* ICYMI: Pritzker announces round 3 of medical debt relief program at University of Chicago. WGN…

- The third round of medical debt forgiveness has erased more than $220 million in medical debt for about 170,000 Illinois residents.
- The two previous rounds eliminated $345 million in debt for 270,000 Illinoisans.
- Pritzker said that while the state is implementing programs to forgive medical debt, he remains concerned about potential cuts to vital services like Medicaid at the federal level, pointing out that cuts to programs like Medicaid threaten access to critical healthcare for Illinois families.
- “If Donald Trump and the Republican congress eliminate the Medicaid expansion, we will have people who get sick and die because they don’t have coverage,” Pritzker said.

* Related stories…

∙ NBC Chicago: Illinois has erased nearly $350 million in medical debt, Pritzker says
∙ Fox Chicago: Illinois slashes $220M in medical debt for 170K residents, more relief on the way

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | State representative blasts Metra for failing to release internal investigation results: State Rep. Kambium “Kam” Buckner called on Metra to release the findings of an internal investigation, expressing his “deep disappointment” in the rail agency’s decision to withhold the results of the work of an outside law firm. “At a time when fiscal constraints require us to scrutinize (transit) governance, operations and agency structures, this lack of transparency raises serious concerns,” he wrote in a letter to Metra’s board. “Simply put, you cannot ask taxpayers to pay for an investigation and then tell them they have no right to know the results.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Audit finds Illinois’ noncitizen health care programs far outstripped original cost estimates: A pair of health care programs that benefit noncitizens – one of which is already on Gov. JB Pritzker’s budgetary chopping block – far outstripped its original estimated price tag and cost the state of Illinois $1.6 billion through last summer, according to a new audit of the programs published Wednesday. The report also found more than 6,000 people enrolled in the state-funded programs were classified as “undocumented” despite actually having social security numbers. Some of those people were green card holders who would have instead qualified for health coverage like Medicaid or traditional insurance.

* ABC Chicago | Couple shocked by $26K water bill from city of Chicago, others come forward: ‘We’re on edge’: Elizabeth Finan and her husband have owned a North Side apartment complex for decades. She said every other month, they get a water bill for about $3,000, but her January bill made her jaw drop: $26,369.94. […] Finan said they called an engineer the next day to inspect the building for leaks, but nothing was detected. So, she called the city’s Department of Water Management. “She said the last actual reading was in 2017, and these are all estimated and when they came out and read the meter, this was the bill,” Finan said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Doug Scott confirmed to five-year term as ICC Chairman: Scott was reappointed to a five-year term by Governor JB Pritzker in January 2024 after serving out the remainder of former Chairman Carrie Zalewski’s term. […] “States are at the forefront of keeping the country’s clean energy ambitions apace. Three years ago, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) charted Illinois’ path to a 100 percent clean energy economy, and in the years to come, the ICC will continue to play a critical role in steering Illinois toward its decarbonization goals,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “As a regulator, Doug Scott understands the importance of balancing reliability, safety, and affordability alongside these goals. Illinois is fortunate to have Chairman Scott at the helm of the ICC.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker says federal funds still being withheld; warns of further spending cuts: Meanwhile, Pritzker also warned this week that as many as 770,000 Illinoisans stand to lose Medicaid health care coverage under a Republican-backed budget resolution that cleared the U.S. House Tuesday night. That resolution, which would amend the current federal fiscal year’s budget, calls for deep cuts in federal funding for Medicaid, a health insurance program for low-income and disabled individuals that is jointly funded with state and federal money.

* WAND | Senator Rose responds to Health Alliance’s decision to end majority of coverage by 2026: State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is also looking for answers. “I wish I had answers, I don’t, but we’re trying to get them. And I’ve already talked to CMS, the meeting is set for Tuesday of next week to to try and figure out where they’re going to go in open enrollment,” said Rose. Nearly 200,000 people are losing their health insurance. And 600 people are potentially losing their jobs.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | In anticipation of rush, DMV facilities to open on Saturdays for Real ID applicants: The extended hours begin this Saturday and will run through May 10. Twelve of the facilities will be open to walk-in customers on Saturdays for the first time, starting at 7:30 a.m. In addition to the Chicago DMV at 7301 W. Lexington Ave., the facilities in Addison, Aurora, Des Plaines, Elgin, Joliet, Lake Zurich, Melrose Park, Plano, St. Charles, Waukegan and Woodstock will have Saturday hours.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | To balance Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 budget, Chicago installing 50 new speed cameras to ticket drivers: Chicago will add 50 speed cameras as part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to balance this year’s budget, increasing the stock of the devices used to ticket drivers by 30% citywide. The city’s Department of Transportation confirmed this week that it is “actively working” to install the 50 cameras this year but declined to share the locations, saying they have yet to be finalized.

* Tribune | City Council passes Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $830 million infrastructure bond plan after pushback: Aldermen approved the plan in a 26-23 vote a day after Johnson’s administration proposed a version with clearer spending guardrails. While opponents decried the debt package as financially irresponsible, allies of the mayor defended it as a typical and crucial way to fund basic infrastructure work. “We are not mortgaging the future of our children. We are building the roads that they are going to use,” Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, said.

* Sun-Times | After OKing plan to save 7 Acero charter schools, CPS may decide to close several of them after all: The about-face would suddenly leave three campuses shuttered at the end of this school year and the other four facing uncertain futures. But it’s not a done deal — some board members are pushing to keep at least five schools open next year.

* Tribune | Trauma on trauma: Immigration agents detain Acero charter schools parent on eve of school board vote to shutter some locations: In a letter Wednesday, Acero officials said “Community Wellness Protocols” were immediately implemented at two schools, Victoria Soto High School and Jovita Idar Elementary, which share a campus, to “maintain the safety and security” of the schools’ community. Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Safety and Security was also engaged, according to the letter signed by the schools’ principals, Elizabeth Obrzut and Nicolle Macias. ICE agents did not attempt to enter either school, according to the letter. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

* Crain’s | Tech incubator 1871 is leaving the Merchandise Mart: “As you all know, 1871 has not been immune to the post-COVID challenges that many organizations — especially nonprofits — have faced,” CEO Betsy Ziegler told members and partners in a letter today. “While our impact across Chicago and beyond has grown significantly, like many other businesses, we were not able to adapt our real estate model quickly enough to the evolving economic landscape.

* Sun-Times | Federal lawsuit says Chicago police officers framed man in 2011 slaying of fellow cop: One of the men who was initially charged in the 2011 slaying of Chicago Police Officer Clifton Lewis has filed a federal lawsuit alleging fellow officers “perpetuated a wide-ranging scheme” to manufacture evidence to secure convictions in the case. Alexander Villa’s conviction was vacated and charges were dropped in October after the Cook County state’s attorney’s office learned that the defense had not been provided with some potentially exculpatory evidence — evidence that could have been favorable to their client.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Suburban Chicago elections: Two high-profile politicians ousted, Larry Dominick keeps control of Cicero: Closer to Chicago in west suburban Cicero, town President Larry Dominick appeared to hang onto his seat, with 57% of the vote against challenger Esteban Rodriguez. Dominick started working for the town’s public works before becoming a police officer and then mayor in 2005. He said his major achievements include reducing local gang killings and improving town services.

* Shaw Local | Nguyen likely secures ballot bid for DeKalb mayor race in April election: If unofficial results hold, Nguyen’s name will appear with three other challengers to be DeKalb’s next mayor: incumbent Cohen Barnes, 7th Ward Alderman John Walker and Kouame Sanan, who works in NIU’s IT department.

* Fox Chicago | Chicago suburb approves ban on Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC edibles: The Elgin City Council has officially approved a ban on certain THC products, a move that will remove Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC edibles from store shelves. […] Unlike cannabis products sold at licensed dispensaries, these edibles are largely unregulated and have reportedly been linked to a surge in poison control calls.

* Tribune | State police: Crete man sent threatening email to Gov. JB Pritzker : The email containing “a message of a threatening nature” was sent to Pritzker’s Office of Constituent Affairs from an email associated with Michael Dascenzo, 49, on Jan. 9, state police said in a news release. Authorities didn’t say exactly what the email stated but did say the email sparked an investigation that led to them obtaining an arrest warrant on Tuesday.

*** Downstate ***

* Herald Whig | One day after primary, Moore kicks campaign into high gear: Independent mayoral candidate Linda Moore kicked her campaign into high gear on Wednesday ahead of the April 1 consolidated election when she will face Mayor Mike Troup. “(It’s the) first day of the consolidated election cycle,” Moore told those gathered for her press event Wednesday afternoon. “I am so excited to be able to share with you my plan for how we’re going to fix and grow our city.”

* WGEM | Prairie Farms announces Quincy expansion: At a Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday, Mayor Mike Troup announced plans for Prairie Farms to expand. Troup said the company bought two lots next to their property at 24th and Broadway. According to Troup, the expansion will add 10-15 jobs.

* 25News Now | Bloomington non-profit suggests cabin village for housing city’s homeless: “The shelter village would really be able to cater to those individuals who really just need their own space to connect with others when they choose and to be alone when they want to be as well,” said Audrey Cail, Home Sweet Home’s Director of Client Services. It will cost about $2.5 million to build the village. HSHM plans to fundraise and apply for a grant through McLean County to pay for it. They need a lot of money to make this happen, but the Home Sweet Home staff, believe in what they’re doing.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford Public Schools: Girl’s tragic death is a ‘wake-up call’: An 11-year-old student in Rockford, Illinois, died by suicide on February 21st. The student’s family alleges that bullying at Eisenhower Middle School contributed to her death, but the school district says they have not found evidence of this. [Superintendent Ehren Jarrett] emphasized the importance of communication and encouraged students to report any concerns they have, assuring them that resources are available.

* KWQC | Rock Island cancels meetings after protesters gather outside of city hall: The protesters are angry at the city after an officer fatally shot a driver on Jan. 5. After an investigation, the officer returned to duty and the county attorney’s office released body camera footage of the shooting. At one point Monday, Davenport police blocked access to the Centennial Bridge.

*** National ***

* Florida Politics | Who will run for Byron Donalds’ seat in Congress?: Former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis could also jump in. The investment manager and frequent CNBC guest now lives in Southwest Florida and could bring an opportunity to self-fund. Catalina Lauf, another former Illinois congressional candidate who worked in the Commerce Department under Trump, has also moved to Florida and been suggested as a possible candidate.

* WaPo | Finally, something is puncturing conspiracy theories: A new paper in the journal Science by Thomas Costello of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Gordon Pennycook of Cornell University and David Rand, also of Sloan, is so exciting. It finds hope in new technology: a conversation partner powered by artificial intelligence. In a pair of studies involving more than 2000 participants, the researchers found a 20 percent reduction in belief in conspiracy theories after participants interacted with a powerful, flexible, personalized GPT-4 Turbo conversation partner. The researchers trained the AI to try to persuade the participants to reduce their belief in conspiracies by refuting the specific evidence the participants provided to support their favored conspiracy theory.

* NBC | FDA cancels meeting to select flu strains for next season’s shots: The email, Offit said, offered no explanation for the scrapped meeting. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The cancellation comes as the United States is in the midst of a particularly severe flu season. So far, 86 children and 19,000 adults have died this season, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* NYT | The Covid Alarmists Were Closer to the Truth Than Anyone Else: Five years later, though the world has been scarred by all that death and illness, it is considered hysterical to narrate the history of the pandemic by focusing on it. Covid minimizers and vaccine skeptics now run the country’s health agencies, but the backlash isn’t just on the right. Many states have tied the hands of public health authorities in dealing with future pandemic threats, and mask bans have been implemented in states as blue as New York. Everyone has a gripe with how the pandemic was handled, and many of them are legitimate. But our memories are so warped by denial, suppression and sublimation that Covid revisionism no longer even qualifies as news. When I come across an exchange like this one from last weekend, in which Woody Harrelson called Fauci evil on Joe Rogan’s show, or this one from last year, in which Rogan and Tony Hinchcliffe casually attribute a rise in excess and all-cause mortality to the aftereffects of vaccination, I don’t even really flinch.