Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Illinois PIRG…

Bloomington-based State Farm, the United States’ largest property and casualty insurance company, is implementing a $523 million Illinois homeowners insurance rate hike on July 15 for new policies and August 15 for renewals. The 27% increase will raise average annual premiums by $746 for almost 1.5 million Illinois policy holders.

State Farm asserts the rate increase “is primarily driven by expected catastrophe losses,” caused by an increase in extreme weather. In 2024, there were 27 “billion dollar” weather and climate disasters nationally, second only to 2023, which witnessed 28. In the 1980s, the U.S. averaged just three “billion-dollar” disaster events per year. That average grew to six per year in the 1990s, seven per year in the 2000s, and 13 per year in the 2010s.

While wildfires and hurricanes have garnered more attention, many of these weather disasters are tornadoes or other events that impact Midwestern states, including Illinois. According to data that State Farm’s rival, Northbrook-based Allstate submitted to federal financial regulators, tornadoes, wind and hail accounted for 93% of its catastrophe losses in 2023 while wildfires, hurricanes and tropical storms accounted for only 7%.

Illinois homeowners insurance rates increased by 50% over the past three years, from roughly $2,000 to $3,000 annually, according to analysis by the Consumer Federation of America. Only one state, Utah, had higher homeowners rate increases over that period.

The Illinois Department of Insurance has no authority to reject or modify excessive homeowners or car insurance rate hikes. Rate review would not only provide the department the authority to trim rate increase proposals, but also greater insight into industry practices, such as how State Farm calculated this rate increase based on “expected” increases in catastrophe losses. The Department of Insurance filed legislation this spring that would grant the department this rate review authority, however the Senate Insurance Committee never called the bill for a vote.

* According to the governor’s press release, Pure Lithium will invest $46 million in new Illinois operations and move/create 50 new jobs to the state within four years. President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association Mark Denzler…

* USA Today…

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 10,942 in the week ending July 5, up from 10,077 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 227,000 last week, down 5,000 claims from 232,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

North Dakota saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 252.8%. New Hampshire, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 48.8%.

*** Statewide ***

* Bloomberg | Pepsi Seeks Illinois High Court Review of Tax Avoidance Ruling: PepsiCo Inc. asked the Illinois Supreme Court to review a lower court’s determination that the company illegally set up a subsidiary as a tax shelter, arguing the ruling sets a “dangerous precedent” by applying the wrong law. The Illinois Appellate Court, First Judicial District, affirmed in March that Pepsi created PepsiCo Global Mobility under Frito-Lay North America Inc. as a “shell corporation with no economic reality” in order to recognize $14 million per year in income tax savings in 13 states.

* 25News Now | Record number of Illinoisans to receive money from state program: Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said that a record number of people will receive money this year from Illinois’ Missing Money Program. A total of $45 million will be returned to 600,000 Illinois residents. The checks are a part of the Enhanced Money Matched Program that returns unclaimed property to its owners. Most of the checks in this round will consist of about $50 or less. Some people may have multiple claims and will receive a larger check.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Illinois Times | High school student writes bill to prevent opioid deaths: Her bill also calls for library staff members to be trained in how to recognize an opioid overdose and how to use the medicine. At least one trained staff member would have to be working at the library during all hours when the library is open. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning that if someone is having an opioid overdose, the medicine would be able to save their lives. Naloxone is harmless if administered to someone not having an opioid overdose, so it is a low-risk program if the bill becomes law.

* CWB Chicago | Slain boy’s mom to Pritzker: Stop using my son’s name while you fight me in court: The mother of 11-year-old Jayden Perkins, who was fatally stabbed while trying to protect her from a violent attack by her just-paroled ex-boyfriend, is calling out Illinois politicians for using her son’s name for political gain while fighting her civil lawsuit against the state behind closed doors. Laterria Smith, who was also seriously injured in the March 2024 attack, released an open letter to Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday. In it, she accuses his administration of publicly invoking Jayden’s name to promote changes to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, even as state lawyers move to dismiss her negligence suit tied to her son’s death.

*** Chicago ***

* NBC Chicago | Summer festival organizers concerned amid ICE enforcement efforts: The Department of Homeland Security said it was not targeting the museum in its efforts Tuesday, but did confirm agents from its department were in the area. “On July 8, HSI Chicago’s Financial Crimes Task Force (FCTF) staged and held a quick briefing in the Museum’s parking lot in advance of an enforcement action related to a narcotics investigation,” DHS said in a statement. But the museum said federal agents entered its property and “refused multiple requests to present a warrant, badge, or identification.”

* Sun-Times | City faces $35.2M in police abuse settlements, 2 tied to disgraced ex-cops Jon Burge and Reynaldo Guevara: Four police abuse settlements are on the agenda when the City Council’s Finance Committee meets Monday. Two of them — for $17 million and $12.7 million respectively — are tied to two disgraced former cops: Area 2 Cmdr. Jon Burge and Detective Reynaldo Guevara. […] By February of this year, federal lawsuits linked to Burge’s actions had already cost the city about $130 million in legal settlements and judgments, not including millions in lawyers’ fees. Four lawsuits involving Burge are still pending, one of them, the Jackie Wilson case. Three more potentially costly settlements still loom.

* WTTW | Chicago Should Pay Jackie Wilson, Exonerated in 1982 Cop Killings, $12.7M, Lawyers Say: For more than four decades, Jackie Wilson has said he was tortured by disgraced former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and the detectives who reported to him. Dozens of lawsuits and complaints alleging physical abuse have been filed against detectives trained by Burge, who city officials admit tortured and beat more than 100 Black men during his career. A Cook County judge in December 2020 declared that Wilson was innocent of the murders of Chicago Police Officers William Fahey and Richard O’Brien in 1982. Wilson’s brother, Andrew, was convicted of killing both officers.

* Crain’s | Developers reveal new ’scaled down’ plan for Lincoln Yards site: Offering the first details publicly for a project they are rebranding as “Foundry Park,” a joint venture of Chicago-based JDL Development and Boca Raton, Fla.-based Kayne Anderson Real Estate today confirmed it has an agreement to buy a 31-acre site along the river from Bank OZK. Crain’s first reported in May that JDL was in advanced talks to buy the land from the Little Rock, Ark.-based lender, which seized the property earlier this year from Chicago developer Sterling Bay to resolve an outstanding loan. Formally kicking off a new chapter for the embattled megadevelopment, JDL and Kayne Anderson said in a statement they are “moving quickly to reimagine” the site with a project that will be “heavily focused on the creation of a residential community” and named as a tribute to the property’s industrial history. Much of the land on the northern portion of Lincoln Yards was previously home to the A. Finkl & Sons steel mill that operated around the intersection of Cortland Street and Southport Avenue from 1902 until 2014.

* Tribune | Housing discrimination complaint remains active as Mayor Brandon Johnson delays finalizing agreement with HUD: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has delayed signing an agreement to resolve negotiations over a federal complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development related to aldermanic power on Chicago zoning, leaving in limbo a yearslong fight over allegations of housing discrimination by the City Council. Commonly referred to as “aldermanic prerogative,” the veto power was challenged in a 2018 complaint filed by the Shriver Center on behalf of community organizations that alleged the practice promotes housing discrimination by keeping racial minorities from moving into affluent white neighborhoods. Following an agency investigation, HUD found the allegations to be true in 2023 and offered the parties an opportunity to work with the federal agency on informal settlement negotiations.

* WGN | Chicago Police Department unveils upgraded space for crime tracking on CTA: Each of the city’s 22 police districts have a space called an SDSC Room where officers use technology to monitor and analyze crime. This enhanced space inside of the First District tracks CTA locations throughout the city in multiple districts, and assists suburban areas where CTA operates, too. […] In this new larger space, officers are joined by robbery task force detectives who can see events as they are unfolding. While incidents are in progress, the teams in the SDSC Room can relay information directly to officers responding in the field.

* ABC Chicago | 9 injured after Blue Island police chase leads to crash with Pace bus in Chicago: officials: Nine people, including a child, were injured after a south suburban police pursuit led to crash involving a Pace bus and three other vehicles on Chicago’s Far South Side. The crash happened Wednesday night near South Halsted Street and West Vermont Street in West Pullman, Chicago police said. Officers from the Blue Island Police Department were attempting to a stop a vehicle that alleged blew a red light when the vehicle fled and the officers pursued, a Blue Island spokesperson said.

* Sun-Times | Art Institute of Chicago reopens European design galleries after redesign by Barcelona firm Barozzi Veiga: After being closed for refurbishment since January 2024, the Art Institute of Chicago’s 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century European design galleries will reopen Friday with a new configuration that allows for 40% more art on display. On view will be 310 objects, including more than 80 that had never been exhibited.

* Block Club | Park District Abruptly Denies Permit For South Shore Kayaking Event It Approved Last Year: The kayak night, planned for the beach, was to include a roughly mile-long lakefront paddle from South Shore Beach, a performance by the Isaiah Collier Quartet and a biodegradable lantern launch. The Night Out in the Parks event, led by the nonprofit Full Moon Jam, features fire performers and drummers near the park’s field house. The denial was made due to “quality and safety” concerns, as holding both events simultaneously “would hinder our operational capacity to provide the best event experience to our park visitors,” Park District spokesperson Irene Tostado said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Blue Island mobile home residents seek more time as city pushes eviction: Residents said they’re fighting for more time to relocate at a minimum, as the city ordered immediate evictions after revoking the property owners’ business license late June, citing unsafe conditions, code violations and unpaid water bills. City Administrator Thomas Wogan said Tuesday the management company owes almost $4 million in unpaid water bills. He also said the property poses health and safety concerns, as it has had some of the highest number of police and ambulance calls in the city. Wogan said there are a number of health and fire code violations and said management has not provided the city with a list of residents.

* Lake County News-Sun | Facebook post leads to hate crime charges; ‘Hate is on the rise in this country’: Police said they were alerted to the message on the social media page for the LGBTQ+ Center of Lake, on which the organization was promoting activities associated with June Pride Fest on June 14 in Round Lake Beach. The post, left by someone identified as “William Ramlow,” advocated for violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community, authorities said. Round Lake Beach police said they traced the message to an IP address in Elkhorn and, with the assistance of other agencies, made contact with Ramlow. […] [Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez] said, “Hate is on the rise in this country – but our office will never hesitate to hold those accountable who make direct threats or who engage in actions that harm others. Our office proudly stands with the LGBTQ+ community and its leaders in making Lake County safer and better.”

* Daily Herald | ‘This should not go there’: East Dundee residents oppose Haeger redevelopment proposal: East Dundee residents turned out this week to voice opposition to a proposal that would turn the shuttered Haeger Potteries property into a mixed-income rental housing development. About 50 residents, many living near the Haeger property on Maiden Lane, attended a community meeting Monday hosted by the village board to gather community feedback. “I would love to see something happen at Haeger … I would love to see it go down,” said Kelly Hoyt, who lives near the property. “But this (proposal) should not go there.”

* Daily Southtown | Dolton closes on purchase of Pope Leo XIV’s boyhood home at cost of $375,000: Dolton has closed on the purchase of Pope Leo XIV’s boyhood home in the village, but what will happen with the modest brick building is up in the air. The village closed Tuesday on the home, 212 East 141st Place, paying $375,000, including commission fees, Mayor Jason House said Thursday. House said a steering committee is being organized to figure out how best to use the property. “We will then lay out the plans to trustees and the community,” the mayor said.

*** Downstate ***

* The Telegraph | Security footage shows 3 men leaving manure at Carlinville protest: According to the obtained footage, three individuals drop off two trailers of manure using a white GMC truck and a red Dodge truck ahead of the June 24 protest, which was scheduled for 5-7 p.m. […] A minute later, one of the three individuals involved, wearing a tan hat, dark green shirt, and black shorts, is seen hurriedly jogging from the red truck to the white truck to help position the trailer. Another individual, a man with white hair wearing a white polo with khaki shorts, then exits the white truck to let the first man park the truck and trailer.

* WREX | Hard Rock Casino Rockford to host hiring event as they near 1,000 employees: The casino is getting close to having 1,000 employees, with just about 50 to go. After a year of determining what staffing is best to go along with what they have to offer and their hours, the team is holding a hiring event Monday to hopefully reach their goal. “We’ve learned a lot in the last year. We continue to learn. I think on a daily basis there’s new experiences, new faces that are joining the band and I think incrementally day by day we’re heading in the right direction,” Miguel Pascual, the Director of Human Resources said.

* Illinois Times | City’s Black Caucus addresses disparities: Springfield gained its first Black council members after a 1987 federal court case resulted in the City Council changing from full-time commissioners elected citywide to 10 part-time alderpersons elected from specific wards. The city never had as many as three Black alderpersons until Williams and Purchase, who were appointed by former Mayor Jim Langfelder to fill vacancies in 2021, joined Gregory, who was first elected in 2019. The three alderpersons, who don’t always agree on every issue, said they don’t apologize for their aggressive style that sometimes upsets fellow council members and current Mayor Misty Buscher, who typically only votes to break ties on the council.

* WGLT | ‘Hoping that this day would finally come’: Bloomington nonprofit breaks ground on homeless shelter village: The Bridge will be a low-barrier, non-congregate shelter consisting of 48 tiny sleeping cabins on a fully enclosed campus, with a total occupancy of 56 adults. The site is located on Oakland Avenue, near HSHM and The Junction. It’s expected to open sometime this winter. “[HSHM] has been here for 107 years, and the past couple of years have been some of the most significant and challenging years of our organization,” HSHM CEO Matt Burgess said.

* WCIA | Champaign School Board President, CU Autism Network speak out on SPED audit findings, action plan: Last August, WCIA reported that the entire special education program at the Champaign School District underwent an audit as part of a settlement stemming from a special education matter. Now, those close to the findings are giving their insights. The Champaign School District received a report card on Tuesday on the current state of their special education programs. […] The study consisted of a five-month engagement period using interviews, surveys, and more with administrators, parents, and the community. The findings and recommendations were then presented. Action steps suggested to the district to alleviate special education issues include staff development training, transportation services and more.

* STL Post-Dispatch | Printing of the Post-Dispatch to move to an Illinois facility: The printing of the Post-Dispatch, now handled by a facility in Columbia, Missouri, will shift in a few weeks to presses in Peoria, Illinois, but the move won’t affect the size of the newspaper, our deadlines or our delivery schedules. The newspaper company Gannett announced this week that it planned to close the Columbia location in September. The company also said it would shift printing of publications from Columbia to facilities it owns in Peoria and Des Moines, Iowa.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Trump’s crackdown on renewable energy has just begun: President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday evening ordering his administration to crack down on remaining loopholes allowing access to renewable energy tax breaks, after Congress voted last week to overwhelmingly roll back the subsidies. The order aims to placate the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, which argued that the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed by Trump on July Fourth should have gone further to cut subsidies and reduce the law’s impact on the deficit.

* Belling Cat | Masked, Armed and Forceful: Finding Patterns in Los Angeles Immigration Raids: In April, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in the wake of the Bakersfield raids barring Border Patrol from conducting warrantless raids in California’s Eastern District, stating that “you just can’t walk up to people with brown skin and say, ‘Give me your papers.’” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other industry and rights groups last week requested a similar injunction be put in place in California’s Central District, which includes Los Angeles.

* AP | What to know — and what isn’t known yet — about US tax deductions for tips and overtime pay: Under the bill Trump signed into law on July 4, the U.S. Treasury Department must publish a list by Oct. 2 of occupations that qualify for tax-free tips. The department is also expected to publish guidance on how to report tips and overtime pay, and what documentation will be required. The deduction provisions are not permanent but were written to expire after the 2028 tax year.

* Chalkbeat | Head Start preschools to bar undocumented children under new Trump rule: In a news release, the Department of Health and Human Services said it was rescinding a nearly 30-year-old interpretation of federal law issued under President Bill Clinton that allowed undocumented immigrants to access certain programs because they were not considered “federal public benefits.” […] Administration officials have said they hope many immigrants will “self-deport” if the United States makes life here more uncomfortable. Health and Human Services leaders cast the change as a way to protect benefits for Americans.

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The coming hit to hospitals

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. An excerpt from today’s Capitol News Illinois story about pending Medicaid cuts…

Like many states, Illinois levies special taxes on certain health care providers, including hospitals. The money those taxes generate is used to draw down additional federal matching funds, then is paid back to the providers in the form of directed payments to increase their overall reimbursement rate and to reward them if they meet certain performance or quality standards.

Currently, IHA estimates the hospital tax generates about $2 billion a year in revenue. This past session, lawmakers passed a bill to increase the assessment in order to fund a 54% increase in hospital payments, subject to federal approval of the state’s plan. But state lawmakers passed that bill before Congress passed Trump’s domestic policy bill, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

Prior to passage of the new federal law, the tax rate states could levy was effectively capped at 6% of a hospital’s net patient revenue. But under the new law, for states like Illinois that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, that cap will gradually be lowered by half a percentage point each year starting in 2028 until it reaches 3.5% in 2032.

In addition, Wilhelmi said, the new law imposes a cap on the directed payments that expansion states like Illinois can send to hospitals so that the total does not exceed the maximum allowed under Medicare – the federal health insurance program for seniors, which has a lower reimbursement rate than Medicaid.

“And that will result in a significant reduction in Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals,” Wilhelmi said. “It means literally hundreds of millions of dollars in less reimbursement to hospitals.”

It’s a ways off, so there’s time to plan, or for the hospitals to change the federal law. Also, remember, those two items are part of a much broader Medicaid reduction package.

* Again, keep in mind that the Medicaid cuts are almost all backloaded. From the Sun-Times last week…

“The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is also warning that the Medicaid cuts could force the closure or severe service reductions at nine rural hospitals, affecting over 500 inpatient beds and jeopardizing care for 54,000 rural Illinoisans,” Pritzker wrote in the letter. “If H.R. 1 becomes law, many hospitals will be forced to eliminate critical services, cut staff, or even close, creating ripple effects that harm all patients in their communities, regardless of whether they rely on Medicaid coverage.”

The nine rural hospitals at risk of closure, according to the University of North Carolina’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, are OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville, Hoopeston Community Memorial Hospital, Crawford Memorial Hospital in Robinson, Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, Harrisburg Medical Center, Franklin Hospital in Benton, Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis, Hardin County General Hospital in Rosiclare and Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon.

* From WTTW yesterday…

Medicaid cuts in the massive new federal spending bill have left some so-called safety-net hospitals in limbo. […]

Once Medicaid funding is cut, as many as 330,000 people in Illinois could be impacted, officials said. Advocates say low-income patients don’t have many options if they lose Medicaid coverage and or if their local hospital closes. People could end up not seeking preventative care and pushing off routine check-ups until their conditions become life-threatening emergencies.

Medicaid cuts would hit local hospitals like Mount Sinai Hospital hard; 70% of the hospital’s patients are on Medicaid. Dan Regan, Sinai’s communications vice president, said the cuts will be felt far beyond hospitals’ bottom lines and everyone will feel the effects.

“It’s going to impact everybody because people will still need some place to go,” Regan said. “When safety nets get pushed to the brink, the impact isn’t contained. It’s not just on the safety net; it spreads and this bill will really widen the gap between the people who have access to care and those who don’t. Those gaps are not going to just show up in hospital budgets; they’re going to show up in schools. They’re going to show up in the workplace.”

Loretto Hospital, based in Austin, serves predominantly Black and Brown communities on the city’s West Side. These communities are disproportionately impacted by health care access disparities. At Loretto, 83% of patients are on Medicaid.

* NBC 5…

Chicago hospitals wouldn’t be the only institutions impacted if the cuts are put into place. According to estimates by Manatt Health, rural hospitals would stand to lose up to 21 cents of every dollar they receive in Medicaid funding if the bill passes. What’s more, the National Rural Health Association reports that nearly half of all children and one-in-five adults in small towns and rural areas rely on Medicaid or CHIP for health insurance, leaving them in a potentially dangerous position if cuts are enacted.

According to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, of Illinois’ 79 rural hospitals, 23 have seen losses of services in recent years, with 17 at-risk of closing.

Republicans have tried to boost funding for rural hospitals in an effort to swing votes on the bill, with the Senate allocating $25 billion for a rural hospital relief fund, but Democrats say the amount is far short of what those hospitals will lose as part of the spending package.

* WIFR…

“People are really worried about living the American dream,” maintained [US Rep. Darin LaHood]. “It’s too expensive to buy a home. Inflation is too high. Cost of energy is too high.”

In response to those concerned about Medicaid’s slashing, LaHood said he was looking out for his district.

“Are there going to be cuts to Medicaid? Yes, but not the ones that are going to affect drastically our hospitals and rural providers,” he commented. “Having a district that’s very rural… we’re keenly aware of this.”

* KWQC…

The Senate inserted $50 billion for rural hospitals, but healthcare experts say it won’t be enough to cover the losses. KFF, formerly the Kaiser Foundation, says Medicaid cuts in rural areas will amount to $155 billion.

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SB 328: Separating Lies From Truth

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

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Planned Parenthood of Illinois eyes $16M gap if Medicaid cuts proceed: “Closures are not off the table”

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers got a rundown yesterday. The New York Times last week…

When Senate Republicans voted on Tuesday to pass President Trump’s spending bill, abortion opponents came one step closer to stripping Planned Parenthood of federal funding — a move that could jeopardize abortion access for patients even in states where abortion is legal.

The bill imposes a one-year ban on state Medicaid payments to any health care nonprofit that offers abortions and received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023. The restriction jeopardizes Planned Parenthood’s ability to keep operating in some states. […]

“This bill threatens to close nearly 200 Planned Parenthood health centers and will create devastating gaps in our health care infrastructure,” Alexis McGill Johnson, the chief executive of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the national umbrella organization, said in a statement.

The bill most deeply affects Planned Parenthood clinics in blue states, including California, Oregon, Washington and Illinois, where abortion is still legal and where there are also large numbers of patients who are eligible for Medicaid reimbursements for other health care.

Planned Parenthood won a temporary injunction on Monday. Click here for Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s filing. Click here for the TRO.

* WTTW yesterday…

Nearly 30,000, or more than 40%, of Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients use Medicaid to access health care services at Planned Parenthood’s health centers, according to the organization. Without Medicaid, leaders at the organization said it would need $16 million annually to continue providing services at its current level.

“Losing significant funding, always, is a concern,” [Illinois Vice President of Patient Services Emily Glover] said. “Anytime that level of funding is in jeopardy, additional health center closures are not off the table. It is always a possibility. It is a last-resort option; it’s something we don’t wanna have to do.” […]

Planned Parenthood of Illinois pledged last week to keep providing reproductive care to Medicaid patients in the immediate future despite potential funding cuts.

“What is going through my mind right now is how do we continue letting patients know that we’re here to care for them?” Glover said. “How do we continue to care for our staff who, quite frankly, are asked to respond to ever-changing political cycles and pressures and a very confusing health care landscape at the moment, while caring for patients who potentially can’t get care anywhere else?”

The organization is creating contingency plans and working with elected officials and partner organizations on how it can keep providing care for Medicaid patients, according to Glover.

* Related…

Seattle Times | WA will backfill $11M in federal cuts to Planned Parenthood, says Ferguson:

* Press Herald | Planned Parenthood in Maine seeking more state funding to offset budget cuts: The nonprofit is facing about $5.2 million in cuts from the new law and the Trump administration prohibiting Planned Parenthood from participating in the federal Title X program, which is a funding source for reproductive health care.

* Wisconsin | Planned Parenthood, family planning clinics in Wisconsin face cuts under new federal law: Speaking to reporters last week, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s Chief Strategy Officer Michelle Velasquez said that while the full extent of the impact on Wisconsin isn’t yet known, the cutbacks will be significant. She warned that the changes will make it harder to provide a range of services — not just abortion.

* [From January] CBS Chicago | Planned Parenthood to close 4 Illinois clinics, including one in Chicago: Planned Parenthood of Illinois said in a news release that it is facing financial shortfall due to the rising number of patients, growing health care costs, and an uncertain patient care landscape under the new Trump administration. The organization also cited the need to create a sustainable after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

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Pritzker administration lays out impact of budget reconciliation law on Illinois

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. JB Pritzker sent out three press releases this week about what the new federal budget reconciliation law does to Illinois. First up, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…

• Stripping Benefits from Vulnerable Illinoisans: This bill changes eligibility requirements, putting an estimated 360,000 Illinoisans at risk of losing SNAP eligibility, removing work requirement exemptions for 23,000 unhoused, veterans, or youth aged out of foster care in Illinois, and costing Illinois tens of millions to support the additional administrative burden of policy implementation.
• Damaging Local Economies: SNAP supports more than 18,000 jobs in Illinois, across both the grocery and other supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and municipal services. According to the National Grocer’s Association, SNAP supports nearly $1 billion in Illinois wages. The extreme cuts will have far reaching consequences for grocery stores and jobs as fewer SNAP dollars circulate in local economies.
• Destabilizing the Current Funding Framework: This bill would implement a state cost share of food benefits (which have historically been 100% federally funded). Calculated based on the State’s Payment Error Rate (PER), Illinois’ required contribution to SNAP will go from $0 (currently) to $705 million annually.

No commitment was made in the press release to try to lower the state’s high payment error rate.

* Medicaid…

• Medicaid Coverage Loss for 330,000 Illinoisans: According to Manatt Health, about 11% of current Medicaid enrollees in Illinois will lose coverage over the next decade.

o Illinois currently has 3.4 million Medicaid enrollees:

* 44% are children
* 9% are seniors
* 7% are adults with disabilities

• Out of Pocket Expenses Expected to Rise for Medicaid Enrollees: ACA expansion adults - childless, nondisabled adults ages 19 through 64 enrolled in Medicaid - with incomes over 100% of the federal poverty level will be subject to cost-sharing for most healthcare services. For instance, an Illinois couple earning just over $21,000 per year could be subject to over $1,000 in higher out-of-pocket medical costs each year.
• Premiums will Increase 75% for Working Families with ACA Marketplace Coverage: Illinois families with ACA plans will pay an average of $1,032 more per year in premiums. Rural Illinoisans will be even harder hit, with an estimated increase of $1,700. Even those not on ACA Marketplace plans like employers and privately insured individuals will face rising costs and fewer provider options due to market instability and growing uncompensated care burdens on hospitals.
• Rural Hospitals and Nursing Homes in Jeopardy: 9 rural hospitals and over 90 nursing homes could face closure in Illinois, leaving entire communities and counties without access to care and an economic engine.
• Over $50 Billion in Medicaid Funding at Risk for 3.4 Million Illinoisans: Manatt Health estimates that the bill would force Illinois to lose about $52 billion in Medicaid funds over 10 years and put the coverage and benefits for all 3.4 million Illinoisans on Medicaid at risk. Freezing current provider taxes, reducing the hold harmless threshold for provider taxes in expansion states, and restricting state directed payments would be detrimental to not only the state budget but the hospitals, health systems, and approximately 240,000 providers who rely on payments from HFS for the care they provide to Illinois Medicaid customers.
• New Barriers to Coverage Through Work Requirements, Frequent Redeterminations, and Repealing Rules that Simplify Eligibility and Renewal: the bill imposes frequent and administratively burdensome eligibility checks and new work requirements. Illinois would face millions in IT costs and need to hire hundreds of new staff members to implement burdensome systems, draining state resources and harming access for eligible enrollees. Additionally, by changing enrollment rules, including implementing short enrollment periods and additional onerous requirements, Illinois’ most vulnerable eligible families will face an uphill battle to successfully navigate the system’s new red tape and enroll in benefits they are owed. Ultimately, these barriers will push more people to be uninsured, shift costs to hospitals and other providers, and lose the progress made under the ACA.
• Gutting of Reproductive Healthcare: Effective immediately, the bill also prohibits federal Medicaid matching funds for family planning and other reproductive healthcare services provided to Medicaid customers by Planned Parenthood clinics across the state.

* Education…

K-12

The federal spending bill defunds programs that support working families with school-age children by:

• Eliminating SNAP-Ed, the national education and obesity prevention grant program, which works with state and community partners to deliver nutrition education lessons,
• Reducing access to healthcare and meals for public school students by cutting Medicaid and SNAP benefits for their families,
• Creating a new tax credit refund that benefits private school donors who pay for tuition vouchers, potentially reducing state and federal funding for public schools that experience a decline in student enrollment, and
• Rescinding funding to address air pollution in schools through U.S. EPA.

The State of Illinois has substantially improved K-12 adequacy levels and increased funding to EBF by $2.1B since Governor Pritzker took office. Additionally, through the Teacher Vacancy Pilot Program, Illinois is closing the gap to improve teacher recruitment and retention.

Higher Education

This federal spending bill aims to threaten college affordability for working-class students across Illinois by:

• Reducing annual limits for graduate and parent loans

o Non-professional graduate students (MA, PhD) will be limited to $20,500 per year in unsubsidized Stafford loans, and professional students (JD, MD, DO, DDS) will be limited to $50,000 per year in unsubsidized Stafford loans.
o Grad PLUS loans, which do not require a co-signer and often help students cover the full cost of attendance, will be eliminated beginning July 1, 2026. Nearly 23,000 Illinois graduate students currently utilize Grad PLUS loans.
o Parent PLUS loans, which currently have no limit and allow parents to borrow to alleviate college expense for their students based on cost-of-attendance, will now be limited to $20,000 per year for each dependent student.

• Slashing options for student loan repayment:

o This bill reduces student loan repayment plan options from seven to only two. Many Illinois borrowers could end up paying more than expected on their loans under these plans.
o Illinois student loan borrowers who are unemployed or suffering an economic hardship will no longer be eligible to defer student loan payments. Without the ability to defer payments during tough times, more borrowers may fall behind on their loans, leading to defaults and negative impacts on their credit scores, home-buying, and employment opportunities.

Discuss.

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RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail creates more jobs in Illinois than any other private sector employer, with one out of every four workers employed by the retail sector. Importantly, retail is an industry in which everyone, regardless of credentials, can find a viable career path.

Retailers like Brad in Peoria enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.

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Open thread

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* What follows is my late paternal grandma Lucille, my dad Rich I, and my niece Rosalee (Isabel’s older sister) at my brother Devin’s house more than a quarter century ago. I wish this video could go on forever…

As I’ve always said, I love all my nieces to pieces (and my nephews). And I sure do miss my grandma.

What’s up by you?

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Audit finds state agency fell short on social equity initiatives outlined in Gov. JB Pritzker’s landmark climate bill. Tribune…

From June 2022 to June 2024, the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity failed to implement programs designed to assist clean energy contractors in underserved areas and to deliver clean energy jobs training to people exiting Illinois prisons, two social equity elements that were part of one of the country’s most ambitious climate bills, the audit found. […]

For example, the law designates the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program as a “central small business support program” to provide services including “low-cost capital, training, mentorship” and networking at certain sites in Illinois communities, according to an October 2023 press release. Pritzker at that time said DCEO would award $21 million for the program.

While the department said it selected some sites for awards, “no grants were executed by the end of the examination period,” the audit said.

* The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition sent this statement pushing back on the Tribune’s story…

CEJA is a massive piece of first-of-its-kind legislation that will transform Illinois’ entire power sector to deliver clean, affordable power for Illinois’ future. It takes time to implement that policy equitably and effectively. Building our clean energy economy will require a lot of labor - from the administrative staff required to implement the policy itself, to the tens of thousands of good jobs being created now across the state bringing clean power online. Though it has taken time to fully staff up the agencies and programs on deck to support CEJA’s implementation, largely due to hiring delays related to COVID-19 and administrative red tape, we are now seeing tremendous success in policy implementation. We’re pleased to see DCEO working diligently to ensure we meet CEJA’s clean energy goals and keep Illinois moving forward. This leadership from Illinois is more important than ever, with our federal government doing everything it can to reverse the progress our country has made toward clean, affordable energy.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* ABC Chicago | New Chicago police support center will monitor crime on CTA: According to CPD’s latest numbers, there is a slight increase in reported CTA crimes this year compared to this time last year. […] According to CPD’s latest numbers, there is a slight increase in reported CTA crimes this year compared to this time last year.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools facing cash crunch as it works to close $734 million deficit: At its rally Wednesday, the teachers union demanded that Gov. J.B. Pritzker call a special legislative session in order to allocate more state funding to education funding in light of potential federal funding cuts. Several states, including New Mexico and Colorado, are considering calling special sessions in response to President Donald Trump’s tax bill that imposes cuts to social safety net programs. The state created a new funding formula in 2017 that provides more money to all districts across the state, but prioritizes additional dollars to those with higher needs. Illinois lawmakers set a goal to fully fund all districts by 2027, but projections indicate they won’t make that deadline.

*** Statewide ***

* WTTW | Safety-Net Hospitals Face an Uncertain Future With Planned Medicaid Cuts: Once Medicaid funding is cut, as many as 330,000 people in Illinois could be impacted, officials said. Advocates say low-income patients don’t have many options if they lose Medicaid coverage and or if their local hospital closes. People could end up not seeking preventative care and pushing off routine check-ups until their conditions become life-threatening emergencies. Medicaid cuts would hit local hospitals like Mount Sinai Hospital hard; 70% of the hospital’s patients are on Medicaid. Dan Regan, Sinai’s communications vice president, said the cuts will be felt far beyond hospitals’ bottom lines and everyone will feel the effects.

* Tribune | State Farm to raise Illinois homeowners insurance rates by 27.2% in August: As Texas grapples with the massive flooding that struck Hill Country and killed at least 119 people during the July Fourth weekend, many Illinois homeowners will soon see their home insurance rates skyrocket due to the increase in such extreme weather events. State Farm is raising homeowners insurance rates in Illinois by a whopping 27.2% beginning Aug. 15, according to a filing with the state last month. The rate hike, one of the largest in the state’s history, will affect nearly 1.5 million policyholders. New policyholders will pay the higher rates as of July 15.

* WICS | Illinois law enforcement adjusting, building off of new mental health trainings: Law enforcement agencies across Illinois are adapting to new mental health training requirements mandated by the SAFE-T Act, which took effect in 2022. The act, enforced by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), requires officers to complete annual mental health and wellness training. Champaign Police Chief Timothy Tyler emphasized the importance of mental health maintenance, stating, “Just like any valuable equipment, it needs maintenance and the most important thing that we have is our mind.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Lake County News-Sun | Illinois Pollution Control Board denies stay to NRG Energy: ‘They are going to … remove the coal ash ponds from our lakefront’: Shortly after NRG announced its proposal in December of 2021, state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, and state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, introduced legislation to require that all coal ash ponds along Lake Michigan in Illinois be removed. Easily gaining approval in the state Senate in early 2022, Mayfield did not bring the bill to the House floor because she said she was several votes short of a majority. She reintroduced the bill in 2023, and again this year. It remains a few votes short of the majority, she said. She said NRG has lobbied hard against it.

* Kane County Chronicle | Geneva’s Dan Ugaste a no-go for governor after all: After two weeks of consideration, State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, decided not to make a run for Illinois governor, but to seek a fifth term instead. Ugaste announced his decision in a news release, saying he wants to continue his fight “for Illinois families and restoring fiscal sanity in Springfield” from the State House.

* Herald-Whig | Davidsmeyer announces reelection effort for Illinois 100th District: “I first ran for office on the promise that I would remain a good person, that I would fight against big-government intrusion, and that I would work to create a better future for the next generation of Illinoisans,” Davidsmeyer said in a statement announcing his reelection campaign. “I have remained true to that promise, and I have become a stronger voice than ever against the Democratic majority that wants to take away our God-given rights.”

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Walter Burnett Is Leaving His Job As Alderman — And His Son Wants To Replace Him: One of Chicago’s most influential aldermen is stepping down by the end of the month to lead the Chicago Housing Authority — or retire from politics entirely. […] “My wife told me she’s been at home by herself for 30 years,” Burnett said. “She said, ‘You put in your time. Now, come home.’”

* Tribune | Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman declares victory after charges dismissed: Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman formally learned Wednesday a felony charge of aggravated battery to a police officer against her was dismissed, but she was not in an overly celebratory mood. It was the second time in recent months the alderwoman, who represents Harvey’s 2nd Ward, had faced charges she alleges stem from a political dispute with Mayor Christopher Clark. Chapman was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer charges following a City Council meeting April 28. Clark ordered Chapman be removed from the meeting.

* Daily Herald | What’s in Bears stadium survey? Seating chart, ticket prices and ‘VIP tailgating’: A survey sent to some Bears season ticket holders this week sheds light on possible seating options, ticket prices and amenities in and around a potential new Arlington Heights stadium. The Bears’ questionnaire seeking thoughts on a “state-of-the-art stadium that will serve all of Chicagoland and the state of Illinois” doesn’t mention the NFL franchise’s 326-acre Arlington Park property specifically. But the online survey ticket holders reported receiving Tuesday comes nearly two months after the team formally reshifted its stadium focus back to the sprawling suburban site it purchased in 2021.

* WBEZ | Richard Hunt’s life is on exhibit in Chicago — and it’s a walk through Civil Rights history: The monument speaks to Black history and the Civil Rights Movement, two themes persistent in the work of the late sculptor, who died in 2023 at age 88. Now, a new exhibition aims to tell more of his story. Freedom in Form: Richard Hunt, which opens Friday at the Loyola University Museum of Art, explores his 70-year career, starting with his early days as a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

* WBEZ | CPS wants more students from all backgrounds to get the chance to skip a grade: “Our goal with this revision is to expand access to acceleration and remove unnecessary barriers for students to be able to access this opportunity,” said Errika Baker Perkins, executive director of advanced learning & speciality programs for CPS. CPS wants to add this statement to the front of the policy: “The district affirms that all students possess unique strengths and potential. Accelerated placement decisions will be made through a strengths-based lens that accounts for the community context and avoids reinforcing bias or deficit-based assumptions.”

* Sun-Times | Putrid smells from South Side plant enrage neighbors: “Near the entrance of the facility, we experienced a very strong odor that could best be described as rotting fish/decay of flesh. This odor made us not want to breathe and made us nauseous,” inspectors said in their report. Ald. Peter Chico (10th) said that he alerted both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Chicago Department of Public Health about the nuisance after getting complaints from residents. Chico said he asked for an investigation and contacted company officials. “It’s unbearable,” Chico told the Sun-Times. “You can’t even take your dog for a walk or keep your windows open.”

* Sun-Times | Amid East Coast spike in tick diseases, Chicago doctors urge caution as bug’s season ramps up: Eastern states like New York and Massachusetts have reported a spike in tick bites and Lyme disease cases. On Monday, Michigan’s Lenawee County Health department issued an advisory on an increase in tickborne infections. The Chicago Department of Public Health has not seen an increase in Lyme disease cases compared to last year, according to the department spokesman Jacob Martin. “However, ticks tend to be the most active from April through September and so we’d expect that both the number of ED visits due to tick bites and the number of tick-borne disease cases to increase during the summer,” Martin said.

* Tribune | Crumb rubber: How NASCAR recycles the thousands of tires it used over the Chicago race weekend: During a weekend of hot, high-speed friction against the asphalt of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race course, thousands of tires burn out and wear down. After a few dozen laps, they lose their grip and become obsolete. But their life cycle doesn’t end there. Each NASCAR race weekend, most of the 3,000 tires provided by Goodyear Racing become a fraction of the tens of thousands recycled annually by Liberty Tire Recycling. Before state laws prohibited it, used tires would be landfilled or stored in stockpiles, said Rick Heinrich, Goodyear’s product manager for NASCAR.

* Tribune | There are few memorials for Chicagoans who died from heat in 1995. But there are remnants.: ike many of the 739 Chicagoans who died of heat that summer, many elderly, many people of color, he was forgotten for years. His grave is one of two places in the Chicago area where you are even reminded of what happened. Thirty years ago, on July 13, 1995, the temperature in Chicago was 106 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat index — what it actually feels like outside — reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Melrose Beach was packed long after dark with families lingering on blankets. Supermarkets humored customers who came to buy milk and eggs and stayed for hours, lulled by cheap air conditioning. O’Hare International Airport — six years before our current TSA checkpoints — welcomed those without travel plans, who loitered away days, curled up in books, paying for airport food.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Press Release | IL-8 Candidate Junaid Ahmed Raises nearly $350,000 in less than a Month: In a powerful show of grassroots energy and early momentum, Democratic congressional candidate Junaid Ahmed announced today that his campaign has raised nearly $350,000 in under four weeks. Junaid officially launched his bid for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District on June 3, 2025, and is quickly building robust support across the district. “I’m humbled and energized by the outpouring of support we’ve received in such a short time,” said Junaid Ahmed. “This campaign is about delivering for working families who are being crushed by the rising cost of living—from housing and groceries to healthcare and student debt. People in this district are working harder than ever, and they are ready to send a fighter to Congress who will make their life more affordable and help them thrive.”

* Press Release |
Sandy Hart Announces Candidacy for 10th District Democratic State Central Committeewoman: Sandy Hart, Chair of the Lake County Board, announced her candidacy today for the 10th District Democratic State Central Committeewoman for the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI). Sandy has been helping to elect Lake County candidates and fighting for the Democratic values we share for many years. “I look forward to working with DPI to continue to recruit, support, and elect Democrats in the 10th District,” said Sandy. “Thanks to the hard work of Democratic volunteers and

* Elgin Courier-News | DuPage sheriff’s officer from Elgin convicted of having sex with jail inmate: The bench trial conviction against Ricardo Hardy, 54, of Elgin, was announced Wednesday by Judge Joseph Bugos about a month after the case was heard, a news release from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said. Hardy was found guilty of five counts of custodial sexual misconduct and five counts of official misconduct, all class 3 felonies. Hardy was assigned to the county’s corrections bureau when officials learned in May 2023 that he’d had sexual intercourse and other sexual contact with a female inmate on at least two occasions in the woman’s cell and in the shower/bathroom area between March 13, 2023, and April 26, 2023, the release said.

* ESPN | Michael Jordan’s former Chicago-area estate listed on Airbnb: The two-story estate, which was built in 1995, has seven bedrooms and 17.5 bathrooms. Amenities include a full-size basketball court, putting green, tennis court, cigar room and infinity pool. Its signature feature is a giant entrance gate with a 23, Jordan’s jersey number from his Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards playing days. Booking the mansion requires a minimum seven-night stay, and it is limited to 12 guests. Guests must sign a liability waiver and nondisclosure agreement and pay a $25,000 security deposit.

*** Downstate ***

* Press Release | “A Devastating Blow”: Boys & Girls Clubs of Central IL Warns Families Will Pay the Price: The Trump administration is withholding more than $6 billion in federal grants for after-school and summer programs. This is a devastating blow to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois. (BGCCIL) Among the grant programs being evaluated is the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. This is the only federal funding stream dedicated to after-school and summer learning programs, helping to sustain over 10,000 local programs across the country, based on data from the Afterschool Alliance. Each state administers its own competitive process to award these funds, which amounted to $1.3 billion in the current fiscal year. The BGCCIL, which relies on roughly $3M in 21st Century Funding, was expecting it to be distributed July 1, but an U.S. Department of Education notice sent last week announced the funds would not be released while the programs are under review. The department did not provide a timeline and warned that “decisions have not yet been made” on grants for the upcoming school year.

* WCIA | U of I researcher honored for his work in making crops more resilient: Stephen Long, the Ikenberry Endowed Chair Emeritus of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences at the U of I, was named a 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneer (TAP) by the World Food Prize Foundation. 39 innovators around the world were chosen, representing 27 countries. Each of the nominees worked to transform food systems, and work in fields related to food or agriculture. Long’s research showed that by engineering crops to improve photosynthesis, it leads to better productivity. His work offered solutions to make crops more resilient in the face of climate change. He also led Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project, from 2012 to earlier in 2025.

* WCIA | Danville seeing increasing costs for bus repairs: City officials with Danville Mass Transit claim the current presidential administration’s tariff policy is increasing costs for their bus repairs. Danville Public Transportation Director Steve White said the price of a motor increased $7,000 in the past four months. Danville Mayor Rickey Williams said he has noticed prices increase by 10% despite buying American products. “The thing is we’re buying from American dealers but there are parts and components of the piece that we are buying that come from overseas,” Williams said.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. Sheriff announces candidacy for third term: Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman has announced he is running for a third term as the top law enforcement officer in the county. Heuerman announced his candidacy in a news release on Wednesday. He was first elected Sheriff in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. […] Heuerman also highlighted accomplishments and successes that include navigating the county through COVID-19, the implementation of the SAFE-T Act, modernization projects at the Sheriff’s Office headquarters and the Champaign County Jail and enhancing the use of technology for operations.

* WGLT | Rep. LaHood supports Medicaid cuts and SNAP reductions in the GOP megabill: U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood is voicing full-throated support for the massive Republican tax and spending bill, despite past opposition to Medicaid cuts and concern over the mounting federal budget deficit. Critics of the measure say it will grow the federal budget deficit by trillions of dollars. LaHood, a Republican, has based support for things like cuts to the Agency for International Development, scientific research and ag research on the idea the budget deficit is unsustainable, yet most estimates project the GOP megabill substantially worsens the deficit.

* WGLT | Metcalf School sixth-graders design, build and donate a tiny house to homeless shelter village in Bloomington: Thomas Metcalf School sixth-graders designed and built a tiny house in their makerspace class that Home Sweet Home Ministries [HSHM] will put in its new shelter village. Makerspace teacher Kristi Sutter said her students came up with the idea in January, before hearing about the shelter village HSHM was already planning. “The kids put together a pitch to Home Sweet Home and Salvation Army and offered it as a donation, and Home Sweet Home accepted it,” Sutter said. “We kept our [tiny house] pretty basic right now so that it would fit in with the rest of the community that Home Sweet Home had already envisioned.”

*** National ***

* Washington Monthly | The Broadband Story Abundance Liberals Like Ezra Klein Got Wrong: When the New York Times columnist told the Daily Show’s Jon Stewart about out-of-control regulations ruining a Biden administration rural broadband program, the clip went viral, with Elon Musk’s help. But the story wasn’t true—and the telecom monopolies who were the real saboteurs are still laughing.

* NYT | A.I. Is Making Sure You Pay for That Ding on Your Rental Car: The next time you rent a car, that ding on the door might not slip under the radar. Powerful new A.I.-driven tools are helping Hertz and other companies catch every little scratch, and puzzled renters are being asked to pay up. Hertz, one of the world’s largest car rental companies, debuted the technology last fall at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and it’s now in use at five other U.S. airports, said Emily Spencer, a Hertz spokeswoman. Developed by a company called UVeye, the scanning system works by capturing thousands of high-resolution images from all angles as a vehicle passes through a rental lot’s gates at pickup and return. A.I. then compares those images and flags any discrepancies.

* AP | Trump administration pulls back on plans to rewrite Biden-era asbestos ban: The Environmental Protection Agency said in a court filing Monday that it will now defend the Biden administration’s ban of chrysotile asbestos, which is used in products like brake blocks and sheet gaskets. The carcinogenic chemical has been mostly phased out in the U.S., but last year, the agency under former President Joe Biden sought to finish the decadeslong fight with a comprehensive ban. The EPA in 2024 said “exposure to asbestos is known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer, and it is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.”

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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