* WMBD…

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Wednesday that the federal government is taking back previously awarded funds to help fight infectious diseases.

This means IDPH and other local health departments across the state are losing $125 million, which had been allocated for the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Prevention and Control of Emerging Infectious Disease program, an Illinois State news release said.

That money was originally allocated to Illinois as part of the CARES Act during the first Trump administration. […]

In addition to the money the federal government is rescinding, they are also blocking $324 million that was expected to come to the state to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases in Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* My Journal Courier | Illinois attorney general filing for approval of multi-million settlement with drug maker: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is moving to close on a multi-million dollar settlement with a generic drug maker accused of conspiracy. Raoul and a coalition of 50 attorneys general have filed for approval of a $39.1 million settlement with Apotex, a manufacturer of generic drugs. Apotex has been accused of a conspiracy to inflate prices of pharmaceuticals and limit competition.

*** Statewide ***

* Green Market Report | Two THC potency labeling cases dropped in Illinois: Within the surge of copycat lawsuits targeting cannabis companies over potency claims, two have been dropped in Illinois. Chad Alsip and Alex Martinez each filed notices with the Northern District of Illinois saying that they were voluntarily dismissing their claims against three entities, Ieso LLC, NuMed and HDC Group LLC, Law360 reported.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson rebranding city initiatives into a new economic development strategy: Mayor Brandon Johnson is repackaging a collection of administration initiatives into an economic development strategy that senior officials say will lead to growth and investment in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The rebrand comes as Johnson nears the end of his second year in office and is meant to highlight efforts his administration has made to speed up the development approval process at City Hall and tweak existing programs to provide flexibility in how the city invests in Chicago neighborhoods.

* Block Club | ‘Founder’ Of LGBTQ+ Apartments For Seniors Being Evicted From Building He Fought For: Don Bell, a longtime advocate and pillar of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community, is facing eviction from Town Hall Apartments, the LGBTQ-friendly senior and affordable housing complex where he has lived since it opened in 2014 and where he is regarded by some as a founder. Building management says that 75-year-old Bell has repeatedly violated residency rules, citing multiple trespassing incidents involving Bell’s husband, who was barred from the property.

* Crain’s | Trump reversal of anti-racism tool in home appraisals could hit Chicago hard: Little’s letter does not provide an estimate of cost savings to be realized by abandoning the rule. The letter says an ROV should only be used for appraisals that appear to have failed to consider factors that were known at the time the property was appraised. It makes no mention of race. It is, essentially, a reversal of nondiscrimination efforts sparked by research in the past decade that found appraisers often mark down the value of Black- or Latino-owned homes based only on the race of the owners or racial makeup of the neighborhood.

* Crain’s | Navy Pier alleges ‘bait and switch’ by Crystal Gardens immersive exhibit group: Navy Pier Inc. alleges in the complaint that a venture of Atlanta-based Illuminarium Experiences pulled a “bait and switch” by selling pier officials on a “breathtaking and unique experience” inside the glassy atrium to secure a 10-year lease for the space in 2021, but only building out a showcase that was “significantly less than” promised amid a struggle to secure funding for the exhibit, according to the complaint. NPI, the nonprofit that operates the pier, is seeking an order from a Cook County judge forcing Illuminarium to build out the attraction city officials expected when they signed off on the lease more than three years ago.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Clout-heavy lawyer with Madigan ties still raising campaign money for suburban mayors: A principal at Cornerstone, former Madigan aide Will Cousineau, testified under an immunity deal as a government witness in Madigan’s corruption trial. Cousineau had been part of a scheme to help a brother of Chicago Ald. Marty Quinn stay afloat financially after a sexual harassment scandal led Madigan to force him out of his political organization. Del Galdo represented Cousineau during his cooperation with authorities. … Cousineau’s company previously helped Welch’s wife, Shawnte Raines-Welch, during her successful run for Cook County judge in 2022, records show.

* Daily Southtown | University Park board candidates say recreation, water are top issues: Sorrell said she would prioritize increasing police patrols, expanding park programs and implementing mental health and youth activities that will “challenge their minds” and keep children busy. Robinson, a military veteran and three-year resident, said while chairing the Veterans Committee, he often receives requests from residents for more services.

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz faces challenge from Michael Maloney: Providing property tax rebates to Tinley Park taxpayers and improving relations with the village’s Park District are priorities of a slate of candidates facing incumbents in the April 1 election. Michael Maloney, a former union executive, leads the Tinley Together party as a mayoral candidate trying to unseat Mayor Michael Glotz, who is seeking a second term.

* Bloomberg | Evanston hedge fund could take $1 billion bite of OpenAI: OpenAI is close to finalizing a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank Group Corp. — with investors including Magnetar Capital, Coatue Management, Founders Fund and Altimeter Capital Management in talks to participate, according to people familiar with the matter. Magnetar Capital — an Evanston-based hedge fund — could contribute up to $1 billion, according to multiple people, all of whom asked not to be identified because the information is private.

* Daily Herald | How pickleball is revitalizing vacant big-box spaces across suburbs: When big-box stores like Toys R Us or Buy Buy Baby close, they leave behind tens of thousands of empty square feet — spaces that can be difficult to fill. Finding new tenants for these massive spaces is no small task. But one unlikely contender, pickleball — among the nation’s fastest-growing sports — is breathing new life into these cavernous retail spaces.

*** Downstate ***

* IPM | ‘Poverty-level people’: University of Illinois AFSCME workers rally for higher wages: The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 3700 and 698 represent about 1,600 clerical, technical and community workers at U of I. The group said administrators are not offering them a fair contract after their last pay agreement expired in September. According to university spokesperson Robin Kaler, the union is asking for a 15% boost in pay over three years — and U of I is offering 6.75% in that period. Kaler said that would be more than the most recent campus plan for salary increases.

* NPR Illinois | Exciting updates and innovations are happening at the Illinois State Fair: Along with maintenance, new programming, entertainment, and new social media techniques have been introduced while also keeping the fairground’s history intact. Illinois State Fair officials talked about the improvements that have been made and what’s to come. They also gave an update on some of the festivities surrounding the centennial celebration of Route 66.

* WCIA | ADM, Mitsubishi Corporation team up to address agricultural issues: ADM and the Mitsubishi Corporation signed an agreement that outlines their plan to join together and explore potential areas of collaboration in the agricultural industry. Both companies signed a non-binding “memorandum of understanding” to form this alliance. […] Now, the two companies plan to explore ways to use their strengths to meet these global challenges together. ADM is one of the world’s largest food and agriculture companies, while Mitsubishi deals in multiple industries, including food and energy. The two hope that together, they’ll be able to identify new opportunities, ranging from a biofuel supply chain to a stronger global food system.

* The Southern | Sculpture dedication, discussion commemorate 2024 total solar eclipse at SIU: “Art in the Dark” will reflect on special moments with a discussion and sculpture design dedication. The “Journey to the Sun” panel discussion is from 3 to 4 p.m. in the library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium and will look at SIU’s meticulous planning, collaboration and scientific endeavors behind the experience. The discussion will also be available on the NASA-SIU Carbondale SolarSTEAM YouTube channel.

*** National ***

* The Hill | RFK Jr. set to cut 10K HHS jobs in major restructuring: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning to dismiss 10,000 employees as part of a massive restructuring effort, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Thursday, in a push to consolidate more agency functions under Kennedy’s purview. In total, HHS will reduce staff from the current 82,000 full-time employees to 62,000. The agency will seek to cut 10,000 jobs through layoffs, while the rest will come through buyouts, early retirement and the administration’s “Fork in the Road” offer.

* WaPo | See all the tariffs Trump has enacted, threatened and canceled: President Donald Trump began proposing new tariffs within hours of being sworn into office. Sixty days later, his whirlwind of on-again, off-again tariffs shows no sign of slowing down. Having trouble following the deluge? Scroll on for a day-by-day look at how Trump’s trade war has unfolded and where it stands now.