Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Paris Schutz of Fox Chicago…
* Daily Herald…
Illinois lawmakers including Rep. Nabeela Syed of Palatine and Rep. Dagmara Avelar of Romeoville joined consumer advocacy group Citizens Utility Board on Wednesday to call for legislative reforms designed to curb rates for customers of the state’s two private water utilities.
The proposals come as the utilities, Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois, seek rate increases totaling $152.4 million and $19.2 million, respectively. The requests account for necessary investments such as replacing aging infrastructure, enhancing water quality and complying with local and federal environmental regulations, according to the utilities.
But with the companies estimating that the hikes would increase residential water service and wastewater bills by up to $29 a month, advocates say “frustration is mounting” among customers. […]
To address the concerns, proposed reforms include requiring shareholders — not customers — to cover the majority of costs when a private company buys a local water and wastewater system, and requiring local approval through a referendum before Illinois American or Aqua Illinois purchases a municipal system.
Under current state law, the utilities are allowed to charge their customers 100% of the cost for such acquisitions. Since 2013, the two companies have bought 59 systems totaling $402 million in acquisition costs that have been passed on to customers, according to a Citizens Utility Board analysis.
*** Statewide ***
* WTVO | 27 Illinois residents infected with dengue fever, CDC says: The CDC said 17 of the reported Illinois cases are in Cook County. More than 9.7 million cases of the disease have been reported this year, more than twice as many reported in 2023. […] There is currently no antiviral medication to treat dengue, but most cases subside within a week or two.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Man who damaged Chicago abortion clinics gets a year of home confinement: Michael Barron, 42, told law enforcement that he hoped the damage he caused to the clinics in 2021 would prompt them to close even for a day — and perhaps interrupt a planned abortion. “I was like, you know, if I go over there and do something, you know I’m probably gonna get caught, but they might be closed for a day, you know,” Barron said in an interview, according to prosecutors. “And that might be some woman that has to cancel her appointment and, you know, second-guess her decision or something.” […] Prosecutors say he used a slingshot and metal ball bearings to damage the two clinics — in Logan Square and Rogers Park — on six occasions in May and June 2021. He damaged the glass in the windows and doors of the facilities, sometimes shattering the glass entirely.
* Sun-Times | Downtown motorists get reprieve from automated enforcement, but it won’t last: Downtown motorists have gotten an extended reprieve from the dramatic expansion of video surveillance and automated ticketing authorized by the City Council more than a year ago to make downtown streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. But it won’t last. Nor will the two-year test be shortened, simply because the program has been slow to get off the ground. In fact, it’s being strengthened. The Council’s Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety agreed Wednesday to accommodate the bureaucratic delay by changing the end date of the downtown enforcement crackdown. It now will last until two years after the first ticket is issued — once the program starts.
* Press Release | Ameya Pawar Named Next CEO of Michael Reese Health Trust: “We are delighted to welcome Ameya to Michael Reese,” said Mally Rutkoff, Michael Reese board chair. “Through a national search with Koya Partners, Ameya stood out immediately, impressing us with his resourcefulness and time-tested ability to build coalitions and deliver impact. He brings to us a powerful and proven capability to further advance our work in grassroots and systems change. I can think of no one better to lead us through our next chapter as a public foundation and to further our impact as a leading voice in health equity in Chicago.” With fifteen years of experience in senior leadership positions across government, non-profit advocacy, think tanks, and the private sector, Pawar brings a steadfast commitment to social, economic, and racial justice, which provides a strong foundation for leading the strategic vision for Michael Reese’s long-term growth, impact in the community, and delivery of its mission. He was the first Asian and Indian American ever elected to the Chicago City Council and while in office, he focused legislative efforts around social justice, worker rights, and economic justice, including raising the city’s minimum wage, guaranteeing paid sick leave, and combatting wage theft. He also led over half a billion in economic development, including new affordable housing developments and improvements to neighborhood high schools.
* Tribune | Student barbers add reversing opioid overdoses to their list of skills: A social worker and nurse practitioner demonstrated how to administer Narcan nasal spray — a potentially life-saving treatment during an opioid overdose — to a classroom of more than a dozen barber college students on the city’s South Side on Tuesday. It was part of an initiative by Rush University Medical Center to help combat the opioid crisis in typically underserved communities.
* Tribune | Former Chicago marathon winner banned for doping and fake documents: Kenyan runner Lawrence Cherono, a former winner of the Boston and Chicago marathons, has been banned for seven years for doping and trying to use fake documents to explain his failed drug test. Cherono tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in 2022 and was suspended just before he was due to compete at the world championships in Eugene, Oregon.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | Audit reveals shortcomings that led to DuPage County cannabis tax snafu: DuPage County officials on Tuesday said they won’t risk losing millions in revenue again and will ensure proper paperwork is filed with the state — even if it means doing it themselves. The pledge came as county board members reviewed an internal audit outlining how a 2019 county ordinance establishing a 3% sales tax on all sales of recreational cannabis sales in municipal parts of the county was not initially filed with the Illinois Department of Revenue.
* Elgin Courier-News | Kane prosecutor says no details on fatal shooting by cop to be released till probe complete, which could ‘take a few months’: A person was killed Monday by an off-duty Kane County sheriff’s deputy in Elgin, but no details on the case other than when and where it occurred will be released pending an investigation, a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said. […] As of Wednesday, the name, sex, age and address of the shooting victim have not been made public nor have the circumstances of what led to shooting, the name of the deputy involved, how many shots were fired, if anyone else was involved or if the deputy has been placed on administrative leave.
*** Downstate ***
* SJ-R | How many police calls were made to 3 a.m. Springfield bars since 2022? We break down the data: In a crowded city council chamber last month, Clique bar co-owner Josh Delcour spoke against an amendment for 3 a.m. bars to close two hours earlier. Delcour said 40 to 55 percent of the bar’s revenue is made from 1 to 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The amendment to chapter 90, article III of the 1988 city code passed on June 18 in an 8-2 vote, ending liquor sales for all bars at 2 a.m. at the price of $100 more annually to operate. […] Over 300 calls were made across the five bars in two and a half years, close to a call every 3 days.
* WSIL | Imagination Library sees over 4,000 registrations on day one: Over 4,000 local children will soon receive books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The library officially kicked off in our region on Tuesday. On that day alone, the Southern Illinois Community Foundation reports over 4,000 families signed up their children for the program.
*** National ***
* Federal Trade Commission | FTC Releases Interim Staff Report on Prescription Drug Middlemen: “The FTC’s interim report lays out how dominant pharmacy benefit managers can hike the cost of drugs—including overcharging patients for cancer drugs,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The report also details how PBMs can squeeze independent pharmacies that many Americans—especially those in rural communities—depend on for essential care. The FTC will continue to use all our tools and authorities to scrutinize dominant players across healthcare markets and ensure that Americans can access affordable healthcare.”
3 Comments  
|
ILGOP releases national convention delegate list
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ILGOP…
Today, the Illinois Republican Party is releasing the final list of delegates for the Republican National Convention taking place next week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Each Congressional District in Illinois will be represented by 3 elected delegates in addition to 13 statewide delegates for a total of 64 delegates.
Click here for the list. Darren Bailey and US Rep. Mike Bost are both delegates in the same district. Bost beat Bailey in the Republican primary this year.
* Speaking of the Illinois Republican Party, a member of the Freedom Caucus is calling on Don Tracy to delay his resignation as state party chair…
State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) says the future of the Republican Party in Illinois requires thoughtful consideration and should not be done on the fly which is why he is calling on current Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy to delay his resignation.
“There is no question we have some issues to resolve in our party. Some require immediate attention and others can be addressed after November. My concern is that the selection process is rushed and ill timed. We are setting up whoever takes over the chairmanship for failure.
The duties of the Republican Party are to support our county organizations, provide legal assistance for ballot challenges as well as support other legal matters and to promote Republican ideas and candidates.
Don Tracy has performed these duties well, and he can continue to provide the stability we need to get through the next several months. The announced candidates to replace Tracy have not been properly vetted and have not provided a vision for the party for the future. The reality is the truncated timetable prohibits them from making a strong case for their candidacy. We gain nothing by rushing this important decision and we risk losing traction in a state that we can ill afford to cede anymore ground to the Democrats. The solution is for Don Tracy to remain as State Party Chairman. For the good of the Party, I call on Don Tracy to delay his resignation and continue to serve at least through the end of the year.”
Kinda surprising, considering the source.
I’ve asked a party spokesperson for comment.
* Meanwhile, Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) told me today he is interested in serving as interim party chair through the November election. Sen. Jason Plummer and Aaron Del Mar also have their hats in the ring.
7 Comments
|
* Subscribers know more. ABC Chicago…
There was major opposition to a plan to merge Metra, Pace and the CTA into one agency the first public hearing on the matter Tuesday.
Chicago area public transportation has had a bumpy ride over the last several years; while ridership is up on CTA, Metra and Pace, it still has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and when it comes to service there is no shortage of complaints.
Illinois lawmakers invited the heads of CTA, Metra, Pace and the Regional Transit Authority to a public hearing on the state of public transit. On the heels of a $730 million funding cliff and an effort to reform, there is now proposed legislation to combine all agencies into one big agency. […]
While the business community calls for reform, each transit agency and the RTA, which is the governing body that overseas CTA, Metra and Pace, are against the consolidation. They argue it will not make each organization better.
* WTTW…
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), chair of the state Senate’s transportation committee and one of the sponsors of the merger bill, said lawmakers likely have little appetite to provide additional money without making changes.
“There will be no votes for funding unless we address service, governance and the corresponding reforms that are needed” to create a top-tier transit system that is also “accountable and transparent,” Villivalam said. […]
Villivalam told the transit leaders that proposed governance reforms weren’t meant as a comment on their leadership.
“We need to explore every avenue of how the system is going to be one for the future,” Villivalam said. He told the agency heads that merger legislation may move forward “if there’s consensus,” or that things may remain status quo.
* Block Club…
The executives said a chronic lack of funding — and not the way they function — is the real problem. Instead of a merger, the transit leaders hope the state can bankroll them out of an impending $730 million fiscal cliff in 2026.
“We’re victims of our own success. We operate the leanest system in the country,” said Derwinski, Metra’s chief executive. “I don’t know where the cuts would be … . I think it’s important that local representation has some voice with what happens in operations, and that could get minimized or lost in a grand board.”
The fiscal cliff nears as federal grant relief that floated the agencies through the pandemic runs out, while operating revenue has yet to recoup the difference as remote work cuts into ridership and reshapes travel patterns, the agency leaders said.
Kirk Dillard, chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority, estimated the fiscal cliff could “wipe out” 30-40 percent of current service levels across the three transit systems.
* Sun-Times…
“The governance model is not the problem here. … The issue is getting the funding levels to where they’re supposed to be,” CTA President Dorval Carter said in the first of six public hearings to be held by the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee. […]
“I do not believe that combining us into one organization will make us better,” Pace CEO Melinda Metzger told the Senate committee. “First of all, we all have board members who are local, who understand the local needs, and they give us a lot of info. Secondly, we’re all in different service areas.” […]
Kirk Dillard, chair of the RTA board, said the oversight role of his agency has kept costs down.
“It’s very similar to an external auditor reviewing an internal auditor’s work,” Dillard said. “That’s another reason we have the lowest operating cost per mile. … [T]he RTA does help hold these folks accountable.”
* WGN…
Embattled CTA president Dorval Carter pointed to a lack of funding, rather than cooperation among the agencies, for the region’s transportation issues.
“I’ve heard all of this before. I’ve been through governance reforms. I’ve been through funding reforms. I’ve been through all of this, and what I know hasn’t been adequately addressed is the fact that the funding that’s been provided for public transit has never, ever aligned with the governance that was put in place,” he testified. “What I mean by that is that we’ve never had the level of funding to truly allow for a discretionary funding program that would be controlled by RTA, that would allow RTA to basically direct priorities.” […]
CTA bus driver Jason Nawls, a member of Amalgamated Transit Union Local #241, said he feared that jobs would be lost in a consolidation plan.
“All of you want the service, but none of you wants to pay for it,” he said. “Only by funding the system and recognizing the service that the CTA and its employees truly provide will the situation be resolved.”
* More…
21 Comments
|
Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation
Wednesday, Jul 10, 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
|
NFL teams rolling in dough
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sportico…
Each of the 32 NFL teams received just over $400 million from the league office for the 2023 season, according to multiple people familiar with the league’s finances who were not authorized to speak publicly. The tally is up 6% to 8% from the 2022 season, depending on the accounting used by the team.
The total represents national media rights, league sponsorships and shared revenue and royalties from the league’s various affiliates and subsidiaries, such as NFL Properties, NFL International and NFL Enterprises and adds up to roughly $13 billion. […]
The other huge plus is the guaranteed check from the league each year that dwarfs the cap before a team sells a single ticket, beer, sponsorship or parking space. The result is that every NFL team is wildly profitable and worth at least $4 billion, with an average franchise value of $5.14 billion last year. […]
The national payout is up 115% over the past decade and should rise at a similar rate over the next decade to more than $800 million per team with the media deals secured.
* Center Square…
As economist J.C. Bradbury of Georgia’s Kennesaw State University has pointed out, renovations to existing NFL stadiums at the same spot do not improve economic conditions.
“There is no legitimate policy justification for devoting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to upgrade an NFL football stadium,” Bradbury told The Center Square. “The research on this is clear and unambiguous: sports stadiums are not salutary public investments.”
9 Comments
|
Healthcare Protection Act signed into law
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WTVO…
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package of healthcare reforms into law on Wednesday, with the signing of the Healthcare Protection Act.
With the law’s signage, Illinois becomes the first state in the U.S. to ban prior authorization for in-patient adult and children’s mental health care.
The law bans “step therapy” for private insurance and Medicaid, which is the practice of requiring patients to try cheaper forms of treatments prior to trying more expensive options.
Additionally, the law adds Illinois to a list of 12 states banning “junk” insurance plans, which offer temporary and often incomplete coverage. Junk insurance plans are otherwise known as short-term limited duration plans, like health insurance plans people can buy when covered through an employer.
It also requires insurers to offer enough in-network doctors to meet patients’ needs, requiring insurance companies to keep up-to-date directories of which doctors are available. Health insurance companies would be required to conduct audits on themselves every 90 days and report their findings to the Department of Insurance.
* Press release…
Today Governor JB Pritzker signed the package of bills comprising the Healthcare Protection Act (HPA) into law, a series of reforms initially proposed by the Governor in his 2024 State of the State address. The HPA works to improve healthcare consumer experiences by banning step therapy and prior authorization for crisis mental healthcare, banning junk insurance plans, and ending unchecked rate increases for large group insurance companies.
“With the signing of these bills, we’re putting power back into the hands of patients and their doctors and out of the grasps of predatory insurance companies who prioritize profits over patient outcomes,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Accessing care shouldn’t require endless bureaucracy and navigation, especially when someone is at their most vulnerable, and this legislation will make care more affordable and accessible for millions of Illinoisans.” […]
A main target of the HPA is step therapy, the practice of insurance providers requiring patients to try and fail on often less effective treatment options and medications first before getting the care recommended by their doctor. The legislation also eliminates prior authorization requirements for in-patient mental health care, recognizing that patients in need of urgent mental health care are often not able to navigate and wait out a prior authorization process.
The HPA also requires insurance companies be transparent about prior authorization requirements when advertising coverage. Since in-network availability is often the only way patients can access care, the HPA also sets standards for appointment time availability and number of in-network doctors, ensuring that patients can actually locate care in their area and have a transparent view of their in-network providers.
In addition to utilization management regulation, the HPA also pans the sale of junk insurance plans that fail to meet Affordable Care Act standards. In 2023, the General Assembly and Governor Pritzker ended unfair rate increases for individual policy holders and the small group insurance market. The HPA extends that regulation to large group insurance carriers as well.
* This is a big package…
“The Healthcare Protection Act reflects some of the strongest behavioral and physical health protections ever enacted in the United States. Banning junk insurance, ending step therapy and prior authorization for mental health, taking on ghost networks, and lowering health insurance rates to make healthcare more affordable will immeasurably improve healthcare in Illinois,” said Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield). “Today marks a major step towards healthcare equity, and we will use this legislation as a benchmark for future efforts toward a healthier Illinois.”
* More…
State Rep. Bill Hauter, who doubles as an emergency room physician, co-sponsored House Bill 4055. The bill bans prior authorization and Hauter sponsored the legislation with Democrats. Hauter explained a provision of the bill that specifically benefits those with bleeding disorders.
“This amendment addresses pre authorization abuse … specifically this amendment focuses on hemophiliacs or those with bleeding disorders and the pre authorization required if they have an emergency condition and require medications. They will now be allowed to skip the emergency department and go directly to their specialist and avoid an emergency department visit,” said Hauter.
* WCIA…
Finally, the bill also addresses network adequacy and ghost networks. In 2022, WCIA published a series investigating Blue Cross Blue Shield’s ghost networks in Central Illinois. The Illinois Department of Insurance has fined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois twice in 2023 for not following the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act.
1 Comment
|
* Governor Pritzker reiterated his support for President Biden yesterday during an unrelated news conference. Capitol News Illinois…
[Governor JB Pritzker] headed to Washington, D.C., to meet with the president and members of the Democratic Governors Association last Wednesday on the heels of Biden’s performance during the first of two scheduled debates with former President Donald Trump, which raised concerns about the president’s mental acuity. […]
On Tuesday, Pritzker said the exchange between Biden and the Democratic governors was “a robust discussion” – and he’s “all in” for Biden.
“Listen: Joe Biden is our nominee. I am for Joe Biden. I’ve been campaigning for Joe Biden. I think you’ve seen I’ve got dates scheduled to go to Indiana, to Ohio for Joe Biden,” he said at an unrelated event Tuesday. […]
And [Pritzker] said he wouldn’t engage in “hypotheticals” when asked if he’d be interested in replacing Biden should he drop out of the race.
* ABC Chicago…
This is the first time the governor has commented on the race since he and other Democratic governors met at the White House with the president last week to discuss his path forward after the debate debacle. Pritzker called it a robust meeting and had some advice for the president.
“I said, ‘You’ve got to get out there and talk to the American public more,’” Pritzker said. “It’s important for him to answer questions and talk about the issues. Hyper important, you know? People are thinking about their own families, how they’re going to deal with the kitchen table issues they’ve got in front of them and their personal freedoms.”
* Tribune…
Speaking to the Tribune earlier Tuesday, [Mayor Brandon Johnson] said he fully supports Biden.
“There is only one choice. That is President Joe Biden,” Johnson said, noting Biden is the only person to defeat Trump in a general election. Asked if he worries about Biden’s age, Johnson instead talked about his fears of what would happen if Trump returned to the White House.
“You know what my biggest concern is? It’s that you have someone who is trying to relitigate the Civil War,” Johnson said. “If there’s anything to be afraid of right now, it’s afraid of the fact that you have individuals that are organizing the return of the Confederacy. We have a president who is committed to democracy.”
* Mayor Johnson and other Democratic Governors spoke with Biden last night. After the call, Johnson emailed this letter to supporters, affirming his confidence in Biden…
Friends,
I hope you’re having a blessed Tuesday evening. I just got off the phone with President Biden and wanted to share an update with you.
I was joined by nearly 200 mayors across the country for a call that went for nearly an hour, and to be honest with you, President Biden was pretty fired up. He spoke extemporaneously about his campaign to defeat Donald Trump and, as always in our conversations, I’m glad he spoke proactively about the need to directly invest in cities across the country. He listed off priorities that are right in line with what we’ve been fighting for in Chicago, from investing in education and housing to banning assault weapons.
He is running on a bold, strong agenda that invests in people, which is exactly why I was so happy to head up to Milwaukee to stump for the Biden-Harris campaign on June 29th. Whether it was last month, this month, or any day between now and Election Day, we all need to do everything we can to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris — and defeat Donald Trump.
I know there has been a lot of chatter about the President’s performance in the debate, and the President himself has said he had a bad debate. Having spoken to the President just now, I can tell you he is ready, willing, and able to take on and defeat Donald Trump. He made it clear that he will be crisscrossing the country and campaigning relentlessly to defeat Donald Trump.
I want to be very clear with you and everyone I speak to in Chicago or anywhere else in the country: Donald Trump is an existential threat to the City of Chicago, our movement, our rights, and our freedoms. To be blunt, Trump is a threat to everything we hold dear here in Chicago. I am proud to stand up to Donald Trump and I’m proud to fully support President Biden and Vice President Harris in this election. They are our ticket, and he is our president and we need him to be reelected this fall. Our entire city is counting on it.
And that’s why I’m so excited that President Biden and Vice President Harris are coming to the greatest city on Earth to receive their nomination. President Biden and Vice President Harris are exactly the leaders we need at this moment.
It is critically important that we all spend the next several months doing everything we can to defeat Trump. That starts by ensuring we are fully united going into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. From now until November, I am going to be doing all that I can to ensure that President Biden and Vice President Harris are reelected and Donald Trump is defeated. I look forward to seeing you out there with me.
Onward, Mayor Brandon Johnson
* More…
* SJ-R | Pritzker 2024? Not so fast. Governor holds steady with support for Biden: His first public appearance since that meeting, the governor said the conversation was “robust” and Biden answered pressing questions from the governors. Pritzker said he left the nation’s Capitol feeling confident that the president will be able to withstand a challenge from former President Donald Trump, now moving ahead slightly in many nationwide and swing state polls.
* Sun-Times | Johnson to join Democratic mayors on phone call with Biden as president fights to stay in presidential race: “What’s clear to me and to people across Chicago, is that Donald Trump is a dire threat to everything we hold dear, including our democracy, our freedoms and our economy,” Johnson said in a statement posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “Joe Biden is the president and our Democratic nominee, and we all need to do everything we can to defeat Donald Trump this November.”
* WCIA | Pritzker stands by Biden as others show concern: “I think obviously the President had a bad performance in the debate,” Pritzker said. “That doesn’t help anybody. He knows that, and what you have to do is stand up say, I didn’t do it well, which I think he said, and prove people wrong about what they want to say about it. And he’s doing that.” […] “I said you got to get out there and talk to the American public more,” Pritzker said. “It was important. I think they took too long. I think he admitted this to after the debate, for him to really go out and do press that would get national attention.”
16 Comments
|
* Capitol News Illinois in May…
Employment in skilled nursing facilities nationwide as of February was down 8.3 percent compared with February of 2020, the month before the pandemic hit. Although the current staffing levels have somewhat recovered from their lowest point in early spring 2022 – when staffing was down 15.5 percent from pre-pandemic levels – other areas within health care have recovered much faster, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis […]
But with a tight budget year, leaders in the General Assembly can’t promise a huge windfall for the struggling industry. House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, who leads a working group on Medicaid issues, told Capitol News Illinois the industry asked for $75 million to make up for increased property taxes, which the state had at one time subsidized.
But in the waning days of legislative session, Gabel said the working group is still exploring ways to help the industry but was explicit that General Assembly can’t give the industry anywhere near the $75 million it requested. […]
The industry is also fearful a new federal rule designed to implement minimum staffing ratios will have the unintended effect of further closures. […]
But, Gabel said, the state can only do so much when the entire nursing home industry is up against trends that have been festering for years.
* Today from WTTW…
A new federal staffing minimum rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was designed to help those stranded without care like Payne. In May, CMS officially published the final rule of the first-ever federal minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. […]
But just 108 of the 670 Illinois nursing homes that provided the agency data meet all three of these requirements as of June, according to a WTTW News analysis of homes that submitted their staffing data to CMS. Eleven additional homes did not provide data.
-60% of the reporting nursing homes do not meet the total nurse staffing standard.
-41% do not meet the RN standard.
-81% do not meet the nursing aide standard. […]
If a home does not meet these requirements, there is a set of escalating penalties, like corrective plans of action or fines. Termination from the CMS program is the “enforcement item of last resort,” according to Health and Human Services (HHS) officials.
When presented with the low number of homes meeting the new CMS rules, the Illinois Department of Public Health, which regulates long-term care facilities, said the state already has staffing requirements. Illinois requires a minimum staffing ratio of 3.8 hours per resident per day needing skilled care and 2.5 hours per day for residents needing immediate care. However, repercussions for Illinois homes not meeting these requirements have been delayed until 2025.
*** Adding *** Lindsey Hess, the Communications Director at the Health Care Council of Illinois…
Most Illinois nursing homes are in compliance with Illinois’ staffing mandates, which actually require nursing staffing of 3.8 hours per resident per day (versus the proposed federal mandate of 3.48 hours). HCCI is vehemently opposed to CMS’ proposed plan of staffing mandates; one significant reason is the requirement of registered nurses on all shifts. Currently, CMS requires one registered nurse on duty per day, and licensed practical nurses may fill the remaining open shifts. In Illinois, where Medicaid is the largest payor of nursing home services, it would be unsustainable for safety net nursing homes to replace licensed practical nurses with registered nurses and ensure access to care for elderly citizens. In addition, nursing homes are still recovering from a historic labor crisis, and there’s a growing caregiver shortage. We support increasing the nursing home workforce, but a one-size-fits-all approach will not improve quality care.
11 Comments
|
Open thread
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois…
5 Comments
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Central Illinois receiving $4.7M grant for clean energy pre-apprenticeship program. WAND…
-Central Illinois is receiving a $4.7 million grant to launch a pre-apprenticeship program for several hundred people to join the clean energy workforce this year.
-The Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program will prioritize underrepresented communities and Illinoisans who historically faced economic and environmental barriers.
-The Pritzker administration is providing approximately $13.6 million in grant funding to start the pre-apprenticeship programs in northern, central and southern Illinois.
* Related stories…
Governor Pritzker will sign the Healthcare Protection Act at 10 am. Then at 2 pm, the governor will give remarks at Reimagining Public Safety Act reception. Click here to watch.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* WGN | Chicagoland transit heads push back on proposal to combine agencies: The Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, unveiled earlier this year by state Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago), aims to streamline services and reduce the competition for funding between the RTA, the CTA, Metra and Pace. “We all want to do the best job we can and do not believe that combining us into one organization will make us better,” said Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger.
* Crain’s | Illinois to expedite Medicaid services for those leaving prison: The Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services will launch a new program to bring Medicaid services and other resources to people transitioning out of incarceration or other institutional settings, following federal approval of an HFS demonstration waiver request.
*** Statehouse News ***
* Capitol News Illinois | Former GOP state lawmaker, candidate for governor sentenced to 42 months in prison: In February, [Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann] pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and one count each of money laundering and tax evasion – but only after prosecutors had spent nearly three days presenting evidence against him at trial. U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless hearkened back to that moment as she was handing down her sentence Tuesday afternoon, saying McCann’s refusal to “accept responsibility” until the last possible moment factored into her calculation for prison time. She also told McCann she was bothered that he “continued to steal” all while “holding yourself out (to be) a God-fearing public servant.”
* Rep. Kam Buckner | While we debate changes to DuSable Lake Shore Drive, let’s focus on the lakefront: The roadway portion of the project requires coordinated efforts between the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago, and while some, including me, eventually envision a true boulevard, we should not delay in advancing improvements to our lakefront. Enhancements such as better beaches, improved bike paths and increased greenspace are essential, regardless of the ultimate design of the drive itself. Why not undertake the critical work of improving the lakefront first, with trail upgrades and more greenspace that has near universal support now? By doing so, we can get to work sooner and lay the groundwork for a more modest, environmentally conscious and transit-focused lakefront boulevard. This approach allows us to demonstrate the benefits of such improvements, making it easier to build consensus over time.
* SJ-R | New Illinois budget invests heavily in education. Why do some say it’s not enough?: Both the home visiting and early intervention programs saw their funding increase by 21% and 3% respectively under this budget. Still, Illinois Action For Children believes the $6 million tallied for early intervention to be paltry and unable to increase provider reimbursement rates leading to delays in service. “Illinois must increase investment in the early childhood workforce across all programs and settings,” said Angela Farwig, IAFC’s vice president of public policy, advocacy and research in a news release. “Our early childhood system thrives from the commitment of our educators, and we need robust workforce investment to build a brighter future for our children.”
*** Statewide ***
* Tribune | Kroger identifies 35 Illinois Mariano’s, Jewel locations to be sold off pending megamerger approval: Eight of the stores slated for sale are in Chicago. If Kroger and Albertsons — which first announced plans to merge in 2022 — secure approval for the deal, the store locations listed would be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers for $2.9 billion. Most Kroger-owned Mariano’s would be divested under the plan, which calls for selling 31 of the company’s 44 stores. Kroger has also said it would sell the Mariano’s brand name to C&S. Just four of the planned divestitures are Albertsons-owned Jewel-Osco locations.
* Chalkbeat | Illinois revenue from a tax on corporate profits is projected to decline. Here’s what that means for school districts: The shift comes as federal COVID recovery money dries up, and local education advocates fear that the recent addition of $350 million to the state’s education budget isn’t enough to match the needs of schools. The state’s evidence-based funding uses data from previous years, which means districts that saw unexpected gains from this unique tax on local businesses could receive fewer state dollars in the future. As districts finalize their budget for this upcoming school year, those receiving fewer state dollars will have to figure out how to fill in the gaps.
*** Chicago ***
* WBEZ | Mayor Johnson slowly builds on a campaign promise to hire more young people for city’s summer jobs program: Roughly 27,140 young people are working in the One Summer Chicago program this year, according to figures provided by the Department of Family and Support Services. That falls short of Johnson’s goal to hire 28,000 young people (though the number may still grow this summer) and far below his campaign promise to double the program in size.
* WTTW | Board Yanked Convicted Ex-Ald. Ed Burke’s $96K Annual City Pension Just Minutes After Sentencing, Records Show: U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall sentenced Burke to two years in prison and imposed a $2 million fine shortly before 3:30 p.m. June 24. Less than 30 minutes later, pension fund executive director Tiffany Junkins directed her staff to stop the $8,027 per month pension payments to Burke and to cut him a check for $543,516.92 — the amount he contributed to his pension during the 62 years he spent working for the city of Chicago and its sister agencies, plus interest, according to records obtained by WTTW News through the Freedom of Information Act.
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s Democratic convention could cause traffic nightmares for hospitals near United Center: Just how bad traffic could get snarled isn’t clear. The Secret Service is still finalizing plans for a security perimeter around the Near West Side arena, and those plans won’t be released until late July. Hospital officials expect the perimeter to butt up against the medical district, which lies south of the Eisenhower Expressway down to Roosevelt Road, between Ogden Avenue and Ashland Avenue. The district includes Rush, Cook County Health, the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, several nonprofits and city, county and state health agencies.
* Tribune | School board candidate roster narrows as more than half face objections before the Chicago Board of Elections: The crowded field of candidates vying to win one of 10 seats on Chicago’s first elected school board in the fall narrowed slightly Tuesday, with three candidates filing withdrawal papers, trimming the race down to 44 candidates, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. Among 27 candidates subject to challenges to the validity of their nomination petitions, nonprofit administrator Danielle Wallace, educator Darius Dee Nix and former Chicago Public Schools Principal James Walton have dropped out of their respective races in the 6th, 8th, 10th districts.
* WBEZ | The path to a CPS test-in high school often begins at age 4, with a test most don’t know exists.: Chicago Public Schools refuses to produce data that would reveal how many students can access these gifted programs and their racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. The district said providing the demographics for gifted programs within schools would entail creating a new database, which it is not required to do. Nine of the regional gifted centers are in elementary schools that also have neighborhood or magnet programs.
* Tribune | More than 12,000 have applied to volunteer for the DNC in Chicago: Chicago 2024 Host Committee Executive Director Christy George said the volume of volunteer applications showed excitement about the convention throughout the city and state, calling the achievement a “massive planning milestone.” Nearly 75% of the applications came from Illinois residents and people from every Chicago ZIP code applied to volunteer, George said in the release.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Southtown | Former Dolton lawyers sue competing attorney for defamation: The Berwyn-based law firm claims Burt Odelson, of the Odelson, Murphey, Frazier and McGrath law group, made knowingly false statements about the Del Galdo group that led to the trustees turning against them as village attorneys. […] According to the lawsuit, Odelson told attendees at a Feb. 22 Dolton Village Board meeting that Del Galdo had a conflict of interest in representing the village and had billed the village tens of thousands of dollars “in violation of Dolton’s corporate authorities.”
*** Downstate ***
* Tribune | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign taps new business school dean: The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has named W. Brooke Elliott as its new dean of the Gies College of Business. Elliott’s appointment begins Aug. 16 and is subject to approval by the university’s board of trustees, according to the school’s news release. She will also serve as a professor in business.
* Capitol News Illinois | Menard prison staff picket, citing unsafe working conditions: The problems at the southern Illinois facility stem from low staffing levels, said Rick Hepp, a correctional sergeant at the prison. Hepp said that in recent months the prison has been operating with about 50 fewer correctional officers than it should have daily. “There’s lots of issues here that add up to a big powder keg and the fuse is lit,” said Hepp, who is president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1175, a union representing Menard employees.
17 Comments
|
|
Comments Off
|
Live coverage
Wednesday, Jul 10, 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.
Comment
|
* We talked yesterday about this comment by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson…
“Remember the mass shooting that happened in Highland Park and all of the services that they got? That’s what we’re asking for. That’s all,” the mayor said.
“What other suburban places get around the country when mass shootings happen like that, we’re just simply saying that Chicago deserves that as well.”
* The governor was asked about that today and whether it was the right thing to do…
Actually, it took a letter from the governor in order to kick that off. So, I was asked by the City of Chicago to write the letter for them, and so we did. We sent that to the White House and to the federal government. As we saw with Highland Park, where there was a lot of support that came from the FBI and other federal agencies, that’s what the city of Chicago should get.
We also need a lot of interdiction on the many guns that are coming over the border into Illinois from states that have very lax gun laws. We need more enforcement from the federal government. We’re doing it, by the way, state police, CPD, but more help from the federal government is necessary.
And so, yeah, it was the right thing for him to do.
* I asked the governor’s office for the letter…
July 4, 2024
Stefanie Feldman
Director, White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Director Feldman:
I am writing you today in support of the City of Chicago’s request for additional federal resources and assistance to reduce gun violence. Historically, there has been an uptick in violence during holiday weekends such as the Fourth of July, and it has come to my attention that Chicago experienced a mass shooting early this morning which involved several victims, including minors and children of tender age. The City of Chicago has communicated to my office that they need additional federal resources to respond to this tragedy.
Specifically, I urge the White House to support the City of Chicago with funding and resources to help with victim services for families and emergency victim services support. Additionally, any funding or resources that could assist the City of Chicago’s public health response in the wake of this incident would be most helpful as the victims and those impacted navigate the difficulty of such an occurrence in their community. I hope the White House can assist with surging the mental health, therapeutic, and grief support services necessary to aid the recovery of those involved and closely impacted.
Furthermore, I ask the White House to provide any emergency support services for those impacted beyond those immediately involved, such as support for first responders and small businesses within the community.
I appreciate your attention to the City’s request and hope you are able to support the City of Chicago by providing them the resources and funding necessary to adequately combat and respond to incidents of gun violence, both now and in the future. I hope this letter underscores my support for the City of Chicago, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside Mayor Johnson and the federal government to build a safer and stronger Chicago.
Sincerely,
Governor JB Pritzker
Cc: President Joseph R. Biden
Thoughts?
18 Comments
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times…
The fate of four people convicted in one of Chicago’s biggest 2023 corruption trials will remain up in the air for at least four months as a judge considers the full effect of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that threatens to unravel the case. […]
U.S. District Judge Manish Shah laid out a plan that will likely push a definitive ruling on the fate of the case until November, at the earliest. By then, a year and a half will have passed since the jury’s guilty verdict, and four years will have passed since the four were indicted. [..]
Pramaggiore attorney Scott Lassar said he and his colleagues plan to renew previously denied motions for a new trial and acquittal. Shah gave them until Aug. 27 to do so. Defense attorneys also plan to seek grand jury transcripts to help prepare the motions, Lassar said. […]
It amounts to a remarkable turnaround in a case that once seemed like a slam-dunk for the feds. Jurors in May 2023 convicted the four defendants of every count for which they’d been charged. Leinenweber also shot down a defense request last November — almost exactly a year before Shah’s new briefing deadline — to briefly delay sentencing hearings in the case.
* Daily Southtown…
Will County Board Republican Leader Steve Balich has filed several complaints with authorities alleging board Democratic Leader Jacqueline Traynere engaged in a cybercrime by accessing emails between himself and County Board Chair Judy Ogalla.
Balich, of Homer Glen, said Traynere logged into Ogalla’s email account without permission.
Traynere then forwarded an email exchange between Balich and Ogalla regarding the controversial 143rd Street road widening project in Homer Glen to the county executive, according to Balich. […]
Traynere said she heard a rumor that when county board members were issued new laptops, they all had the same password. She said she was testing this theory and chose the county board chair. She said she couldn’t believe the chair would have the same password as her. […]
Traynere said she later opened her laptop again and didn’t realize she was still logged in under Ogalla’s name. She thought she was reading her own emails, saw an email exchange that confused her and forwarded it to the county executive.
* Illinois Answers…
A nine-month investigation by the Illinois Answers Project found county jails in the state restrain people in chairs on average more than 1,000 times a year, often in ways that violate their own policies and last longer than recommended by leading standards and manufacturer guidelines, causing physical injuries and psychological trauma to people commonly grappling with mental illness and addiction. […]
Human rights groups have long decried the use of restraint chairs in American jails and prisons, where they say the device is prone to misuse and abuse that is akin to torture. The United Nations Committee Against Torture has urged U.S. officials to abolish the chairs, and Amnesty International has said inadequate training and supervision of their use has caused pain, injury and even death. The same brand of chair used in many Illinois jails was also used at Guantánamo Bay. […]
The investigation revealed that, from 2019 to 2023:
- Statewide, staff restrained someone in a chair nearly every day, totaling more than 5,500 incidents, which is likely an undercount. The people restrained ranged in age from 18 to at least 70, with the exception of at least four minors, ages 12, 13, 16 and 17. They were booked on charges ranging from disorderly conduct and traffic offenses to murder. While that’s a small percentage of all people booked into jail, the figure surprised several experts, who said it may indicate that staff use the chairs in non-emergency situations.
- State standards, last updated a decade ago, don’t specify a limit on how long someone may be restrained. County policies typically limit duration to two hours at a time. But, in many cases, staff restrained people for far longer. Some were restrained repeatedly for days on end – up to a week – with the exception of periodic breaks. In many cases, staff failed to regularly log checks of people restrained, and some people did not immediately receive medical attention – if at all. […]
Restraint chairs have been linked to more than 50 deaths in the United States since the late 1990s, according to investigations by The Marshall Project and USA TODAY. The deaths have been tied to blood clots, suffocation and overdoses that went untreated while restrained. People have also died after jail staff Tased or pepper sprayed them while restrained or failed to provide food, water and medication.
*** Statewide ***
* WGLT | Illinois corn growers join lawsuit against EPA over vehicle emissions rules: The Illinois Corn Growers Association is part of a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] over new emissions rules, contending the rules, which aim to boost adoption of electric vehicles, restrict consumer choice and create an unreasonable economic impact. The rules, finalized in April and scheduled to phase in from 2027 to 2032, mandate that automakers reduce the average emissions of their new vehicles. There are multiple ways to meet the standards, from upgrading efficiency across the board to offering more hybrid and full electric vehicles. EPA projects that by 2030-2032, some manufacturers may choose to offer 20% to 56% battery electric vehicles, depending on the type and efficiency of their fleets.
* WSIU | Illinois Launches Spanish-Language CDL Testing to Address Driver Shortages: While the test’s translation into Spanish facilitates comprehension of technical content, applicants must still demonstrate proficiency in English for the road test and pre-trip inspection, aligning with federal guidelines from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This requirement ensures that drivers can understand essential verbal instructions critical for safe operation.
* ABC Chicago | Police warn of Illinois Tollway phishing text message scam: Police say scammers are impersonating Illinois Tollway employees, and asking for money. The phishing texts claim I-PASS customers owe money for unpaid tolls. The Tollway is asking motorists to disregard the texts, and check their online accounts, at illinoistollway.com, to make sure nothing is owed.
* WCIA | Illinois state treasurer has $2.5 billion ready to be claimed: “Every now and then, someone leaves something in a bank safe deposit box, and it’s turned over to us when it’s abandoned. We try to track down the rightful owners,” Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said. Things like jewelry, gold and silver bars, coins dating back to the Roman Empire and vintage banknotes take up space in the large vaults in the basement of Springfield Marine Bank.
*** Chicago ***
* Tribune | Johnson to join Biden meeting with mayors as president tries to shore up Democratic support: Johnson’s political spokesman Christian Perry confirmed the mayor will attend the briefing but did not have further details. At least one other big city mayor, Eric Adams of New York City, will also be on the call, CBS New York reported. […] “What’s clear to me, and to people across Chicago, is that Donald Trump is a dire threat to everything we hold dear including our democracy, our freedoms, and our economy,” Johnson said in the post. “Joe Biden is the president and our Democratic nominee, and we all need to do everything we can to defeat Donald Trump this November.”
* Sun-Times | Chicago police rebuff watchdog’s request to reopen probe into cops’ ties to extremist Oath Keepers: In a letter to internal affairs Chief Yolanda Talley on June 13, [Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s] office also repeated her assertion that the police leaders could have charged the eight cops with breaking police department rules against officers bringing “discredit upon the department.” But Timothy Moore, deputy internal affairs director, rebuffed the inspector general’s request on June 28. Moore acknowledged that seven of the eight accused officers had signed documents related to the Oath Keepers, but he said none “had intentions of joining a violent extremist group,” according to records released Tuesday by Witzburg.
* Sun-Times | Barnes & Noble pushes back Wicker Park store opening, citing construction delays: Janine Flanagan, Barnes & Noble’s vice president of store planning and design, said “a few challenges with construction have caused a small set back.” Flanagan said in a statement that there’s no opening date yet, but Barnes & Noble is targeting early September.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Tribune | Hayes not seeking a 4th term as Arlington Heights mayor. But he is not yet ready to support Trustee Schwingbeck or anyone else’s bid to replace him.: “I look at our Village Board and I’m not sure what will happen in the April [2025] election with the four trustees that will be up for election,” Schwingbeck said Monday in a telephone interview with Pioneer Press. “I think it’s important to have some continuity with the board, especially with all of the things going on in our village and the size of our village.” […] Hayes declined to state whose mayoral campaign he would support, saying he is going to wait to see who else runs before making an endorsement decision.
* Daily Herald | Back where it belongs: Family of suburban Pearl Harbor veteran receives his missing Purple Heart: In the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 1941, Jerome Even was on guard duty at Pearl Harbor when he and his fellow soldiers noticed airplanes with Japanese insignia overhead. […] Wounded during the attack, Even was awarded a Purple Heart, a medal given to soldiers injured or killed while serving. But a decade after his passing in 2014, Even’s medal was no longer in his family’s hands. That is until last week, when Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs returned the medal to Even’s family, after it had been found in an unclaimed safe deposit box.
* Lake County News-Sun | Lake Forest ready to buy building for police department move; ‘Having additional space allows flexibility to meet future needs’: Lake Forest officials are poised to take action on a plan where the city would spend well over $30 million to move the city’s police headquarters to an existing building in the Conway Park office complex. City Council members may vote Monday to finalize a purchase sale agreement for a now-vacant office building at 1925 Field Court at Conway Park. If the building is acquired, the city plans to retrofit the 100,000-square-foot structure and move its police headquarters from its longtime location in the 200 block of Deerpath Road.
*** Downstate ***
* Capitol City Now | $17.8M in federal funding coming to SMTD to help replace aging bus fleet: Sangamon Mass Transit District is set to receive just over $17.8 million in federal funding to help replace older buses with diesel-hybrid and compressed natural gas buses. Rep. Nikki Budzinski and Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth made the joint announcement Tuesday.
* SJ-R | Longtime Sangamon County Board member John O’Neill dead at 78: A Republican, O’Neill was first elected to the board from the 26th District in 2002. In 2022, he defeated Democrat Rusty Jones for a four-year term. O’Neill was the past liquor commissioner for the county and was currently serving on the county board’s liquor committee. […] A U.S. Army infantry officer who served in Vietnam and Cambodia, O’Neill worked as a legislative liaison for the Illinois Secretary of State and Department of Veterans Affairs.
*** National ***
* AP | Federal judge rules protesters can’t march through Republican National Convention security zone: U.S. District Judge Brett Ludwig said in his order that protesters have a right to march in protest of the RNC, “but the First Amendment does not allow them to protest or parade in any way they choose.” Ludwig said that Milwaukee city officials and the U.S. Secret Service have worked to balance protesters’ right to express themselves and “legitimate security and other governmental interests.”
* Time | ‘We’re Living in a Nightmare:’ Inside the Health Crisis of a Texas Bitcoin Town: Over the course of several months in 2024, TIME spoke to more than 40 people in the Granbury area who reported a medical ailment that they believe is connected to the arrival of the Bitcoin mine: hypertension, heart palpitations, chest pain, vertigo, tinnitus, migraines, panic attacks. At least 10 people went to urgent care or the emergency room with these symptoms. The development of large-scale Bitcoin mines and data centers is quite new, and most of them are housed in extremely remote places. There have been no major medical studies on the impacts of living near one. But there is an increasing body of scientific studies linking prolonged exposure to noise pollution with cardiovascular damage. And one local doctor—ears, nose, and throat specialist Salim Bhaloo—says he sees patients with symptoms potentially stemming from the Bitcoin mine’s noise on an almost weekly basis.
5 Comments
|
Pritzker: ‘I’m all-in for Joe Biden’
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Gov. JB Pritzker spoke to reporters today. Most of the questions were about President Joe Biden. First up, his impression of last week’s White House meeting with the governors…
First of all, he was fully engaged. We had, I don’t know, around 20 governors, some, most, half of them in the room, half of them on Zoom, had a very good discussion between us. And again, the President did a great job of answering questions throughout that meeting. Listen, Joe Biden is our nominee. I am for Joe Biden. I’ve been campaigning for Joe Biden. I think you’ve seen I’ve got dates scheduled to go to Indiana, to Ohio for Joe Biden. So you know, Joe Biden’s going to be our nominee.
Please pardon any transcription errors.
* Asked about his campaigning in other states and whether he was in reality introducing himself to potential voters in other states…
I suppose you could say that about any of the surrogates who are traveling around the Midwest or the country, that they’re introducing themselves in some way or another. But importantly, what we’re doing is talking about why it’s important to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and why it’s important to defeat Donald Trump, who is trying to take away your freedoms, who is trying to send jobs overseas, and frankly, would be bad for the economy and bad for working families.
* Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has said she will not run even if Biden drops out. Would he make the same statement?…
What I can tell you is I’m not engaging in any hypotheticals. You can see that I’m all in for Joe Biden. Joe Biden’s going to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. I’m going to go out there and wholeheartedly campaigning for him. I’ve endorsed him and Kamala Harris, he’s going to be at the convention in August, accepting the nomination, and I’ll be cheering for him in the audience.
* Do you think Biden is physically and mentally capable of serving?…
Of course.
* More on last week’s meeting and his brief statement afterward…
It was a robust meeting, lots of conversation. There were questions of the president. He answered those questions. Some people came away with different impressions, maybe. But for the most part, you saw that the head of the Democratic Governors Association and two other governors went and did a press conference together, representing all 20 of us, because, again, some weren’t able to be at the White House, and some of us had to go catch a plane. The truth is that it was a, it was a, I think, a robust discussion. And I just wanted to be accurate about how I reported what happened in that meeting.
* What the president needs to do now…
I think that President Biden, and I’ve said this, he needs to go out there and answer all the questions, and he needs to show people that he is the leader of the free world, and that he’s doing a heck of a job of making sure that the United States is leading us. We have a lot of enemies in the world, and it is going to take a tough, strong, smart and principled leader, and that’s what Joe Biden is.
* On people like US Rep. Mike Quigley calling on Biden to get out of the race…
Look, I think it’s not unreasonable for people to have differing opinions about all this. But I know Mike Quigley. I know he does not want Donald Trump to become President of the United States. So you’ve seen a lot of comments by congresspeople, by others who have questions. In the end, everybody understands that we’re pulling together to put our party and our party’s nominee and our issues over the line, and importantly, the working families of America need our party and the issues that we’re pushing in order for them to have better lives and better opportunity for their children.
* Any chance of a brokered party convention?…
No, I can’t imagine that Joe Biden said he’s going to be the nominee, he’s planning to be at the convention, he’s planning to be the guy who accepts the delegate vote. That’s going to occur, and so I can’t imagine what else could happen. […]
You know the old Will Rogers line, ‘I don’t belong to an organized party, I’m a Democrat.’ I’m sure that we haven’t seen anything like that in I don’t know, seems like in my lifetime? Well, yeah, in my lifetime, thinking about the last brokered convention in my life. The fact is that I think it would be different for all of for everybody that would be attending. But again, I don’t expect that to happen. We’re going to have an orderly convention. Again, there’s going to be a roll call before the convention, and at the convention and all the speeches, of course, endorsing President Biden.
* More…
I think that obviously the President had a bad performance at a debate. That doesn’t help anybody. He knows that, and what you have to do is stand up and say, ‘I didn’t do it well,’ which I think he said, and prove people wrong about what they want to say about him. And he’s doing that. He’s getting out there and talking. And you know, I think he’s having an impact. And I think you saw last night that the Black Caucus in the congressional delegation, right, in the congressional in Congress, right, the Black Caucus in Congress stood up for Joe Biden yesterday. I don’t think there was a single member of the Black Caucus who said anything except we 100% support Joe Biden. And that’s just one example of the many, many people that do support Joe Biden. And many, by the way, who had questions we’re all going to come together and support him for President.
* Novel idea considering that presidential election turnout is almost a lot higher than off-year turnout…
What I would say is that we all have to work hard up and down the ballot. I actually am a believer, and I think you’ve seen this about the way that I’ve run for office, I believe that people who are down-ballot actually lift people up who are on top of the ballot, and so the stronger they can do at the local level, getting people out to vote for people you know on your block, in your neighborhood, in your community, that those people after they vote for the person that they know best, their community member for Office. They’re going to work their way up the ballot, voting for Democrats. So that’s going to help Joe Biden.
But look, in the end, this is about the tremendous job that Joe Biden has done, bringing jobs back to the United States. We’ve seen manufacturing come back to the United States. We’ve seen him fight hard to bring down prices, costs across the United States. I think there’s no question we have the better argument. We’ve seen the chaos that Donald Trump has sowed, and we’ve seen that he wants to take away people’s freedoms, particularly a woman’s right to choose. That’s not something people are going to accept when they go into the ballot box. They’re going to vote for the guy who’s voting for them, who’s doing the right thing for them. And that’s Joe Biden.
* What was his advice to Biden last week?…
I said you got to get out there and talk to the American public more. It was important. I think they took too long. I think he admitted this too after the debate, for him to really go out and do press that would get national attention. I know they did some rallies along the way, but it’s important for him to answer questions and talk about the issues. Hyper important. You know, people are thinking about their own families, how they’re going to deal with the kitchen table issues they’ve got in front of them and their personal freedoms. And there’s no candidate better on those issues than Joe Biden. And by the way, the Vice President, Kamala Harris.
15 Comments
|
* Last year, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning issued a comprehensive report on reforming and improving the area’s mass transit system. An important point that is kinda being lost in the din…
Importantly, in isolation, governance reforms cannot address the longstanding financial challenges northeastern Illinois’ transit system faces. The region needs more resources to succeed. Governance reform can, along with a suite of system improvement and funding solutions, maximize the efficiency of transit functions and strengthen responsible financial stewardship of scarce resources.
* But CMAP did recommend two options for transit agency consolidation…
Option 1: Integrate the RTA and the service boards into one regional transit entity
The service boards’ current service delivery responsibilities would be divided among service units. The regional agency would be represented by one board and one agency executive. To provide additional opportunities for input, the operating units could be represented by service committees that report to the regional board.
Option 2: Empower a regional coordinating agency to lead transit across the service boards
The three service boards would continue to exist as three separate agencies led by a regional coordinating agency. The service boards would provide transit operations and local service planning, while the regional entity would be strengthened with greater authority and resources to develop regional policies, coordinate comprehensive mobility planning, and allocate funding to the service boards. All four agencies would have their own agency executives and governing boards.
* The transit leaders pushed back hard on those ideas today during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing…
Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger: Quite honestly, we’ve read the report. We all are in favor, I’m going to speak for us all, you guys can say I’m wrong, but we’re all in favor of doing what’s best for the customer. We all want to do the best job we can. I do not believe that combining us into one organization will make us better. First of all, we all have board members who are local, who understand the local needs, and they give us a lot of input. Secondly, we all have different service areas. I cover, you know, 3,500 square miles, 15 times the city of Chicago. To put us all under one board, the needs of the suburban areas of farther away areas will not be met as well as they’re met right now. The system needs more money. And its Pace’s obligation to provide service in the suburbs. And I think putting us all in one service board will make those needs in the outer areas not as important, not because we don’t want to do it. We all want to do a good job, but just there’s pressures in different organizations. I also believe that we have been very adaptive to what’s going on, because we have this vast service area, and we have some dense areas. We go into the city of Chicago and the suburbs around the city of Chicago, we serve in one way. We have other areas that have no density, yet they still need to have service they need to move people. And I believe that the system we have today allows the input so that we can cover all of our service areas.
CTA President Dorval Carter: The model that’s been set up for governance today didn’t come by accident. It was a really, hardly negotiated compromise between the need for accountability as well as the need for local control over the entities that quite honestly impact those residents the most. In my particular case, 90% of the riders of CTA live within the city of Chicago. The Mayor of the City of Chicago believes that he is responsible for public transportation, and the governance model for CTA reflects that. I believe that the City of Chicago and CTA are both of the opinion that the governance model is not the problem here. It doesn’t need to be adjusted. The issue is getting the funding levels to work the way they’re supposed to, which will drive the decisions that I think everybody wants to see happen here, along with the ongoing collaboration I think you have between our agencies as we as professionals work to find ways to make our service better, more convenient and more efficient to our customers.
RTA Chair Kirk Dillard: The president said it very, very well. Funding cures most ills, and as I said in my opening remarks, over a 40-plus-year period, multiple general assemblies, multiple governors and multiple mayors have set up this governance structure with lots of input for a reason. I certainly do not believe the Civic Federation’s number that they put out. As I told you, the RTA might have 90 employees. Of that 90, if you back out those who take care of reduced fares and do the clerical things that we do, it’s a handful of people that really have the oversight responsibility. There’s value in maintaining an oversight responsibility outside of the day to day operations. These folks are up to their eyeballs in alligators every day. It’s very similar to an external auditor reviewing an internal auditors work. One of the reasons we have the lowest operating cost per mile, aside from the fact that we have a funding problem historically, is that the RTA does help hold these folks accountable. And if you let the operations people determine the ultimate budget they’re going to want to spend. So some oversight by us is, but I agree with them, they certainly need more money, but the RTA system does hold costs down, even though we need to really, really ratchet up the operations funding and capital too of the system. But funding cures most of the ills that all of you in the public have spoken about.
Metra CEO / Executive Director Jim Derwinski: I don’t think I could have said anything more than my colleagues at the table here have said, other than the fact we just hit 40 years this year, and looking back and trying to understand how we were formed, why we were formed. I did a lot of reading as well, reading the General Assembly floor remarks from 1983 when we amended the RTA Act. I read a bunch of the materials from 1973 debates, and actually found a thesis paper that went back to the beginning of time, almost 1870 and what transportation looked like here in Chicago. And really the problem has never shifted. It is a funding issue. If we adequately fund the system, the operators can do the right things. And I think the one thing that we all get, maybe victims of our own success. We do operate the leanest system in the country. We keep getting, we keep making it happen when we don’t have the right resources. And because of that, certain other things don’t happen. But we keep being victims of their own success by running as lean as we run. So I don’t know where the savings would be, and the combination of a bigger board … But in either case, I think it’s important that the local representation, meaning in our case, the collar counties and suburban cook have some voice, and what happens with Metro operations, and that could get minimized or lost in a grand board.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
…Adding… ICJC…
In response to today’s Senate Transportation Committee subject matter hearing on how public transit supports the economy, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) released the following statement:
“Today we heard four transit agencies defend a status quo that simply isn’t working for current or potential riders who want a system that is more safe, more reliable, and more affordable. The status quo isn’t working for taxpayers who are paying for duplicate bureaucracies performing overlapping functions instead of funding one agency that improves transit across Chicagoland,” said Dany Robles of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition.
“We also heard from everyday riders who spoke about the essential role the region’s mass transit system plays in their lives. Transit is critical to our region’s economic vitality and an affordable, reliable public transit system is an irreplaceable tool to ensure equity and accessibility for everyone.
“The State of Illinois funds just 17% of transit operating costs, well below its peers. We know the path to more state funding starts with the reforms in the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act.
“Without confidence in an efficient and equitable governance structure, we won’t be able to secure the funding to operate the world-class transit system we deserve.”
28 Comments
|
Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Texas…
Before thousands of anti-abortion protesters at the Texas Capitol in 2023, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott brazenly touted his party’s passage of draconian abortion laws as “life-saving.” “We promised we would protect the life of every child with a heartbeat, and we did. I signed a law doing exactly that,” Abbott told the crowd at the annual Texas Rally For Life event. “All of you are life savers, and thousands of newborn babies are the result of your heroic efforts.”
Abbott’s words now ring particularly hollow in light of a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics that reveals infant deaths in Texas starkly increased following SB 8, which barred care at the first sign of embryonic cardiac activity, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, and carried a private enforcement provision that deterred the vast majority of care in the state. The 2021 law stood as the most restrictive abortion ban at the time.
Researchers with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that infant deaths rose by nearly 13 percent in 2022. Comparatively, these deaths, defined in the study as occurring under 12 months old, increased less than 2 percent in the rest of the United States.
“We found that infant mortality increased pretty substantially in Texas but not in the rest of the country,” Alison Gemmill, assistant professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and one of the study’s lead authors, tells The Nation. “It speaks to how these restrictive laws can have horrific and devastating effects on infant health, pregnant people, and on families overall—unintended or not.”
* ProPublica…
Year after year, while Roe v. Wade was the law of the land, Texas legislators passed measures limiting access to abortion — who could have one, how and where. And with the same cadence, they added millions of dollars to a program designed to discourage people from terminating pregnancies.
Their budget infusions for the Alternatives to Abortion program grew with almost every legislative session — first gradually, then dramatically — from $5 million starting in 2005 to $140 million after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion.
Now that abortion is largely illegal in Texas, lawmakers say they have shifted the purpose of the program, and its millions of dollars, to supporting families affected by the state’s ban. […]
But an investigation by ProPublica and CBS News found that the system that funnels a growing pot of state money to anti-abortion nonprofits has few safeguards and is riddled with waste. […]
In some cases, taxpayers are paying these groups to distribute goods they obtained for free, allowing anti-abortion centers — which are often called “crisis pregnancy centers” and may be set up to look like clinics that perform abortions — to bill $14 to hand out a couple of donated diapers.
* NPR…
Transgender people under 18 face laws that bar them from accessing gender-affirming health care in 25 states — just a few years ago, not a single state had such a law.
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a case from Tennessee in its next term that challenges that state’s gender-affirming care ban for young people.
“Pressure had been mounting for the Supreme Court to weigh in here,” says Lindsey Dawson, director for LGBTQ Health Policy at the health research organization KFF. […]
Most of the state bans have been challenged in court, Dawson notes, with 20 state bans currently in effect. “We’d seen split decisions in the appeals courts, which is always an indication that an issue might be ripe for the Supreme Court.”
* Florida…
On Monday, a new law allowing volunteer chaplains in Florida public schools took effect. The Satanic Temple was ready.
“The Satanic Temple’s chaplains can now serve in Florida’s public schools, thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis!” the church posted Tuesday on its social media accounts.
DeSantis said that would not be happening.
“We’re not playing those games in Florida,” DeSantis said when he signed the bill in April. “That is not a religion.” […]
Under HB 931, volunteer school chaplains may “provide support, services, and programs to students as assigned by the district school board or charter school governing board.” Parents must consent and may choose from a publicly available list of chaplains and their religious affiliations, if any. [….]
“Any opportunity that exists for ministers or chaplains in the public sector must not discriminate based on religious affiliation,” The Satanic Temple’s director of ministry, who goes by Penemue Grigori, said in an email to the USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida while the bill was being deliberated. “Our ministers look forward to participating in opportunities to do good in the community, including the opportunities created by this bill, right alongside the clergy of other religions.”
* Louisiana…
Opponents of a new Louisiana law requiring that a version of the Ten Commandments be posted in public school classrooms have asked a federal court to block implementation of the requirement while their lawsuit against it progresses and before the new school year starts.
A group of parents of Louisiana public school students, representing various faiths, filed the lawsuit last month, soon after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the new law. In motions filed Monday, their attorneys asked for a preliminary injunction blocking the law. And they sought an expedited briefing and hearing schedule that would require the state to respond to the request for an injunction by July 19 and for a hearing on July 29. Public schools open in August.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Baton Rouge, says the law violates First Amendment clauses protecting religious liberty and forbidding laws establishing a religion.
Backers of the law argue that it doesn’t violate the Constitution and that posting the Ten Commandments is appropriate and legal because they are part of the foundation of U.S. law.
* Oklahoma…
In Oklahoma, public schools have been ordered to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12 by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters.
Walters called the Bible an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” in a June 27 statement about the announcement.
Without “basic knowledge” of the Bible, Walters claimed, “Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.” […]
Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU), told ABC News that she doesn’t oppose the idea of teaching religion as a part of history. However, her organization objects to teaching the Bible as truth or “core values,” as Walters stated, “because that’s favoring one set of religious views over others and over non religion, and that’s expressly prohibited by our Constitution.”
* Texas…
After a 2021 winter storm laid bare how unprepared the state was for severe weather, Texas had been on the prowl for ways to ensure that it was producing enough electricity during times of disaster.
Their solution: new fossil fuel power plants.
But while the state says these new power plants meet the demand caused by severe weather and population growth, a new ERCOT forecast says that as the state’s power demand doubles over the next six years, most of the demand will come from water and energy-guzzling data centers for artificial intelligence supercomputers and crypto processing. […]
Despite analyses showing that clean energy sources like wind and solar are largely more reliable and cheaper to produce there than energy from fossil fuels, in the aftermath of last summer, the state decided to subsidize $10 billion worth of new gas power plants.
Across the country, low-income Black people are exposed to the most pollution from power plants and have the highest risk of death from such pollution. In Texas, more than 75% of the state’s gas power plants are in areas where the population has an above-average share of people of color, according to a Capital B analysis of EPA data.
21 Comments
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
7 Comments
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Jul 9, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ICYMI: Madigan attorneys still aiming for October trial despite U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Sun-Times…
[Prosecutors and defense attorney] also told U.S. District Judge John Blakey that the feds have no plan to file a revised indictment against Madigan in the wake of the high court decision.
The news came in the form of a status report filed jointly by prosecutors and defense attorneys for Madigan and his co-defendant, longtime confidant Michael McClain. The seven-page document contained the first public comment from prosecutors in Madigan’s case since the Supreme Court ruled in the separate appeal of former Portage, Indiana, Mayor James Snyder. […]
Under the plan outlined in the report, Madigan’s attorneys would have until July 18 to file motions related to the Snyder ruling. Defense attorneys also asked the judge to consider keeping names of jurors in the case confidential — known only to parties. Prosecutors will apparently agree if the judge makes certain findings, according to the report.
Click here for the full report.
* Meanwhile…
Governor Pritzker will announce the CEJA Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program grantees at 1 pm. Click here to watch.
*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***
* Tribune | Amid ‘continued threats’ River Forest Public Library to open late Tuesday, hire security: According to the notification about the threat, hiring of security and later opening, officials explained that recently, the actions of the individual believed to be at the center of the threats have “escalated” and include sending letters to The River Forest Tennis Club, several residents and a staff member. “The content of the letters has also shifted. They now name several staff members and make indirect threats to the Library at large,” the notice reads.
* WAND | IL could soon expand mental health coverage for patients following miscarriage, stillbirth: The state currently requires insurance coverage for mental, emotional, nervous or substance use treatments for pregnant people through delivery, postpartum and neonatal care. “But there is no requirement to provide those services in the case of miscarriage or stillbirth,” said Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora). “House Bill 5282 adds coverage for individuals needing those services as a result of a miscarriage or stillbirth.”
*** Statehouse News ***
* Pantagraph | Illinois lawmaker recap: In second year, Chung takes on ‘bigger lifts’ in Springfield: Chung, a second-year lawmaker, said she did “more navigating and steering” this session after “going along for the ride a little bit more last year.” This included sponsoring bills that were “bigger lifts,” such as the battery stewardship program, which awaits Pritzker’s signature to become law. “It was a really great lesson in how to negotiate a bill and bring in all these people together,” she said. “That was a really great experience, to be honest. I really am proud about that bill.”
* WBBM | Advocates say Pritzker’s cannabis equity promises went up in smoke: Richard St. Paul, with the National Black Empowerment Action Fund (NBEAF), said Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised 63,000 jobs would be generated by the legalization of recreational marijuana — mostly for people in communities that were hurt by the war on drugs. St Paul, though, said that promise wasn’t kept. […] But Erin Johnson, Illinois’ cannabis regulation oversight officer, said there are 103 social equity licenses now, and she claimed that Illinois’ legalized pot industry is the nation’s most diverse:
*** Statewide ***
* Tribune | Wilmette resident Nancy Maldonado confirmed to 7th U.S Circuit of Appeals: A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University’s law school, Maldonado, 48, was born in Skokie and lived in the village until 2015. She will replace 7th Circuit Judge Ilana Diamond Rovner, who upon Maldonado’s confirmation will take senior status, a form of semi-retirement with a reduced caseload. Like her current position as a federal trial court judge, Maldonado’s new role as a federal appeals court judge carries with it life tenure.
* Tribune | Climate change threatens overall firefly populations, study shows, but Midwest could see increase: Twenty-six species call Illinois home, one of which — the Cypress firefly — is classified as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. […] The study concluded the insect’s abundance was “generally, negatively affected” by an increase in summertime heat. However, just as most areas might see a decline in the populations of certain firefly species under climate change or even lose populations altogether, the models indicated conditions, including warmer temperatures, might make some areas able to support larger local and regional populations, primarily around the Midwest and Great Lakes.
* NBC Chicago | Here are all the Illinois athletes representing Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics: From the Chicago area and beyond, Illinois Olympians will look to secure their place in history as they go for gold. And there will be no shortage of opportunities as the state has representation across a number of sports, including gymnastics, swimming, track and field, BMX racing, soccer and more.
*** Chicago ***
* Sun-Times | Johnson allies shoot down attempt to level legislative playing field between City Council and mayor: The Rules Committee voted down a resolution that would have converted the Legislative Reference Bureau into the Office of Legislative Counsel. That new office would have been charged with giving “competent, unbiased advice” on parliamentary procedure and other legal matters.
* Tribune | ‘I’ve been consistently working’: Chicago White Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery is excited for Futures Game opportunity: Janish said, ‘Really happy with what you’ve been doing, just keep staying consistent and keep doing what you’re doing, and we know everything’s going to work out,” Montgomery recalled during a video conference call on Friday. Montgomery said Janish continued, “‘Just want to let you know you’ve been selected for the Futures Game.’ And I said, ‘Let’s go,’ and I was really excited. I’m still excited, and I can’t wait to play there.”
* Tribune | NASCAR Chicago Street Race averages nearly 3.9 million TV viewers, but falls short of last year after two-hour rain delay: Last year, the inaugural July Fourth weekend event navigated record rainfall that curtailed races, canceled concerts and left remaining fans soaked. But the TV broadcast averaged nearly 4.8 million viewers, the most watched Cup Series race on NBC since 2017. Viewership was down for this year’s race from the start Sunday afternoon, peaking just after the green flag dropped at 4:11 p.m. When the red flag came out about an hour later amid increasing rain and crashes, it precipitated a lengthy delay that drove away viewers.
*** Cook County and Suburbs ***
* Daily Herald | ‘A better life’: Dogs rescued from Oklahoma ‘puppy mills’ arrive in suburbs: According to Daubert, the Humane Society of the United States rescued more than 100 dogs from two breeding operations that were shut down in Milburn, Oklahoma. The HSUS was tipped off about the operations and alerted Anderson Humane of the need for care of the animals. “They were unsanitary and ill, and several needed immediate medical treatment,” Daubert said after transferring 20 crated puppies from the first flight to Anderson Humane vans.
* AP | For-profit college in Oak Lawn shuts down abruptly:Northwestern College President Lawrence Schumacher said in the email that the U.S. Department of Education has been reviewing the school. As a result of the review, the agency had stopped the regular flow of federal student aid funds to the school, moving instead to a reimbursement system. Schumacher said payments were delayed for 45 days or longer and after two years of the arrangement the school could no longer cover the lapses in funding.
*** Downstate ***
* Illinois Times | DCFS finds foster parent negligent in death of 7-year-old boy: An investigation completed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on June 28 concluded that neglect by David Yankee led to the death of Barrett Koches, DCFS spokesperson Heather Tarczan said July 1. […] DCFS also determined that Yankee and his husband, Michael, inadequately supervised the two other foster children in their care at the time of Barrett Koches’ drowning in the Yankees’ outdoor, in-ground swimming pool behind their home in the 2300 block of Winnebago Drive on Springfield’s north end.
* KFVS | Union employees picket at Menard Correctional Center: Correctional officers from the facility say short staffing is causing an increase in violent attacks from inmates. Safety Matters, that’s the message they want management at this facility, other facilities, and the Department of Corrections to hear. “Menard, we house the worst of the worst, so when they assault at other facilities, we get them sent to us, when they assault us, they stay here,” Rick Hepp said.
* WCIA | Illinois to screen for juvenile justice specialists in Lincoln: Specialists aim to improve the lives of youth in their care through mentoring relationships and direct supervision. The specialists will work at the new Monarch Youth Center in Lincoln, which is scheduled to open in early 2025 according to the department’s website. The starting salary for this full-time shift-work job is $58,248.
*** National ***
* KSDK | Armed man ‘appeared to be in a depressive state’ when St. Louis police seized his guns on a downtown rooftop overlooking July 4 parade route: The Alton police department issued a warrant for Sappington’s arrest back in March after investigating a January shooting at a crowded intersection of Belle and W. 3rd streets. Court records show Sappington did not have a Firearm Owner’s ID (FOID) card. No injuries were reported in that shooting incident. […] Under Illinois’ new law that abolishes cash bail, prosecutors can file a motion to seek pretrial detention for forcible felonies. On both counts, the alleged crimes would’ve qualified for pretrial detention. Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine did not initially file a motion seeking detention before Sappington’s trial.
* Crain’s | Pritzker steps up anti-Trump drive with Milwaukee abortion ads: The billboards near Wisconsin’s largest city were placed early this month and will be up through the convention, according to Christina Amestoy, a spokeswoman for Think Big America. One of them reads: “MAGA extremists are in town this week to nominate a president who wants a national abortion ban. Stop them. Vote.” “Thanks to Donald Trump and his allies, access to contraception, IVF, and all reproductive health care is now at risk,” Amestoy said in a statement. “Whenever a woman is denied the care she needs, remember: MAGA extremists did this to women and we’re not going to let voters forget it.”
6 Comments
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Jul 9, 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.
Comment
|
|
Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...
...............
...............
...............
...............
|
   
|
Hosted by MCS
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax
Advertise Here
Mobile Version
Contact Rich Miller
|
