laid off as schools look to the year ahead, about half teacher aides. Officials said only about 5% of all teacher aides lost their positions and that most will find jobs in other schools. They also said these were individual decisions made by principals and that overall, CPS schools are hiring more teachers, special education aides and restorative justice coordinators. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez also insisted, as he has in the past, that spending on schools overall will either stay the same or increase next school year.

* Tribune | Cracks revealed between Chicago Public Schools and Chicago Teachers Union at board meeting: [A]s resources have become more scarce—with the district facing an approximately $400 million deficit when pandemic-era federal relief funds expire in the fall—different priorities emerged at Thursday’s more than six-hour meeting. Education support staff, known as paraprofessionals, help manage classrooms and materials and provide tailored support to students. CTU members said that by cutting the number of staff members who often support homeless, bilingual and special education students, CPS will destabilize not only staffers’ families but also their students.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago Board of Education approves settlement for lawsuit accusing teacher of sexual abuse: The Chicago Board of Education has given final approval to pay $800,000 to a former student who was sexually abused by a teacher. The payment comes as the settlement of a 2019 lawsuit filed by a woman known only as Jane Doe, who said she was sexually abused by a former teacher at Gurdon S. Hubbard High School in the West Lawn neighborhood.

* Tribune | Shradha Agarwal, former Outcome Health president, sentenced to 3 years in a halfway house: Shradha Agarwal, 38, was the second of a trio of former top Outcome executives to be sentenced this week for their roles in a scheme that prosecutors said defrauded pharmaceutical companies, investors and financial institutions out of $1 billion. In handing down the unusual sentence, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin said Agarwal deserved to go to prison, but he was giving her a break because of a “ridiculous” policy of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons that non-U.S. citizens like Agarwal cannot go to a prison camp, where most first-time, nonviolent offenders are housed.

* Block Club | Chicago Pride Parade 2024: Here’s What You Need To Know: The parade is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, June 30. City officials and parade organizers moved up the start time to give the Police Department an easier shift change once the parade is over and again later at night, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) previously said.

* Sun-Times | Bubba Wallace’s Block Party moves to Douglass Park for 2024 NASCAR Chicago: “I’m excited to host another block party in Chicago,” Wallace said in a statement. “I was impressed by how the community showed up last year, eager and willing to learn more about our sport. Let’s run it back.” Activities for all ages are also part of the mix, including coloring stations, race car courses for kids, free haircuts and giveaways. Attendees can also take laps on racing simulators.

* Sun-Times | Kinky Friedman, provocative Texas musician and novelist, dies at 79: Friedman, 79, died Thursday at his family’s Texas ranch near San Antonio, close friend Kent Perkins told The Associated Press. The Chicago native had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for several years, Perkins said. […] Often called “The Kinkster” and sporting sideburns, a thick mustache and cowboy hat, Friedman earned a cult following and reputation as a provocateur throughout his career across musical and literary genres. […] Friedman joined part of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour in 1976.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Lake County News-Sun | Statistics show most Waukegan Township residents struggling to make ends meet; ‘It’s important all people are able to live with dignity’: As the cost of things like housing and food continues to increase, more than half the families in Waukegan Township — and approximately 25% of those in Lake County — are not earning enough to afford the basic necessities of life. […] In Waukegan Township — much of Waukegan, the northern part of North Chicago and some of southern Beach Park — 57% of families are below the [Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed] level. It is 52% in Zion Township, 30% in Warren Township and 33% countywide, according to United Way data.

* Crain’s | Can Walgreens save itself: The Deerfield-based company’s stock slid 25% yesterday after disclosing disappointing third-quarter earnings and revealing the pharmacy giant intends to shrink its footprint, write down assets and try to narrow its focus on profitable parts of the business. The poor performance comes amid a $1 billion cost-cutting plan and a strategic review of the entire business, both of which were kick-started by CEO Tim Wentworth. The turnaround moves are intended to boost profits and investors’ confidence, but so far, there’s little evidence the plan is working or will pay dividends anytime soon. Executives said headwinds, particularly in its largest segments, are expected to last into next year.

* NBC Chicago | Arlington Heights mayor sheds light on Bears stadium talks after announcing he won’t seek re-election: Hayes, who plans to spend time with his family after serving several terms as mayor, indicated talks with the team are still ongoing. “I’m hopeful about where things are at, otherwise I wouldn’t be leaving,” he said. “We’ve got a really good team here of our own that has been working on it for about three and a half years. And so we’re going to continue to work on it in the next 10 months.”

* NBC Chicago | Former AG Lynch recommends that Northwestern enhance hazing prevention training: A team of investigators led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch recommended Northwestern enhance its hazing prevention training in the wake of a scandal that rocked the school’s athletic department. Though the report released Thursday by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP stated “the results of our review have been largely positive,” investigators found room for improvement when it came to preventing hazing during a nearly year-long review.

* Daily Herald | Des Plaines shrine welcomes national pilgrimage with special Mass: Starting Wednesday and continuing through Sunday, the Archdiocese of Chicago is welcoming the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, a two-month walking journey across the U.S. led by clergy and a small group of young adults who will converge July 17, at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. “The whole idea is to rekindle the faith of the community and call them out, to rekindle people’s sense of hope,” said the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “The message is faith through action, to take responsibility for what we can do and make wherever we live a better place.”

*** Downstate ***

* CBS | Illinois cold case victim identified as Ohio woman nearly 50 years after she was killed: The woman found dead in Grundy County had been nameless. Officials identified her on Thursday as JoAnne “Vicki” Smith, who was only 20 years old when she died. Detectives said the woman’s DNA led them to surviving relatives. Earlier this year, a DNA match led authorities to identify the body as Smith’s. […] Ronnie said JoAnne was his older sister and the “apple of my mother’s eye.” She went missing from their family home in Cincinnati in 1976 and was never heard from again. Ronnie was just 8 years old when his sister disappeared.

* The Southern | Fuller Dome project includes visitors’ center: Restoring the house was financed through a Save America’s Treasures’ Grant through the National Park Services. The preservation grant meant putting everything back in its place as much as possible. For example, the floors are made of cork from Portugal. Restoring it meant finding a very specific type, size and color to match the original flooring. […] The visitors’ center has 3D printed walls from a California company called Mighty Buildings. There is a “proprietary recipe” for the walls that the company is secretive about. The center is designed to fit with Fuller’s vision of being creative, unique and good for the environment. It features triangular patterns on the outside of the building.

*** National ***

* National Low Income Housing Coalition | How Much Do You Need to Earn to Afford a Modest Apartment in Your State?: Hourly wage required to afford a two-bedroom rental home by state.

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