* Crain’s…

Indivior, a company that makes treatments for opioid use disorder, actually contributed to the opioid crisis by catering to the very physicians that fueled overuse of prescription opioids, according to the attorneys general of 16 states.

Those state officials, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, announced on July 26 that they reached an $86 million settlement in principle with Indivior “for its role in driving the spread of deadly opioid addictions,” a press release from Raoul’s office said. […]

The settlement in principle was negotiated by Raoul and the attorneys general of New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia in coordination with an executive committee consisting of the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Vermont.

“This settlement builds on our progress, through multiple settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors, to ultimately help families get their loved [ones] access to the treatment and recovery resources they deserve,” Raoul said in the release.

* Governor JB Pritzker…

On July 2, 2024, the State of Illinois received federal approval of its proposed Healthcare Transformation 1115 Demonstration waiver that will allow the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) to begin nation-leading work to expand Medicaid coverage. Assistance will soon address root causes of health disparities, such as housing and food insecurity, and help individuals transitioning from incarceration.

“Here in Illinois, the 1115 waiver is the cornerstone of our broader strategy to address health-related social needs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We are using it to direct Medicaid resources toward initiatives that address the root causes of health inequalities such as housing, food insecurity, unemployment, violence prevention, re-entry from prison settings, substance use treatment, and more. Illinois is leading the way in this work and once again setting the nationwide standard for what equitable, effective, and people-centric healthcare should look like.” […]

The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Illinois’ application to amend and extend for five years an existing 1115 waiver to include services newly-eligible for federal Medicaid match. These programs were designed to specifically address health-related social needs and improve health outcomes statewide, with a focus on housing support, medical respite and food and nutrition.

Coverage for pre-release services for individuals leaving carceral settings is also included, reflecting a major policy shift in the Medicaid program, as well as highly-innovative services to address community firearm violence. Expanded home- and community-based services, including non-medical transportation and expanded employment services will also be covered.

Services additionally include substance use disorder (SUD) assistance as well as coverage of Violence Prevention and Intervention services for Medicaid beneficiaries impacted by violence. […]

Some other items contained in the extension application continue to be under review. The state prioritized health-related social needs and reentry for initial approval and will continue discussions with the federal authorities on other components of its request.

*** Statehouse News ***

* SLPR | What will a new push for nuclear energy look like in Missouri and Illinois?: While Missouri just has Callaway, Illinois has more nuclear plants than any other state. A recent Illinois law repealed a nuclear moratorium, which could clear the way for new nuclear plants in the form of small modular reactors. “There’s a lot of excitement in Illinois about the future of nuclear,” Huff said. “But that moratorium that had been in place was keeping any real possibilities from being tangible.”

* Sun-Times | Tons of plastic trash litters Great Lakes beaches. Why not hold manufacturers responsible?: Fortunately, states can help solve this challenge. The Alliance for the Great Lakes is calling for implementing extended producer responsibility policies — holding producers responsible across the life cycle of their products and packaging, from design and materials to end-of-life management. And momentum is building in the Great Lakes region. Our friends in Minnesota became the fifth state in the U.S. to establish extended producer responsibility legislation for packaging, joining our bi-national Great Lakes partners in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, which have been implementing extended producer responsibility policies for years. More recently, extended producer responsibility laws have passed in Maine, California, Oregon and Colorado.

* NFIB | NFIB Illinois PAC Endorses Pro-Small Business Candidates: The endorsed candidates completed a candidate questionnaire regarding issues important to small-business owners across Illinois. The NFIB IL PAC Board—comprised of small-business owners from across the state—considers and approves state legislative endorsements. NFIB represents over 10,000 small and independent businesses throughout Illinois.

*** Statewide ***

* Patch | Strong Geomagnetic Storm Could Bring Northern Lights To IL This Week: Conditions appear favorable for residents in Illinois to see the northern lights through Wednesday after an Earth-directed solar storm created what scientists call a “cannibal CME.” The aurora borealis may be seen deep into the nation’s midsection if weather conditions allow. The aurora forecast for Monday night and early Tuesday morning calls for a G3-level storm with a Kp Index of 7, a measure of auroral strength. The chances of seeing the northern lights are best with a Kp index of at least five.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | CTA’s Red Line extension gets new financial help from the feds: According to U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, the Federal Transit Administration has decided to speed up funding for the 5.6-mile extension, providing a projected $1.973 billion over seven years rather than 10. That means the feds will provide twice as much as was expected in the first year of construction: $746 million. That in turn will reduce local financing costs by more than $200 million, since more of the cash needed for the project will be available upfront, rather than having to be financed locally, mostly by a transit tax-increment financing tax on real estate.

* Block Club | DNC In Chicago: United Center Neighbors Brace For Restricted Access, Traffic, Police — And Confusion: The vehicle screening perimeter will allow ride-sharing services and delivery drivers to pass through at a designated checkpoint. Bicyclists can also pass through this area and are not required to undergo a screening process, officials said. While there are few homes within the security footprint, dozens of neighbors will be affected. Officials have held community meetings and canvassed the area to try to reach neighbors and talk to them about how to prepare for life during the convention.

* Tribune | Cooling centers open as heat, humidity and storms loom; city monitoring forecast ahead of Lollapalooza: Through Friday, 256 cooling centers will be open across the city to provide vulnerable residents with relief from the heat. A map of hours and locations, which include public libraries and community service centers, can be found here. The heat index is anticipated to exceed 100 degrees at times on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. An extreme heat warning will be issued if the heat index is expected to exceed 105-110 degrees for at least two consecutive days.

* Crain’s | Media veteran Steve Edwards takes on civic engagement role at Chicago Fed: Starting Aug. 13, Edwards will become executive vice president for external affairs and civic engagement and will serve as a member of the bank’s executive committee, the Chicago Fed announced today. “Edwards brings wide-ranging experience at mission-driven organizations to this newly created role,” the Fed’s press release notes.

* Chicago Mag | Looking for Al Capone: “The details of Al Capone’s first three or four years in Chicago are somewhat minimal, with little mention of him in the press,” Chicago mob historian John J. Binder wrote in his 2017 book Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition. As Binder pointed out, a man using the name Al Brown was arrested in January 1921. Capone often used Al Brown as an alias — as late as 1927, the Tribune would still refer to him by this name — so there’s a strong possibility that this was Al Capone, who’d just turned 22. Of course, it could’ve been someone actually named Al Brown — or another criminal hiding behind the same alias. It was a lot easier to get away with using an alias in 1921 than it is today.

* Sun-Times | Organizers of Chicago River open swim event appeal city’s permit denial: The organizers of the event, which benefits ALS research and swimming lessons for Chicago kids, filed an appeal July 17 with the city after its permit application was denied by the Department of Transportation for safety concerns. The transportation department offered an alternate route from Ohio Street Beach to Oak Street, but organizers with A Long Swim are hoping their original plan can come to fruition. Their desired route is in the Main Stem of the Chicago River, essentially along the Riverwalk from Wabash to Lake Street.

* AP | Museums closed Native American exhibits 6 months ago. Tribes are still waiting to get items back: In Chicago, the Field Museum has established a Center for Repatriation after covering up several cases in its halls dedicated to ancient America and the peoples of the coastal Northwest and Arctic. The museum has also since returned four items back to tribes, with another three pending, through efforts that were underway before the new regulations, according to spokesperson Bridgette Russell.

* Sun-Times | White Sox trade Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to Cardinals, Michael Kopech to Dodgers: The White Sox have agreed to a trade sending right-handers Erick Fedde to the Cardinals and Michael Kopech to the Dodgers in a three-team deal, a source told the Sun-Times. The Sox are receiving left fielder Miguel Vargas and infield prospects Jaral Perez and Alexander Albertus from the Dodgers in return. Outfielder Tommy Pham is going from the Sox to the Cardinals along with Fedde, and infielder Tommy Edman goes from the Cardinals to Los Angeles, according to a source.

* Block Club | Gator Watch In Lincoln Park? No, It’s A Turtle On A Log, City Says: On Thursday, Block Club reporters saw what appeared at first to be the head of an alligator briefly crest above the water before disappearing below, leaving a murky shadow in the water. After a few hours spent monitoring the shadow, no movement was detected. Photos from the incident were sent to Chicago Animal Care and Control and to Frank Robb, who famously trapped Chance the Snapper. The verdict came in quickly: It’s “100% not a gator,” Robb, a gator expert, said. The photos instead looked to him like a snapping turtle and a log, he said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Shaw Local | Cook County man pleads guilty, sentenced for threatening court officials: Prosecutors alleged that on Dec. 1, 2023, Christian called the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office more than a dozen times, made threats to commit a school shooting or bombing, made threats to shoot a local circuit judge, and made threats against an Illinois Supreme Court justice and the president, according to court records.

* Daily Herald | Citing safety and building height, Arlington Heights panel rejects affordable housing plan: Citing concerns ranging from crime and tenant vetting to building height and compatibility with the neighborhood, the Arlington Heights plan commission has rejected revised plans for a 3-story, 25-unit permanent supportive housing development for people with disabilities and veterans on South Arlington Heights Road. But the 5-2 vote late Wednesday from the advisory panel is only a recommendation. The final decision rests with the nine-member village board, the majority of whom supported earlier iterations of the plan.

* Daily Herald | With promise of $47 million in public funding, Schaumburg all in on The District: Schaumburg has pledged $47 million in public funding for The District at Veridian, clearing the way for construction to begin on the $185 million, 30-acre mixed-use development on the former Motorola campus. The first of four phases of the long-awaited “Main Street”-style project will bring 65,000 square feet of retail space, including a grocery store, and more than 300 high-end apartments to the southwest corner of Algonquin and Meacham roads.

* Daily Southtown | Patrick Rea, longtime Tinley Park official, dies at 84, remembered for devotion to village: “He truly loved Tinley more than anyone I’ve ever met,” said Mayor Michael Glotz, who asked Rea to speak at his inauguration ceremony. “He was there for everybody but himself.” […] Rea was a village trustee for 37 years, starting in 1971, then was village clerk from 2009 until 2017. He served in the U.S. Army, either in active duty or the Reserves, for more than 20 years and left the military with the rank of brigadier general. Tinley Park’s Veterans Memorial near the south entrance to the 80th Avenue Metra station was named in his honor.

* Daily | Smoke on the water: Fox Lake dispensary touted as Illinois’ 1st dockside marijuana shop: The dispensary is located in a former barbecue joint at 44 Route 12 and celebrated its opening day Friday. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Tuesday. As for the waterside location that provides access to boaters, the company said in a statement that “we wanted to create an experience that allows a convenient and unique way for customers to access our services directly from their boats, enhancing their experience in a very scenic location.”

*** Downstate ***

* AP | Wind power can be a major source of tax revenue, but officials struggle to get communities on board: An Associated Press analysis of county tax data from local governments in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska — states either with many wind farms or a high potential for wind power — found wind companies rank among the biggest taxpayers in many rural communities, with their total tax bills at times outstripping that of large farms, power plants and other major businesses. While that tax income from wind power does not represent a significant percent of counties’ budgets, it totals millions of dollars some local leaders say has translated into meaningful change. But the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, which tallies local opposition to wind power, finds efforts to block wind projects are “widespread and growing.”

* QC Times | John Deere lays off more than 300 in Moline and East Moline in latest round of cuts: The agriculture giant notified the state of Illinois via both email and certified mail 298 workers at John Deere’s Headquarters in Moline were laid off July 24, according to a letter sent to the state July 25. The total employment at headquarters now stands at 1,993. John Deere included a list of all jobs cut which included accountants, chief of staff and a variety of people in management and senior positions. In a second letter to the state sent that same day, an additional 21 employees at John Deere’s East Moline Harvester Works were being laid off.

* Pantagraph | Illinois State solar car team takes third in 2 summer races: ISU’s team entered the car into the ASC’s single-occupancy vehicle class and was the third to cross the road race finish line in its class Saturday in Casper. Before it could hit the road for the latter cross-county event, the team of around 16 students first qualified at the Formula Sun Grand Prix, undergoing “scrutineering” inspections to ensure technical standards are met, and then racing on the NCM’s 3.15-mile Grand Full Course — a race track used by General Motors for Corvette testing. ISU’s solar car made 149 laps on the course, covering 469 miles in the three-day race from July 16-18 and placing third.

* Effingham Daily News | 5 graduate from Effingham County Problem Solving Court: The ceremony was led by Judge Ericka Sanders, who explained that most people lack the ability or drive to make it through the program and stay sober. “They do what most people can’t, change, and they changed despite every unimaginable obstacle in their way,” Sanders said. “You are the definition of success in anyone’s book.” […] In a video played during the ceremony, it was revealed that it costs $46,743 to incarcerate someone, while it only costs $6,000 to put a resident through the Effingham County Problem Solving Court program, which began in 2006.

* News-Gazette | UI offers $2,000 to students to cancel housing contracts due to large incoming class: An email which informed resident advisers they will have first-year students as temporary roommates attributed this change to a “larger than anticipated number of new students.” [Mari Anne Brocker Curry, director of housing information] did not say what caused this situation and, due to university policy, cannot share information on the size of the incoming class until official counts are finalized on the 10th day of classes.

* BND | Bear seen in Illinois likely swam across Ohio River from Kentucky, wildlife official says: Also, since the bear went unseen for 48 hours, then showed up in Missouri on Wednesday, it’s likely it swam across the Mississippi River too, according to John Hast, the bear and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

* Tribune | Kamala Harris has little-known childhood connection to Illinois; family friend recounts memories from her year in Champaign-Urbana: Urbana resident Diane Gottheil, now 85, recalled fondly her friendship with Harris’ parents during their year in Illinois. Gottheil was finishing up her Ph.D. in political science when they joined the university’s community in 1966, bringing a 2-year-old Harris in tow. Gottheil said that she viewed Harris’ mother Shyamala Gopalan as a major role model, admiring both her work as a medical researcher and her passion for civil rights.

*** National ***

* Neil Steinberg | Google can pull the plug at any time: Poking around Google, I found a laundry list of misdeeds Google suggests might earn banishment, beginning with: “Account hacking or hijacking” and including “Child sexual abuse and exploitation,” “Harassment, bullying & threats” and “Terrorist content.” Only I hadn’t done any of these. The only thing I could think of is, my account was deleted exactly at midnight, and my blog posts automatically at midnight. Thursday’s was fairly benign: A reader cc’d me a letter sent to City Lit, the Logan Square bookstore that created international headlines by booting a writer off its reading club list for the author’s Zionist leanings.

* Law & Crime | ‘Violates free speech rights’: Part of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Stop W.O.K.E Act dies with permanent injunction by federal judge: Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction, saying the law that bans diversity training in private workplaces “violates free speech rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.” The ruling follows a three-judge appeals court panel’s March decision that upheld Walker’s original injunction. The State of Florida did not oppose the motion to make the ruling permanent.

* NYT | Overlooked No More: Willy de Bruyn, Cycling Champion Who Broke Gender Boundaries: In early 1936, a Belgian cyclist, Willy de Bruyn, read an article in the Flemish newspaper De Dag that would change his life. He learned that a Czech sprinter who had been assigned female at birth was transitioning and would begin living as a man. It was just the spark de Bruyn needed. He went to see a local doctor and soon announced that he, too, wanted to live the balance of his life as a man.