* AFSCME Local 2858, Alliance for Community Services…

Department of Human Services (DHS) workers and consumers at the Lincolnwood Family and Community Resource Center (FCRC, aka ‘public aid’) are speaking out against dangerous conditions, violations of consumer privacy, and management’s failure to uphold contractual agreements. These issues have remained unresolved even after repeated complaints.

The office has several safety hazards, caseworkers are forced to conduct interviews in areas near the entrance of the building or at their desks, blocking aisles, creating fire hazards, and creating privacy violations. Workers also raise concerns about poor air quality and water safety but management has failed to respond adequately. Additionally, management has repeatedly mishandled contractual remote work agreements with employees, increasing risks of contracting infectious diseases. These incidents are part of a pattern of mistreatment that has worsened since the office’s relocation and renaming. […]

An alarming concern is the violation of consumer privacy. “In many instances, caseworkers are asked to violate clients’ HIPAA and PIPA rights by interviewing them in areas where their information is not safe: people can walk by, look in, or even just listen into conversations and potentially steal sensitive client information,” workers stated in a letter.

Workers are calling on the public to take action by reaching out to local politicians, filing complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and joining in the effort to pressure DHS management to improve services and conditions at their offices.

* Illinois State Rifle Association…

The Illinois State Rifle Association vigorously supports House Bill 1611, which, as amended, prohibits law enforcement from entering a home “without knocking and announcing their office.”

There have been a number of cases where errors have been made, and the wrong homes have been targeted. And for any law-abiding gun owner, if someone is smashing through your door or window in the middle of the night, or early in the morning – your first instinct is to grab your firearm because you have reason to believe this is a home invasion.

“No knock” warrants place law enforcement and ordinary law-abiding citizens in grave danger. Mistakes are made all the time – and sadly, innocent people have been killed because of them.

Save lives and join us in supporting HB 1611.

*** Statehouse News ***

* The Nation | Democratic Donors Packed the House for an “Actual Billionaire”: Pritzker, to his credit, began his remarks by subtly disavowing the banner under which CAP had called him forth. “I did not see that the title of my talk was a better way forward,” he said. “I think about that and I think the only way out is through.” His comments were gratifyingly plainspoken, in contrast to both the event’s confusing forward-speak, and the party’s broader propensity, in these days of untrammeled reaction, to be terrified by its own shadow. Pritzker spoke of how “Elon Musk and his fellow DOGE bags” are “ intentionally dismantling” the bulwarks of government and “giving themselves the authority to rebuild it in their own interests.” He spoke candidly of the leering cruelty of the Trump White House’s deportation raids and the DOGE assault on governance. “People’s lives are a game to them,” Pritzker said of “the memelords and minions of the White House.”

* Tribune | Bill aimed at bolstering county public defender system moves forward in Springfield: It’s the first time the bill, dubbed by advocates as the Funded Advocacy & Independent Representation bill, or FAIR Act, has moved forward since a version was introduced last year by Democratic Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park. But lawmakers in favor of the bill, which is primarily geared toward rural counties, acknowledged it still needs some changes before advancing through the legislative process.

* Tribune | After testimony from Anjanette Young, state lawmakers move bill aimed at tightening rules on search warrants: Six years after Chicago police officers wrongfully searched the home of social worker Anjanette Young, she told state lawmakers about the trauma she experienced in testimony on legislation that would essentially bar no-knock search warrants in the state. “I pray that none of you never have that experience because my story now includes experiencing PTSD, depression and fear of the very people who were sworn to protect and serve,” Young told Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday. “My story now includes the sheer panic when a police officer pulls me over for a routine stop. These are not normal interactions that any resident should have, however, these are real life events that happened to me since 2019.”

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois celebrates Social Work Month, calls for more social workers: LCFS said the demand for social workers continues to rise. Lori Lynch, an adoption worker with LCFS, has been with the organization for over two decades. She says more social workers are needed to meet the growing needs of families in Illinois. “We are always looking to hire in all of our different programs—foster care, counselors. There is a great need.”

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Rohingya Refugees’ Dreams Of Family Reunification Shattered With Trump’s Resettlement Freeze: Trump’s administration’s refugee suspension and aid cuts have prompted Jabbar to think about his immigration journey. He fled military persecution in the violence-stricken region of Rakhine in 1996. He spent years without legal status in Malaysia, enduring constant fear of arrest. “Without documents, life was a constant struggle,” he said. “You could be detained at any moment.” After 16 years of uncertainty, he resettled in Chicago in 2012. He worked in a restaurant while learning English, but his dreams of earning a degree were put on hold. “I’m the only son in my family. I had to work to support my mother and sister,” he said

* Block Club | CTA Promises Better, Faster Blue Line Service At Night For Spring Schedule: But the larger improvements are planned for the Blue Line to Forest Park. That line will schedule 30 extra trips on weekdays, 17 more trips Saturdays and two new trips Sundays. That should shrink wait times for Blue Line Forest Park trains from 15 minutes to seven and a half minutes for service 6:30 p.m.-midnight weekdays and 9 p.m.-midnight Saturdays, according to the CTA.

* Tribune | Would you let a robot draw your blood? Northwestern among health systems trying new device: “With this device they never see the needle and and they never see or experience or feel the blood tubes being changed,” Gerberich said. “That really helps with those types of patients that are ordinarily squeamish.” The Aletta has a 95% success rate when it comes to drawing usable blood on the first attempt, and the machine can be especially useful for patients who might otherwise be difficult to successfully stick, according to the company.

* Crain’s | Cigna, Blue Cross Illinois parent close $3.3 billion Medicare deal: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois parent Health Care Service Corp. has closed its $3.3 billion purchase of Cigna’s Medicare operations, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal, which includes Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D and Medicare supplement assets along with the CareAllies consulting unit, quadruples Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp.’s Medicare Advantage membership to about 800,000 and closes the book on Cigna’s Medicare plan business.

* Tribune | Ex-Augusta National employee who stole Arnold Palmer’s green jacket to be sentenced in Chicago: A former warehouse worker at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia found golf legend Arnold Palmer’s 1958 Masters green jacket in a box of items errantly marked for destruction and sold it to a Florida memorabilia collector for $50,000, defense lawyers say. Years later, that same jacket was tracked by the FBI to a stately home in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, where the latest owner was looking to sell. The price by then was almost $4 million, court records show. The new details were revealed as the former employee, Richard Brendan Globensky, is set to be sentenced Wednesday in Chicago for a 13-year scheme to illegally fence more than $5 million worth of Masters Tournament memorabilia.

* WTTW | Weather Whiplash With Rain, Thunderstorms, Snow and Dusty Skies on Wednesday and Thursday: On Wednesday and Thursday, the forecast for Chicago includes a chance of almost anything and everything: rain, thunderstorms, wind and even snow. According to the National Weather Service, the threat of thunderstorms runs from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with the greatest chance of tornadoes being south of I-88.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Press Release | Governor JB Pritzker Endorses Mayor Daniel Biss for Re-election : “I’m proud to endorse Daniel Biss for re-election as Mayor of Evanston. Daniel is a friend, a colleague, and has been a partner to me in fighting for working families. He has a long track record of standing up for Evanstonians and a real record of results for the community,” said Governor Pritzker. “These are trying times and we need leaders at every level of government to stand up and fight back against the constant threats from Donald Trump. Daniel has done just that, all while passing policies that have moved Evanston forward. Daniel and I have worked together on issues big and small facing Evanston. I’m thrilled to support him for re-election and continue that work, ” said Governor JB Pritzker

* Naperville Sun | ‘Tesla Takedown DuPage’ protest draws hundreds to Lisle: ‘We’re in a full-on constitutional crisis’: Carrying homemade signs that read “Send Elon to Mars on a Starship rocket” and “This Musk stop,” people lined the sidewalk in front and on either side of the 3200 Ogden Ave. business as they shouted chants like “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go” and “Love, not hate, makes America great.” Several area organizations teamed up to stage the “Tesla Takedown DuPage” event, including the Democratic Party of DuPage County, Democratic Women of DuPage County, Indivisible Illinois, Indivisible Batavia Aurora Area, Indivisible DuPage, Indivisible Naperville and Indivisible West Suburban Chicago.

* Daily Herald | ‘Stay away’: Judge orders accused Tesla vandal to keep off company’s property: During a hearing at the county courthouse in Rolling Meadows, Judge Ellen Mandeltort also warned Erin L. White that she will be jailed if she violates those and other conditions of her release. White is charged with criminal damage to property, a Class 4 felony, and misdemeanor criminal trespass to property stemming from an estimated $9,000 in damage done last week to the Tesla facility on the 900 block of Dundee Road in Buffalo Grove.

* Daily Herald | ‘I can’t wait’: Des Plaines City Council approves incentives, development deal for new downtown restaurant: Aldermen on Monday unanimously agreed to lend the two limited liability companies behind the project — Miner Street Station and D-4 of Des Plaines — $3.6 million to help pay for construction. Up to $1.2 million of the loan will be forgiven when the final occupancy certificate for the restaurant is issued, documents indicate. Ownership partners include the operator of Park Ridge’s Harp and Fiddle restaurant. Although “Harp & Fiddle” appear on an architectural rendering for the proposed building, the name and theme of the proposed eatery haven’t been revealed.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Restart of instruction at Neoga schools postponed to March 26 following tornado: Superintendent Kevin Haarman posted, “After a thorough evaluation by architects and engineers of both the Jr/Sr High School and Elementary School buildings, we have determined that additional measures are necessary to ensure a safe teaching and learning environment for our students and staff.”

* WSIL | St. John’s to Rebuild After Devastating EF-2 Tornado: A terrifying night unfolded for residents of St. John’s, Illinois, as a powerful EF-2 tornado ripped through the area, leaving behind a trail of destruction. In just minutes, homes were leveled, businesses were torn apart, and lives were upended. But as residents begin picking up the pieces, one thing remains clear, community strength is at the foundation of recovery. The storm tore through with winds over 130 miles per hour, reducing structures to rubble and tossing debris across neighborhoods. At one local business, most of the roof was ripped away, leaving remnants scattered in nearby trees. A trampoline dangled over a utility line, and in one field, the entire contents of a home were strewn as far as the eye could see.

* Pantagraph | Home Sweet Home Ministries proposes 56-bed ’shelter village’ for homeless: During a special session on Monday, the City Council heard a presentation from Home Sweet Home Ministries about the proposed community concept, which has already been used in more than 100 cities nationwide. Matt Burgess, CEO of Home Sweet Home Ministries, said the cabins would be about 80 to 100 square feet and would be just big enough for a bed, desk, dresser space for clothing and other amenities. They would have electricity and also be climate controlled over the summer and winter.

* WIFR | Bleed for Weed blood drive coming to Freeport: After successfully giving blood, donors will receive a voucher for an eighth flower or an edible product of the dispensary’s choice. Donors can redeem the voucher at Lyfe Dispensary in Rockford. In addition to the voucher, free t-shirts will be handed out while supplies last.

* WCIA | Illini seniors looking to make noise in return to NCAA Tournament: First time, we was like kids in a candy store,” senior guard Genesis Bryant said. “We were just happy to be there, just to experience that scene, but I think now we have some maturity under our belt and for seniors, this our last year… so we don’t have a next year in college basketball… so I think just bringing that desire and that passion and also just the intensity of knowing like, we’ve been here before.”

* WSIL | John A. Logan College students work with Habitat for Humanity to build a local home: Arthur Zaitz, a board member with Jackson Union Habitat for Humanity, mentioned that they typically build about one home each year. This year, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home will include laundry facilities and a new kitchen. The home will be offered to a selected family for close to Habitat for Humanity’s costs after building and financing.

*** National ***

* Start Cities Dive | Up to $51B in transportation grant awards at risk, advocacy group says: The memo cites presidential executive orders and a previous order and memorandum by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that orders agency administrators to identify and eliminate rules, regulations and funding agreements that include or reference climate change, racial equity or environmental justice among other criteria. On March 10, Duffy announced in a press release the rescission of two Biden-era memoranda. These included policies aimed at improving road safety, making streets and transportation infrastructure accessible to those with disabilities, and fostering renewable energy and electric vehicle charging stations. The latest DOT policy memo targets bicycle infrastructure as well.

* NYT | Kennedy’s Alarming Prescription for Bird Flu on Poultry Farms: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, has an unorthodox idea for tackling the bird flu bedeviling U.S. poultry farms. Let the virus rip. Instead of culling birds when the infection is discovered, farmers “should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flock so that we can identify the birds, and preserve the birds, that are immune to it,” Mr. Kennedy said recently on Fox News.