|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Click here to read the redacted filing. * AFSCME 31…
* House Speaker Chris Welch…
* NBC Chicago | Illinois cheer families could be owed money after massive settlement against Varsity Brands: Illinois will now be part of a proposed settlement of a class-action lawsuit against Varsity Brands, a company that puts on cheer camps and competitions and that was accused of using monopolistic tactics to raise prices and undercut competition. According to Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois has signed onto the lawsuit, with a proposed settlement of $82.5 million currently in front of a judge in the case. * BND | Mpox now a global health emergency. What an Illinois doctor says about cases, vaccine: The more severe mpox strain, also referred to as clade I, has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has lead to at least 450 deaths so far, Southern Illinois University Medicine infectious diseases specialist Dr. Vidya Sundareshan said in a recent interview with the BND. […] While vaccination strategies in Illinois and across the U.S. are focusing primarily on men who have sex with men (some guidelines specify multiple partners), anyone can contract mpox. Both clade I and clade II can be spread by contact with infected wild animals, close contact with someone who has mpox and through contact with infected materials. * Block Club | CTA Boss Spent More Time Traveling World Than Visiting Chicago Transit Stations, Schedule Shows: From the end of May 2023 to spring 2024, as CTA riders had to cope with frequent delays and filthy conditions, Carter spent nearly 100 days out of town at conferences, some overseas, his schedule shows. Most of Carter’s trips between June 2023 and May 2024 were for events related to the American Public Transportation Association, a nonprofit advocacy group he chaired in 2022 and 2023. Carter spent a week in Pittsburgh and another in Orlando, six days in Puerto Rico and five days in Washington, D.C. He also took trips to Spain, New Zealand and Australia. * WBEZ | Abortion took center stage during the DNC. But here’s why access could be in jeopardy: But abortion funds that are essential for so many people traveling to states like Illinois — paying for their flights, hotels, child care and their abortions — are running out of money. Providers and advocates say that’s putting access to reproductive medical care in jeopardy. Megan Jeyifo, for one, said she is exhausted. She runs the Chicago Abortion Fund, one of the largest of its kind in the country. […] Jeyifo estimates the fund needs at least $200,000 a month more to cover abortion procedures. * Sun-Times | CPD traffic stops for minor violations ripped as ‘gateway to criminal charges’ at meeting seeking possible reforms: At a special hearing held by Chicago’s Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability on Tuesday evening, dozens of Chicagoans and a panel of experts gathered to provide input on what meaningful traffic stop reform could look like in Chicago. Commission president Anthony Driver Jr. said the purpose of the hearing was to learn how “pretextual traffic stops” — which critics describe as stops for minor infractions used as an excuse, or pretext, to search for evidence of other criminal activity — hurt communities and public safety, and “to learn from other jurisdictions that have changed their policies on police-initiated traffic stops.” * Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools inspector general departs: Fletcher, who started a job this week at the Gateway Development Commission — a public transit agency run jointly by New York and New Jersey — said he had felt no pressure to find a new job and left the district only reluctantly. “This job was especially important to me because I had a personal commitment to CPS as a former student and a CPS parent,” he said. * Block Club | Black Family Opens Stussy’s Diner In Bridgeport — 45 Years After Racist Attack Outside Same Spot: In 1979, the Nance family was chased by white men with baseball bats and tried to enter the old Bridgeport Restaurant for help, but no one would let them in. “Now, this place will support everybody.” * WTTW | WTTW News Explains: How Did Redlining Work in Chicago?: Put simply: redlining is the act of denying people access to credit because of where they live and who they are, even if they’re qualified borrowers. […] Furthermore, Blacks were often prevented from moving into new, developing communities due to racially restrictive covenants or clauses — pioneered by Chicago realty groups — that explicitly prohibited Blacks from purchasing that property. * ABC Chicago | United Airlines flight attendants union votes 99.99% to authorize a strike: This is the first time they’ve voted on such a proposal, in nearly 20 years. The historic announcement was made after a demonstration at O’Hare Airport on Wednesday. […] The flight attendants are calling for raises, schedule flexibility, work rule improvements, job security, retirement and more. The flight attendants union said it filed for federal mediation over eight months ago and have been working under an amendable contract for nearly three years. * Crain’s | How Roti went bankrupt: At the same time, Rōti pulled a lifeline to allow its remaining 26 locations to survive the initial pandemic punches: The company negotiated rent deferral agreements with its landlords. Those deferral agreements are now expiring — and Rōti appears unable to pay up. As Seamonds wrote in the court filings, the expired deferrals are “leading to a significant increase in operational expenses which have been difficult to meet.” * ABC Chicago | Lynwood police officer honored after running toward gunfire, suffering graze wound at homicide scene: “This evening, we’re gathered to recognize the extraordinary bravery of Michael Johnson,” said Lynwood Police Chief Gregory Thomas. […] “It’s just something that you just do. Law enforcement, just like any other thing that you put your life on the line, is something that you got to want to do,” Johnson said. * Daily Herald | Raise a glass: Sip your way across the suburbs with these fall beer festivals: Over two dozen breweries will participate in the annual Illinois Brews @ Bowes Creek fundraiser at Bowes Creek Country Club. General admission tickets are $55 in advance and include admission to the main event from 4-8 p.m. for the craft and home brew beer tasting, snacks and a 5-ounce tasting mug. VIP ticket ($75) holders get in an hour earlier and have access to exclusive beer, whiskey and cocktail tastings. Hosted by the Elgin Parks & Recreation Foundation, ticket sales from the event support the Recreation Youth Scholarship Fund, which provides free access to Elgin Parks programs for at-risk kids. * WAND | Moms Demand Action giving away gun locks at Champaign-Urbana Public Health District: The group will be giving away free gun locks Wednesday. You can stop by the lobby of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, located at 201 S. Kenyon Rd. in Champaign from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. * Farm Week | New edible windbreak to provide multiple benefits: An outdoor part of the Heartland Community College’s Ag Complex in Normal is combining form and function. The new edible windbreak is part of the school’s sustainability efforts and offers a model for potential increased income for farmers. Layers of trees and bushes will act as a windbreak and supply a variety of fruits for students and others to enjoy. “It’s part of a sustainable ag model we are promoting,” said Kortney Watts, associate dean of career and technical education at the college. The college offers training in every step of the process. * The Southern | Dobbins will remain Johnston City mayor after rescinding resignation: Mayor Doug Dobbins will continue his term as mayor of Johnston City despite reports of his possible resignation this week. Dobbins told The Southern on Tuesday evening that he had turned in a letter of resignation, but rescinded it before it became effective after discussing the matter with others. * BND | From Belleville to Broadway, West grad makes St. Louis homecoming with cast of ‘Hamilton’: The Belleville native is among the 32-person ensemble that arrives at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis on Aug. 28. Known as the show about America then portrayed by America now, he is cast as George Eacker, a lawyer who gave a patriotic Fourth of July speech but is most known for shooting Philip Hamilton in a duel. He also fills the role of “Man 3.” “It’s crazy. I have wanted to be part of this ever since 2016 and I finally got it in 2024,” he said. “I feel incredibly blessed to be here. It is an amazing piece of art. It’s still so fresh, so relevant. I am so excited to tell this story,” he said in an interview. * PJ Star | Peoria native Kendrick Green lands spot on NFL 53-man roster: The 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive lineman from the University of Illinois will begin his fourth NFL season with the Texans. The Peoria High School graduate is listed as Houston’s backup left guard and one of nine offensive linemen on the roster for Houston, which last season won the AFC South and a playoff game behind rookie quarterback CJ Stroud. * NPR | As cars and trucks get bigger and taller, lawmakers look to protect pedestrians: Now lawmakers in Congress are expected to introduce a bill on Friday that would require federal standards for hood height and visibility to protect pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. “We’ve seen these standards over time improve vehicle safety with a focus on the people in the vehicle,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), a co-sponsor of the Pedestrian Protection Act, in an interview with NPR. “But this would sort of expand that to pedestrians, bicyclists and people outside the vehicle.” * AP | Immigrant families in limbo after judge puts US program for spouses on hold: Although the Biden administration’s “Keeping Families Together” program only began accepting applications last week, families and immigration attorneys say confusion, uncertainty and frustration is already mounting following the order by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker. Couples who already applied say they are in limbo and those who haven’t yet must weigh whether to wait for Republicans’ court challenge over the program to play out.
|
|
ComEd Four defendants claim prosecution was built on a ‘rotten foundation’
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Jason Meisner…
The full motion is here.
|
|
Amy Jacobson resigns from CPS coaching position after uproar
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. Isabel has confirmed this with the school’s athletic director…
|
|
Report: Heat deaths are underreported
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the National Weather Service…  The footnote reads: “Due to an inherent delay in the reporting of official heat fatalities in some jurisdictions, this number will likely rise in subsequent updates.” * From Harvest Public Media, a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest…
|
|
Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Scott, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
Comments Off |
|
Illinois opens contest to redesign state flag (Updated)
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for some background. Illinois Flag Commission…
* Our current flag…
* Here are the guidelines…
* Voters in Maine will decide on a new state flag design this fall. The new design…
* The old one…  …Adding… WBEZ…
* Evanston’s new flag…
* What it replaced…
What are your thoughts?
|
|
Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * River Bender | EV Manufacturer Ymer Technology Announces Opening of U.S. Headquarters in Illinois: Ymer Technology, a manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) components for the heavy equipment industry, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Lake County Partners, and the Village of Buffalo Grove, announced the grand opening of its new U.S. headquarters in Buffalo Grove. The company’s $5.7 million investment, bolstered by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) agreement, will enable Ymer Technology to produce cooling technology and thermal management systems for EVs while supporting Illinois’ clean energy economy. * Lake County News-Sun | Efforts underway to revitalize naval station’s ‘zombie village’; ‘No one should be living in Halsey Village’: Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth called it a “zombie village,” and Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart suggested, “There is not a neighborhood in all of Lake County in a worse condition.” They were referring to the privately managed Halsey Village at Naval Station Great Lakes, where approximately 70.5% of the houses are uninhabitable. Of those, 44 are fenced off in the southwest corner of the project near Green Bay and Buckley roads. * WTTW | Homeowner Associations Can’t Ban Native Plants, Thanks to New Illinois Law: “This law gives all folks an opportunity to be part of a collective movement,” said state Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake), who introduced the bill in the General Assembly. “The reality of climate change can be debilitating, it’s hard to know where to even start. But now anyone can help restore native habitat right in our own yards.” * WAND | Illinois lawmakers could create prescription drug affordability board to tackle high prices: A recent Public Policy Polling survey found 75% of Illinois voters take prescription medications on a regular basis. Although, an alarming amount of those people ration their drugs due to cost. “You are being pitted against how much money is being made off the stock market or off of someone’s profit,” said Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago). “To me, when we have have a healthcare system that pits you versus the quarterly earnings and there’s no controls to that, that is extremely dangerous to you as the patient.” * Crain’s | Judge hits Amazon with $148M in interest on Chicago patent verdict: Adding interest to injury, a judge tacked on $148 million in interest payments to a $525 million jury award against Amazon Web Services in a case brought by a small Chicago software maker. […] Kennelly ordered Amazon to pay accumulated interest on the jury award for the more than five years that the case took to work its way through the courts. The two sides finalized the amount yesterday. * Sun-Times | Chicago Latinos shared some of their top issues at the Democratic National Convention: Ahead of Monday night’s opening events, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza shared that reproductive rights are at stake for Latinas this election. “I’m a woman with a uterus,” Mendoza said. “As far as I’m concerned, Donald Trump has had way too much access to way too many uteruses in his lifetime and he shouldn’t have access to one more,” she said. * Tribune | Cook County judge who implemented controversial courthouse ban over cellphone ordered to undergo training: A Cook County judge who controversially banned a law clerk from the county’s main courthouse for using a cellphone in her courtroom will undergo training and mentoring, officials said. The order comes after an executive committee convened by Chief Judge Tim Evans investigated the nine-month courthouse ban implemented by Judge Peggy Chiampas for Robert Almodóvar, an exoneree who was issued a certificate of innocence in 2018 and now clerks for a high-profile law group. * Chalkbeat | Who are the Chicago school board candidates for the 2024 election?: To learn more about the new school board districts and find out which one you live in, Chalkbeat created an interactive map. Many candidates have also begun fundraising for their campaigns, reporting contributions to the Illinois State Board of Elections. * Crain’s | Chicago Teachers’ Pension prepares to pull Wamco bond investment: The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund is preparing to liquidate its investment in one of Western Asset Management Co.’s flagship bond funds, in an early sign of the potential fallout from federal investigations into the firm. The pension’s investment committee voted Tuesday to recommend terminating Wamco’s Core Plus fixed-income mandate, Fernando Vinzons, Chicago Teachers’ chief investment officer, said in an emailed statement. Wamco managed $550 million for the pension fund at the end of June. * Sun-Times | COVID-19 also attended last week’s Democratic National Convention, infecting ‘too many’: Health officials say they saw no sign of a COVID-19 uptick after the convention, while attendees grumble on social media about getting sick. One union official said he knows at least 14 people who tested positive since attending the convention. * Sun-Times | Developers of color shut out of multi-unit family housing in Chicago, analysis finds: Less than a quarter of the developers building multifamily housing in Chicago are led or managed by a person of color, a newly released analysis from the Urban Institute found. The analysis looked at building permits from 2019 to 2023 to identify 207 developers who were requesting permits for housing that included 10 or more units, according to the Urban Institute. From the 207 developers, the Washington, D.C.-based organization narrowed its scope to 177 developers, determining that only 17 had Black leaders, six had Latino leaders and seven had Asian leaders. * Sun-Times | Girls running lemonade stand get $2,000 gift to attend Chicago Sky Barbie Night game: Jade and Joy Lee, 12 and 11, set up a lemonade stand on the corner of 111th Street and Princeton Avenue with a goal of raising $700. On Tuesday they received a gift of $2,000 for tickets to Friday night’s game. When philanthropist Early Walker, CEO of I’m Telling, Don’t Shoot, heard about the lemonade stand he said he wanted to make sure the sisters were able to attend. * Sun-Times | Chicago breaks heat record at 99 degrees: The temperature around 3 p.m. reached 99 degrees at O’Hare, surpassing the previous record for Aug. 27 of 97 degrees, set in 1973. With heat and humidity, it could feel somewhere between 105 to 115 degrees outside, the weather service said. * WGN | Dolton mayor’s Texas trip tab: Tens of thousands billed to taxpayers: Based on a review of Dolton’s credit card statements, WGN Investigates found village taxpayers were charged an additional $33,920 for the same trips to New York, Atlanta, Portland and more. Expenditures include a five-day trip to Austin in July 2023. In attendance were Henyard, her top aide Keith Freeman and three township officials. In all, the group spent more than $20,000 of Dolton taxpayer money in Texas. * Daily Herald | DuPage County Board welcomes beekeeping on smaller lots: County board members voted 10-8 Tuesday to support zoning code changes to allow beekeeping on lots smaller than an acre. Before the vote, the county only allowed beekeeping on lots greater than an acre. The change sparked debate among board members who worried the potential increase of honeybees would adversely impact native pollinators, like the endangered rusty patched bumblebee. However, board members supporting the change noted honeybees have buzzed about for centuries. * FOX 32 | Lake County welcomes first courthouse comfort dog: Desi, a highly-trained one-year-old Standard Poodle, has officially joined the courthouse team, becoming Lake County’s only designated courthouse dog. “When first thing in the morning you see this little muppet face who loves to be petted and is such a calm, good girl, I think it changes your attitude about the start of your experience,” said Judge Patricia Fix, Desi’s primary handler. * ABC Chicago | Illinois reports first West Nile Virus death this year: The person was in their 80s and lived in Lake County, Illinois. They developed symptoms in the middle of this month and died soon after. The Illinois Health Department says nine people across the state have come down with the virus so far this year. * SJ-R | Massey family makes presence felt at ex-deputy’s court hearing: About 20 to 30 members of Massey’s family and allies packed the courtroom Monday. “Every time Sean Grayson is here for court, you will see the Massey family,” promised Shadia Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin, afterwards. * WAND | Blue Mound employee fired due to ‘actions detrimental to the Village’: The village board voted to terminate Jennifer Prasun at a meeting on July 1st. According to minutes from the meeting, employees and board members were encouraged not to discuss particular issues and were instructed to say that she was terminated due to “Actions detrimental to the Village.” * SJ-R | Rarely before seen Abraham Lincoln-related images now available to public. What to know: According to the library, 129 of the photos are of Lincoln. Some are from his time in Springfield, and some are from his presidency. Almost 200 of the photos are of Lincoln’s Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, including some of Lincoln’s coffin when it was unearthed during a construction project in 1901. * KFVS | Southern Illinois Food Insecurity Summit held at John A. Logan College: Numbers from Feeding America show food insecurity affects approximately 13,000 children across southern Illinois. Jennifer Paulson is working to change that by supplying food and teaching sustainable farming methods through the non-profit Food Works. ”That can look like a lot of things: workshops for farmers, farmers markets, food hubs, and then the snap and link program at farmers markets across southern Illinois,” Paulson said. * Reuters | AI’s race for US energy butts up against bitcoin mining : The electricity scramble is jolting the energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining industry. Some miners are making huge profits leasing or selling their power-connected infrastructure and sites to tech, while others are losing access to the electricity needed to stay in business. “The AI battle for dominance is a battle being had by the biggest and best capitalized companies in the world and they care like their lives depend on it that they win,” said Greg Beard, CEO of Stronghold Digital Mining (SDIG.O), opens new tab, a publicly-traded bitcoin mining company. “Do they care about what they pay for power? Probably not.”
|
|
Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for background if you need it. Tribune…
* Tribune…
* Stay cool out there…
* Capitol News Illinois | Longtime Harris supporters do victory lap for their candidate at DNC: Five years later, [Sen. Mattie Hunter] last week watched as her party chose Harris as its first Black woman nominee for president of the United States at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago – the same city where Harold Washington’s 1983 campaign for mayor sparked a political hopefulness in Hunter that she hadn’t felt since – until now. “This is how I felt back in ‘83 when Harold was running,” Hunter said of Harris’ candidacy. “This is exactly what I felt.” * WCIA | Illinois senators secure $1 million to remove lead pipes from schools, childcare buildings: Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced the state will get $1,093,000 to reduce the number of lead pipes in schools and childcare facilities in the state. […] The money comes from the federal U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act. A federal grant has provided more than $150 million in funding to conduct testing and removal of lead sources in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities across the U.S. * Crain’s | Tired of waiting for Congress, Illinois and other states crack down on health insurers: The American Medical Association, which opposes restrictive prior authorization polices, reported last week that 10 states — Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming — have approved broad prior authorization bills it supports. The new Illinois, Minnesota and Virginia laws are not yet in the National Conference of State Legislatures database. The use of prior authorizations, created to discourage unnecessary and costly care, have surged in recent years, to the consternation of providers and patients. * Daily Herald | CUB report: Customers choosing ComEd alternatives losing millions: Illinois residents and businesses who have chosen electricity suppliers other than ComEd and Ameren Illinois have lost about $297 million over the last year and $1.8 billion since 2015, the Citizens Utility Board reported Tuesday. The report, which cites state data on electricity competition, warns that consumers should be aware of alternative suppliers offering their services door to door, via mail and over the phone. * SJ-R | New study finds majority of tested Illinois lakes, rivers are too polluted to swim in: According to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency, over 70% of freshwater lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands by acreage and over 42% of creeks, rivers, and streams are considered too polluted for swimming. […] For lakes and ponds, only 0.7%, or 2,404 acres of overall water have been assessed for the Clean Water Act, out of 321,296 acres. From the less than one percent assessed, 54.6% of all the water was found too polluted to swim in. […] While only 4% of Illinois running water has been assessed, roughly 4,755 miles, over 4,000, at 85.3% of those miles were found not suitable for recreational use. * WTTW | CPS CEO Pedro Martinez Says He Hasn’t Directly Talked With Mayor Since Reports That His Job is Under Threat: Martinez said he has not been told by anyone in the Johnson administration that his job is on the line, and in an interview on “Chicago Tonight” Monday evening, maintained there’s “never been better alignment between our district, our board … the city, the mayor, and I would argue even the unions” as they all know and want CPS to have more money. […] But Martinez admitted there is a “tension” over his desire to “protect the investments we have” while the district is “being pushed to add even more investments” when, he said, “the resources are not there.” * Block Club | Chicago Tribune Freedom Center Demolition Begins, Paving Way For Bally’s Casino: The Freedom Center demolition could take five months with crews working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, city officials said at a community meeting in June. No explosives will be used for the demolition. Excavators will be used for most of the site, while other areas will require hand excavation. * Sun-Times | Chicago may soon be largest city in Northern Hemisphere without an intercity bus terminal: The report, released Tuesday, analyzed the world’s largest 130 cities. Chicago ranks 114th in population with an estimated 2.6 million people. If Chicago loses its terminal, it will have the coldest weather of any city without an intercity bus terminal. Only two of the world’s 130 largest cities do not have intercity bus terminals, according to the report. Both cities — Nairobi, Kenya, and Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — have substantially warmer weather than Chicago. Chicago averages 26 degrees Fahrenheit in January compared with the African cities’ averages in the 60s and 70s during the same month, according to the report.
* Daily Herald | No decision yet on controversial South Barrington church plan: Many area residents have publicly opposed the project, citing ecological impact, traffic and other issues. Some have criticized the church’s practices, too. Eight residents sued the park district in March to stop the project, claiming the auction that led to the sale was illegal. The plaintiffs filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss their claims but now intend to move forward with the case, one told the Daily Herald in an email. * Naperville Sun | Construction of the Islamic Center of Naperville’s new mosque expected to be done by October: Phase one work — the construction of a 28,400-square-foot mosque — is set to finish in October, according to Islamic Center President Anees Rahman. As of mid-August, Rahman estimated the mosque was about 90% to 95% complete. “Everybody is really, really excited about it,” he said. The mosque is the first step in a multiphase complex that will eventually include a school, a multipurpose hall, a gymnasium and a mosque expansion to be build on 13.3 acres at 3540 248th Ave. in southwest Naperville. * WBBM | Judge denies pretrial release for former deputy charged in Sonya Massey killing: “The judge made a decision at the outset of the case to detain Mr. Grayson,” said Mark Wyckoff, Grayson’s defense attorney. Wyckoff told reporters at the Sangamon County Courthouse that an appeal for pretrial release was denied. It may be months before hearing the results of a second appeal. * Capitol News Illinois | Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade: The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. * SJ-R | ‘Back home’: After battle with ‘flesh eating’ strep virus, K.J. Reid returns to teaching: Aaron Graves, the president of the Springfield public schools’ teachers’ union, called Kenneth “K.J.” Reid “a living example of modern medicine.” […] Eyeing Bunsen burners, test tube racks and periodical tables around the lab, Reid, 41, admitted it was “a very emotional” homecoming, just days before students were scheduled to return. * Bloomberg | NFL set to vote on letting private equity buy stakes in teams: The NFL is taking a cautious approach by potentially allowing three individual firms and one consortium to buy stakes. The three pre—approved firms are expected to be Arctos Partners, Ares Management and Sixth Street Partners, while the consortium is comprised of Dynasty Equity, Blackstone, Carlyle and CVC Capital Partners, the people added, asking not to be named discussing private information. Former NFL running back Curtis Martin played a role in bringing the consortium together, a person familiar with the matter said. * AP | Social platform X edits AI chatbot after election officials warn that it spreads misinformation: Top election officials from Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington sent a letter this month to Elon Musk complaining that the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, produced false information about state ballot deadlines shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race. The secretaries of state requested that the chatbot instead direct users who ask election-related questions to CanIVote.org, a voting information website run by the National Association of Secretaries of State. * KFF Health News | Medicare Advantage plans got ‘alarming’ break from the U.S. government a decade ago: Here’s why: Now, newly released court depositions show agency officials repeatedly cited concern about pressure from the industry. The 2014 decision by CMS and events related to i, are at the center of a multibillion-dollar Justice Department civil fraud case against UnitedHealth Group that’s pending in federal court in Los Angeles.
|
|
Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Georgia…
* Texas…
* Idaho…
* Tennessee…
* Florida…
* Louisiana…
* Arkansas…
* Ohio…
* Georgia…
|
|
ISP says DNC was ‘largest security detail in its history’
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
Thoughts?
|
|
Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.
Comments Off |
|
Question of the day
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* The Question: How do you plan to deal with this week’s heat and poor air quality?
|
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Attorneys for ex-Speaker Michael Madigan want sex harassment, other ‘controversial’ evidence excluded from trial. Tribune…
- In a pair of pretrial filings earlier this year, prosecutors revealed they want to introduce evidence of a secret plan to funnel money to ex-aide Kevin Quinn, who was ousted from Madigan’s 13th Ward organization for sexually harassing a campaign worker. - In their motion to exclude the evidence, Madigan’s legal team said both the Quinn evidence and testimony in general about the sexual harassment scandal that engulfed Springfield is irrelevant to the charged conduct and would unfairly paint Madigan in a bad light. Click here to read the filing. * Related stories…
∙ Center Square: Madigan seeks to limit evidence from prosecutors in corruption trial * AP | Free COVID tests will soon be available again by mail via COVIDtests.gov: They’ll be available from the federal government at a yet-to-be-announced date in September. Though the numbers of deaths and serious infections have dropped dramatically since the coronavirus began spreading across the United States in 2020, the number of hospitalizations has started to creep up in recent weeks. * WCIA | Trial begins for man accused of killing DCFS employee Deidre Silas: Benjamin Reed will stand trial Monday afternoon. He was charged with the murder of Deidre Silas back in 2022. […] Reed’s trial will be a bench trial, which means the judge will decide the case from the bench instead of a jury. * Crain’s | DEA delays cannabis rescheduling until after election to hold hearing: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has scheduled a hearing on Dec. 2 for proposed rulemaking regarding the potential rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III from Schedule I, thus ensuring that the process will not be completed before the presidential election in November. The hearing date could put the entire rescheduling process in peril. Should Vice President Kamala Harris lose to former President Donald Trump in November, he could halt the process when he takes office in January, given that Trump has not committed to finishing rescheduling or staked out much of a platform at all on cannabis reform. * WGEM | Slated candidates to appear on Illinois general election ballot: The Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) ruled last Friday slated candidates can appear on the November ballot despite state lawmakers passing controversial elections reform legislation during the spring legislative session banning the practice that is typically used for down ballot state legislative races. The legislation did several things: It put three non-binding referendums on the November ballot, move the deadline to file petitions from 106 days to 134 days before the election and ban post-primary slating. * NBC Chicago | How ‘corn sweat’ helps make blistering heat wave worse in Illinois: All of northern Illinois will be under an excessive heat warning on Tuesday, but a phenomenon known as “corn sweat” will make the conditions especially oppressive in areas away from the city of Chicago. Heat indices could soar above 110 degrees and could even approach 115 degrees in some parts of the state on Tuesday, according to an excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service. * Farm Week | Farm helpline available in all Illinois counties: “I call it the chronic drip, drip, drip of stress because there are all these factors we cannot control, and that all adds to our heightened anxiety and stress levels,” said Karen Stallman, an ag resource specialist. In Randolph County, where she farms with her husband, they are in a “real dry spot” right now with a lack of rain adding to the pressure of low commodity prices. These kinds of issues are why the Farm Family Resource Initiative was created. It started as a test pilot in six counties and is available in all 102 Illinois counties, now. * Citizen | OUTSafe Program Supports LGBTQ+ Seniors with Statewide Service Provider Training Sessions: OUTSafe: The LGBTQ+ Older Adult Violence Prevention Training Program is free training being offered across Illinois to law enforcement, health care, social service and other providers who support and interact with LGBTQ+ older adults. The need is strong. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in Illinois, hate crimes based on sexual orientation have increased by almost seven times (from 2020 to 2022) and hate crimes based on gender identity have increased by more than four times over that same time. * Tribune | A year after 2 women were injured by gunfire at Guaranteed Rate Field, one files lawsuit against White Sox and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority: Nearly one year after two women were shot in the bleachers of Guaranteed Rate Field, a lawsuit was filed against the White Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority alleging that negligent security practices allowed a firearm to be brought inside the ballpark last season. The complaint was filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court by one of the two women wounded by gunfire during the Aug. 25, 2023, White Sox home game against the Oakland A’s. The lawsuit contends that the gun was fired by someone within the confines of Guaranteed Rate Field. * NBC Chicago | Demolition to begin Tuesday for new Bally’s Casino in River West: Demolition is poised to begin Tuesday for the new Bally’s casino and hotel complex at the former Tribune publishing site in the city’s River West neighborhood. […] The project consists of a 34-story, the 500-room hotel tower, 3,000-seat theater and a 2-acre public park. Within the casino itself, will be six restaurants, cafes, a food hall and space for 3,300 slots, 173 table games and VIP gaming areas. * Block Club | First All-Girls Little League Baseball Team At Warren Park Starts This Fall: There will be two teams in the all-girls league fall, and games will take place Sunday evenings in Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave., and other local parks. Registration for the upcoming season has ended. Rachel Gansner, who was responsible for organizing the league and will coach one of the teams, said she chose the fall season so as not to conflict with the girls’ regular co-ed leagues from June to August. * Daily Herald | Last hurrah: Schaumburg village hall to host final Septemberfest before demolition: The aging building’s planned demolition is not until next year, so employees will continue to work there and residents can still pay their water bills in person. But for many, the community’s annual Labor Day weekend festival has been the most consistent reason to visit the village’s headquarters, named for Schaumburg’s visionary second mayor. * Tribune | Evanston officials consider law prohibiting landlords from not leasing to renters because of dog breeds: Pit Bulls have “a bad rap” that sometimes cost their owners housing and Evanston City Council member Devon Reid (8th) is trying to change that. Reid is sponsoring a law making its way to the Evanston City Council that would forbid landlords from denying housing to renters just because they have any dog including a pit bull. And he said that law could soon be followed by another initiative requiring people adopting pets to first take a test and get a license to ensure they’re able to properly care for the animal. * PJ Star | Cities in Illinois are criminalizing homelessness. What will Peoria do?: The ordinance, which was the top subject of debate at a six-hour Peoria City Council meeting on Aug. 13, would make it possible for the city to impose fines and even jail time on people sleeping on public property in tents, benches, stairwells and other outlets. […] The debate at Peoria City Hall was a first reading of the ordinance which meant it was the first time councilmembers could give public feedback to staff about the proposal. * BND | Belleville opens four cooling sites during extreme heat, but do they really help?: The forecast will trigger the opening of four cooling sites in Belleville, but Jesse Arms, a local advocate for homeless people that has worked with others to establish shelters in the past, said cooling and warming sites were meant to be a first step for Belleville, not the answer to a growing need. […] Arms said creating a permanent, well-supervised, and always-open shelter would be more effective and help a greater number of people, even when the weather is nice. “(The sites) don’t provide enough service for the energy it takes volunteers to run them,” Arms said. * WCIA | More Ford Co. mosquitoes test positive for West Nile Virus: The county recorded its first positive test result earlier this month, from a batch of mosquitoes collected on Aug. 8 in Piper City. 11 days later, another batch was collected from the same town that also tested positive for West Nile Virus. * WSIL | Du Quoin State Fair honors Veterans: Veterans and their families received free entry into the fair on Sunday, plus access to a slew of special offerings. Fair organizers worked with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and the Department of Agriculture to host a Gold Star Rose Ceremony, keynote speakers and a resource fair for vets. The theme for the 2024 honors was “Service Across the Generations.” * Futurism | Elon Musk Tweets Plagiarized Article Bylined by Fake Writer: The article was published to Medium back in January of this year, under the byline of an alleged author named “Mark Higley.” Dozens of articles have appeared under that name for a Medium publication called The Savanna Post — but that’s it. He has no publishing history outside his Medium profile, and no social media footprint. A reverse image search for the headshot associated with his Medium profile returns a stock photo from Pexels. * CBS | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton raids Latino Democrats’ homes, including those of LULAC members: Last week, Paxton’s office announced in a press release that it was launching undercover operations and investigation into reports alleging some organizations in Texas are unlawfully registering noncitizens to vote, in violation of state and federal law. LULAC officials told CBS News that some of the group’s Texas members were targeted and had their laptops and cell phones confiscated by Texas authorities executing search warrants. Some of the raids focused on Latino activists across the state. * Crain’s | The IT meltdown that idled auto dealers this summer didn’t leak data, software maker says: CDK’s disclosure offers some good news for the 15,000 dealerships affected by the attacks, which forced CDK to shut down its DMS for two weeks. Dealerships scrambling to maintain operations relied on pen and paper and third-party software workarounds during the shutdown. They took hits to their second-quarter net income, as the shutdown happened toward the end of a crucial sales month and quarter. The company compensated its customers with a one-month rebate, dealers have said, but some thought the gesture was not enough.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Aug 27, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
| « NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |
