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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The knock on Elvis in his later years was that he took himself too seriously while not taking his music seriously enough. I was at the June 30 Rolling Stones concert (full show is here), and they still take their music seriously after all these years, while putting on a spectacular show. From that night… Burns like a red coal carpet
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated x2)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Kathy Salvi was elected chair of the Illinois Republican Party today…
Some people are mad…
…Adding… ILGOP…
…Adding… DPI…
* Crain’s | Retail marijuana lottery winners avoid losing their licenses: Just one winner of a cannabis dispensary license is at risk of losing it today when a deadline hits for pot-shop licensees to have found a location for their stores. It’s a far lower number than many had feared. The state used lotteries to award 185 new dispensary licenses in the summer of 2022, which would nearly double the number of marijuana shops. Winners originally had up to a year to get stores open or find a location, but the deadline was extended last year by legislators. * Block Club | As Tent Cities Are Cleared, Unhoused Residents Ask Why It Took DNC For City To Offer Housing: Encampment residents told Block Club city outreach workers have been visiting in recent weeks to offer them rooms in coveted city-run shelters, including the former Tremont Hotel, 100 E. Chestnut St. in the Gold Coast, which was bought by the city last year and has only 60 beds. Those who accept the beds can keep them until Aug. 31, Berg said. The convention is Aug. 19-22. * Jinx Press | 14th District Oath Keeper cop interfered with DCFS investigation, removed from SWAT for unknown incident: As detailed in that investigation, Sergeant Nowacki was suspended for three days in 2008 after sending insulting, racially charged emails to a Black community member in Englewood who was soliciting donations for area families. Rather than serve the suspension, Nowacki forfeited three days of banked compensatory time. Records detailing a December 2020 incident, however, also illustrate his disturbing animosity on duty toward a Department of Child and Family Services worker. The worker, identified as a Black male, filed a complaint after a well-being check where Nowacki was belligerent. * Tribune | Mayor Johnson to name former progressive North Side alderman Shiller to zoning board: The former alderman — a close ally of current 46th Ward Ald. Angela Clay — was both lionized and lambasted for campaigning as a “champion of the poor” in Uptown as it underwent much transformation. Johnson tapping her addresses his stated values on railing against rich elites while also potentially smoothing over an earlier snafu with a homeless shelter proposal in Uptown that failed. * Shaw Local | Joliet police officer wins part of federal appeal in privacy lawsuit case: A federal appeals court reversed the dismissal of a Joliet police officer’s claim that a detective intruded on her privacy by intentionally accessing a nude photo on her cellphone. […] The ruling followed an April 3 court hearing where the Will County search warrant for the officer’s phone was sharply criticized by U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas Kirsch. […] “I can’t believe a judge signed this warrant to say, ‘You can search the entire contents of someone’s phone to look for one text message.’ And then McKinney just happens to be searching around in Cellebrite. …And guess what? He happens upon the naked pictures that everybody is talking about in the police department. It’s weird. It’s troubling, right?” Kirsch said. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora to buy seven properties along Bilter Road: City officials have said they are interested in assembling the land in the hopes of marketing it to a residential developer, in an effort to keep potential industrial uses out of what the city considers more of a residential area. Officials have said an industrial user was interested in the properties, and would generate too much truck traffic for the area. * BND | $20 million Belleville training center part of vision to make Illinois a manufacturing hub: Construction of the academy on the northwest corner of the Belleville campus began in September 2022. Now outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, the facility will officially open its doors in the upcoming semester to provide students with more training opportunities in the growing manufacturing sector. According to a recent Deloitte study, U.S. manufacturing could need as many as 3.8 million new employees by 2033 as investment drives the sector’s growth, but half of those jobs could go unfilled if workforce challenges aren’t addressed. * WCIA | Protestors rally at Sangamon Co. Sheriff’s Office after woman’s death: Two sheriff’s deputies responded to [Sonya] Massey’s home just after midnight on July 6. Family and friends at the rally say Massey was the one that called the police. She was allegedly worried there was someone trying to break in, according to the county. After being on scene for half an hour, one of the deputies shot Massey. She was taken to the hospital, where she died from the gunshot wound, according to the Coroner. * Capitol City Now | Attorney Ben Crump retained by family of Sonya Massey: Attorney Ben Crump, who specializes in civil rights and personal injury cases such as wrongful death lawsuits, announced Thursday the family of Sonya Massey has retained his services. Some of the well-known cases Crump has been a part of include Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and George Floyd. Crump is known for taking on cases involving police misconduct. The investigation into Massey’s death by Illinois State Police is ongoing. Wednesday, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell urged the public and media to be patient as ISP completes its investigation. * WCBU | Peoria County Board isn’t keen on a 15-year delay to build new landfill: There’s essentially two parallel stories happening in the ongoing landfill saga. On one track, the regulatory process to start construction of the new landfill is still slowly moving forward. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources doesn’t believe abandoned underground mines pose an impediment to continuing development on the proposed site, but the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency still needs to sign off. * KSDK | ‘It’s shocking’: Gov. Pritzker after Alton sinkhole swallows soccer field: “We’re working very hard to make sure that’s not a problem going forward,” [Pritzker] said. “Of course, we got the federal government involved. We’re going to make sure we’re doing everything we can. It’s shocking, really. I’m so glad nobody was on the field when it happened. But, the question is why did it happen, and what is the federal government going to do to make sure it never happens again?” Our newsroom has seen chatter online and reporting by other news outlets that the Alton sinkhole is growing. Our reporter checked in with a representative for the New Frontier crews on the ground to verify this on Thursday. The company representative tells us the sinkhole itself hasn’t grown in size since the initial collapse. * AP | Small Nashville museum wants you to know why it is returning artifacts to Mexico: When Bonnie Seymour took a job as assistant curator of Nashville’s Parthenon museum, one of the first things she did was to look through the collections. Among paintings by American artists and memorabilia from Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition — the event for which the Parthenon was built — she found a random assortment of pre-Columbian pottery from Mexico. The artifacts had almost no identifying information, and Seymour knew next to nothing about them. But she knew they did not belong in a Nashville storage room.
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Keep calm and Dolt-on
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and here for some of our past roundups. WGN…
* The money problems don’t end there for Dolton. NBC Chicago…
* More…
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Saying the quiet part out loud (Updated)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Andy Shaw…
Emphasis added. * Meanwhile, I’m not at all saying that President Biden is not in political trouble and that he’s not weighing down his fellow Democrats. He’s obviously in trouble and people are most definitely freaking the heck out. All I’m saying is hyping a partisan congressional district poll of just 309 likely voters taken 9-10 days ago and calling it “new” doesn’t really add much to the debate, but does feed into the national news media/consultant narrative…
…Adding… The 11th is no longer the overwhelmingly Democratic district it was in 2020. When you look at the district’s current precincts, Biden won in 2020 by 15 points - which is 11 points less than he won the old district. Also, while JB Pritzker won the district in 2022 by about 13 points, he only won it by 2.5 points in 2018. Foster won the new district in 2022 by 13 points. I should’ve checked those numbers in the quoted story above, but made the mistake of relying on what was written.
* Also, reputable polls in battleground states haven’t yet shown a dramatic impact on down-ballot races. And then there’s this from yesterday…
Deep breaths, please.
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Study: Illinois has the most diverse cannabis business ownership in the US (Updated)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * IDFPR…
* Recommendations from the study…
* Forbes…
* Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton…
* More…
…Adding… Press release…
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Open thread
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: US Reps. Brad Schneider, Eric Sorensen call on President Biden to drop reelection bid. Tribune…
- Following the news conference freshman U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, who represents the Quad Cities and Rockford areas, said it was time for Biden to step aside. - The National Republican Congressional Committee called Sorensen’s statement “an election year stunt.” Click here for our updated recap. * WGN | State Rep. Bob Morgan: How the Healthcare Protection Act will reform health coverage in Illinois: State Representative Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) joins John Williams to talk about Governor Pritzker signing the Healthcare Protection Act into law. Rep. Morgan explains how this new law will reform health coverage in Illinois, how it will impact people’s healthcare, what this new law covers, and how this law will no longer allow insurers to stand in the way of the health care you need. * Pantagraph | Illinois lawmaker recap: Sen. Dave Koehler lauds education investments: Koehler said lawmakers “did a good job” funding education, particularly early childhood and K-12. An additional $350 million was included for the evidence-based funding formula, which seeks to close the funding gap between rich and poor school districts. That brings total invested up to $2 billion since it was enacted in 2017. More funding was also included for the state’s Smart Start initiative, which will create an additional 5,000 pre-K slots across the state. […] While touting pre-K and K-12 investments, Koehler said he was disappointed by the comparatively flat higher education budget. The amount allocated to the state’s public universities and community colleges only increased by 2%. Funds for need-based scholarships through the Monetary Assistance Program increased by just $10 million. * Pantagraph | Illinois lawmaker recap: Sen. Chapin Rose disappointed to see carbon capture legislation pass: Rose said the biggest disappointments from session were the budget and the carbon capture bill passing through both chambers. Rose said he’s actively spoken out about the carbon capture legislation and how this would negatively impact certain areas around the state. “I don’t want to hear anything more from the supposed environmentalists about how they care about the environment when they deliberately had the choice. We gave them (a bipartisan) letter 10 days out that said ‘don’t forget this. Make sure you’re not including sequestration on the Mahomet Aquifer.’ They knew about this, and they did it anyway.” * ProPublica | Two Reporters Covering Education in the Midwest Followed the Money … to a School in New York: Shrub Oak International School in Mohegan Lake, New York. Black eyes and bruises. Insufficient staffing. Medical neglect. No kitchen. At least 15 Illinois students were enrolled there this past school year using state and local taxpayer dollars at $573,200 each. No state outside of New York sends more students to Shrub Oak than Illinois. * Tribune | Illinois GOP set to select one of three finalists for state chair: The Illinois GOP has long been beset by fighting between moderate and conservative wings. That conflict also has become a geographic battle between hard-core conservatives downstate and the more populous suburban areas, even as that region’s reputation as a moderate Republican stronghold has faded and Democrats have made major inroads. Democrats now control all statewide offices, the Supreme Court and have supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate. * NBC Chicago | Yuengling weighs in on rumors that popular beer brand is coming to Illinois: Yuengling is aware of the speculation, but a representative for the brand wouldn’t confirm the rumors– or even if the company plans to expand at all. “Yuengling has not announced when or where its next expansion will be,” said Yuengling Director of Communications Paul Capelli. * WBEZ | Mayor Johnson rejects cuts in CPS’ proposed budget meant to fill a half-billion deficit: The day after Chicago Public Schools officials released a budget proposal that filled a half-billion dollar deficit in part by some cutbacks in staff and other areas, Mayor Brandon Johnson made the surprising declaration that he would not accept cuts by the district. […] It is highly unusual for the mayor, who appoints the schools CEO, to suggest he is unhappy with the school district’s budget after it is presented to the public. It also is unclear what options Johnson has to fill the deficit, though his deputy mayor for education, Jen Johnson, said the administration was “working on something.” * Tribune | Bally’s Chicago secures casino financing, unveils new hotel design: Bally’s announced a deal Friday with Gaming and Leisure Properties, a Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust, to provide $940 million to fund the construction of the permanent casino. In addition, Bally’s has also finalized redesign of its planned 500-room hotel tower, which has been shifted from north of the casino to the south to avoid damaging city water pipes along the Chicago River, pending approval from the city’s planning department. * Daily Southtown | Dolton insurance would only cover a third of $33.5 million judgement from fatal police chase lawsuit: Under state law, municipalities are “entitled and directed” to pay the judgments owed and may do so by issuing bonds or levying taxes. The plaintiffs’ attorneys are requesting Dolton float a municipal bond to allow their clients to be paid upfront, while the village repays the bond over multiple years at an interest rate lower than what the court judgement is accruing. […] Dolton has also been penalized for failing to fulfill an agreed settlement of $220,000 in a whistleblower lawsuit from 2019 despite the Village Board approving the payment. After a June 24 hearing, a Cook County court froze double the amount of the settlement in a village account. The attorney for the plaintiff in that case said the check “is just sitting on the mayor’s desk.” * Daily Southtown | Will County committee seeks to end ‘divisive’ proclamations, then proposes ‘non-sanctuary’ designation: At the same time some Will County Board members want to eliminate proclamations from their monthly meetings because they can be divisive and political, a board committee passed, along party lines, a resolution declaring Will County a non-sanctuary county, which some board members said was both divisive and political. The Will County Executive Committee, which includes about half of the Will County Board, recommended 7-5 Thursday to advance a resolution to declare the county a non-sanctuary county for asylum seekers and illegal immigration. * SJ-R | Popular low-cost airline temporarily ending route from Springfield: Breeze Airways, a low-cost airline headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been busy adding flights to its roster of 29 states in the past couple of months, but the company plans on shuttering one of its flights: the nonstop service from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield to Tampa International Airport in Florida. The planned end of nonstop service to the popular destination will be on August 12, 2024, according to Breeze, but it won’t be forever. According to Breeze to communications specialist Ryan Williams, the flights to Tampa were seasonal for the summer and will be returning in 2025. * Tribune | US appeals court says some NCAA athletes may qualify as employees under federal wage-and-hour laws: College athletes whose efforts primarily benefit their schools may qualify as employees deserving of pay under federal wage-and-hour laws, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday in a setback to the NCAA. The court, in the latest challenge to the NCAA’s long-held notion of “amateurism” in college sports, said that a test should be developed to differentiate between students who play college sports for fun and those whose effort “crosses the legal line into work.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Jul 12, 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.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Jul 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * US Rep. Brad Schneider wants President Biden to step aside…
US Sen. Tammy Duckworth told reporters today Biden is “our President, he’s our nominee.” * WBBM | 1.5 million Illinoisans at risk of seeing higher water bill: Find out why: Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water have requested the Illinois Commerce Commission approve millions in rate hikes in November and December. CUB’s Director of Government Affairs Bryan McDaniel says, since 2013, the companies have bought 59 water systems across the state and passed the costs on to customers. * WTTW | Chicago Taxpayers Have Paid $35.7M to Defend Disgraced Detective Reynaldo Guevara, With No End in Sight: In addition to the cost of outside attorneys, Chicago taxpayers spent an additional $60.5 million to settle six lawsuits filed by Chicagoans who said they were the victims of Guevara’s misconduct. Another 34 lawsuits are pending, with the latest lawsuit against the city and the former detective filed June 26. In all, it has already cost Chicago taxpayers more than $98 million to defend the disgraced former detective, investigate his conduct and resolve lawsuits that allege Guevara violated dozens of Chicagoans’ civil rights, according to WTTW News’ analysis. * Sun-Times | $11.25M settlement proposed for women paramedic candidates victimized by discriminatory CFD physical test: The post-hiring test was so demanding and so unrelated to the skills needed as a Chicago Fire Department paramedic that four of the 12 plaintiffs suffered “career-ending” hip and back injuries during the testing. One of the women literally “tore her hip open,” her attorney said. “They were terrible tests. Constructor-concocted tests. Terribly dangerous,” said Marni Willenson, an attorney representing the impacted women. * Block Club | Billionaire Family Behind Walmart Buys Old West Side Women’s Shelter, Will Create Community Space: Matt Berenberg, who is part of the ownership team and is responsible for overseeing design and construction, said Samantha Walton decided to buy the 132-year-old building after reading Block Club’s coverage about the previous owners planning to tear it down. […] Preliminary plans include creating a multifunctional space to host technology, art and food programs, Berenberg told neighbors at a meeting Tuesday at the Revival Fellowship Church of God, 2810 W. Washington Blvd. * WBEZ | Students at a Chicago university can get credit for life experience but only a few get the chance: Called the University Without Walls, it’s based on a model that’s been around since the 1970s and awards students course credits for life experience. […] Students enrolled in University Without Walls are paired with a faculty advisor who helps them craft their work and life experience into a narrative portfolio. […] University Without Walls could be transformative for so many students. But it requires consistent one-on-one advising, which takes a lot of financial support. And state funding for Northeastern Illinois University is a fraction of what it was two decades ago. * Block Club | Bike Lane Ticketing Program Still Hasn’t Started 16 Months After City Approved It: But 16 months after the ordinance’s passage, no tickets have been issued under the program. The Council’s pedestrian and traffic safety committee on Wednesday approved an extension to the pilot’s end date, but no one at the hearing was sure when exactly it would get started. Robert Kearney, chief of staff for Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), one of the original ordinance’s sponsors, told alderpeople the delays were due to difficulties the Chicago Department of Transportation has had in finding a proper vendor for the pilot technology. * Daily Herald | ‘Trailblazer’ Nanci Vanderweel, who shattered political glass ceilings in the 70s, dies at 87: Vanderweel was 33 when she became the first woman elected to the village board in 1971. The top vote-getter in that election, Vanderweel ran on the campaign slogan, “A woman trustee, why not?” Upon her retirement as township supervisor in 2013, she told the Daily Herald it wasn’t easy getting others to take her seriously during the early days of her political career. “We were a fighting bunch,” Vanderweel said. “Most of the men were chauvinists on the board. It took some getting used to for them. They weren’t the good ol’ boys anymore.” * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan planning to prepare former industrial site for development; ‘A great opportunity … to live close to the lake’: Imagine a lakefront park in Waukegan, south of the harbor and the Amstutz Expressway, with homes across the street with a very short walk to the beach on land that once housed a factory that fabricated steel products. Before any of that becomes a reality, 10,000 tons of contaminated dirt must be removed from the 11-acre site and it needs to be remediated so it is safe for residential and light-commercial development. * WAND | Police still investigating one year after Emma Shafer stabbed to death: Friends, family, and the police are still seeking closure and answers one year after Emma Shafer was fatally stabbed. […] Friends and family have paid tribute to Emma’s memory with Facebook posts as today marks one year since her death. […] Police believe Gabriel Calixto Pichardo of Bethalto, Illinois, is responsible for Shafer’s death. A warrant was issued for his arrest on July 12, 2023 for three counts of first-degree murder and aggravated domestic battery with a bond amount of $3,000,000. * WICS | Illinois State Fair announces tram service: “We are excited to bring back trams as a convenient way to move our guests around the Illinois State Fair,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “The fairgrounds cover 366 acres, and we want to make the experience accessible with tram stops at popular spots around the grounds.” Maps showing the tram routes will be displayed on the fairgrounds. Stops include the Campground/Arena entrance, 4-H Road at the 4-H Master Gardeners, entrance to Conservation World, Goat Barn at Grandstand Avenue, Horse Racing Office, South End of the Half-Mile Track near Gate 4, and the Hobbies Arts & Crafts building. * WCIA | IL Dept. of Corrections investigating personal data breach at Danville Correctional Center: Employees at a Danville prison have been told their data may be compromised. The Illinois Department of Corrections is investigating a breach of personalized data at the Danville Correctional Center. IDOC confirmed with WCIA they notified the Illinois Attorney General, Illinois General Assembly, and the Department of Information Technology about the leak, under Illinois’ Personal Information Protection Act. * LA Times | RIP Redbox. The DVD kiosk business will shut down and fire 1,000 people: In 2022, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Redbox was acquired by Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment in a $375-million all-stock deal. […] The Chicken Soup entertainment arm took on significant debt to complete the transaction, a risky bet on the future viability of DVD rentals. In public filings, the company blamed the COVID-19 pandemic and last summer’s Hollywood strikes for choking off the flow of fresh content. * AP | Two 80-something journalists tried ChatGPT. Then, they sued to protect the ‘written word’: Basbanes was the first of the duo to try fiddling with AI chatbots, finding them impressive but prone to falsehoods and lack of attribution. The friends commiserated and filed their lawsuit earlier this year, seeking to represent a class of writers whose copyrighted work they allege “has been systematically pilfered by” OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft.
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Speaker Welch talks about The Infinite Game
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for more context, but House Speaker Chris Welch spoke yesterday at a violence prevention announcement. I thought it was worth sharing…
It’s definitely something to aspire to.
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Today’s quotable
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Some background is here if you need it. WBEZ…
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‘Pretextual fishing expeditions’
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for the IDOT study. ACLU of Illinois…
Discuss.
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Rate the new NRCC ad (Updated)
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Here it comes… * Script…
They’re running the same basic ad in several congressional districts. …Adding… Sorensen has finally weighed in…
And the NRCC mocks him for it…
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Feds to spend $334 million on Stellantis’ Belvidere plant
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Meanwhile…
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Three contenders finalized for Illinois GOP chair (Updated)
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Illinois GOP release…
…Adding… A split is developing on the far right. Illinois Family Action…
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Open thread
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s up? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing (Updated)
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker signs health insurance reform measures. Capitol News Illinois…
* Related stories…
∙ AP: Pritzker signs law banning health insurance companies’ ‘predatory tactics,’ including step therapy ∙ ABC Chicago: Governor JB Pritzker signs Healthcare Protection Act into law * Sun-Times political reporter Tina Sfondeles…
* CBS Chicago…
At 11, Governor Pritzker will attend the opening of new St. Clair County Public Safety Center. At 2:15 he will attend SWIC Manufacturing Training Academy ribbon cutting at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville. Click here to watch. …Adding… Pritzker was asked about the hot mic comments today…
* Sun-Times | Ahead of DNC, city officials to close, cordon off one of Chicago’s largest, most visible homeless camps: The “tent city” sandwiched for years between the Dan Ryan expressway and the 1100 block of South Desplaines Street will be cleared out on Wednesday and permanently cordoned off, Brandie Knazze, commissioner of the city’s Department of Family and Support Services, told the Chicago Sun-Times. Nearly all of the 22 residents living there recently in a few dozen blue and orange tents have agreed to move to a city-operated shelter of 60 beds at 100 E. Chestnut St., in the former Tremont Hotel. This year’s inaugural summer-shelter arrangement has been funded through Aug. 31, Knazze said, a little more than a week after the end of the convention expected to draw tens of thousands of Democratic leaders and supporters, as well as protesters. * CBS | $100 million from State of Illinois to go to anti-violence programs in Chicago: Lori Crowder, the executive director of the Alliance of Local Service Organizations, said a coalition of seven community organizations will be able to use $5 million in new funding for outreach, case management, victim services, employment and education, and mental health and behavioral health services. “What we know to be true is this: when jobs go up, violence goes down,” Crowder said. “When education goes up, violence goes down.” * Tribune | Illinois legislators and CUB urge rejection of water rate hikes requested by Aqua Illinois, Illinois American: Later in 2013, a state law was passed that allows Illinois American and Aqua Illinois to buy up depreciated water and wastewater systems, and charge consumers for the acquisition costs, according to CUB. […] State Rep. Nabeela Syed, a Democrat from Palatine, argued against granting water utilities a rate increase, citing poor service experiences reported by her municipality and others. * Forbes | Illinois Marijuana Sales Hit $1 Billion So Far This Year: Governor JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday that Illinois hit $1 billion in marijuana retail sales on July 1, 2024. This figure includes over $850 million in adult-use marijuana sales and nearly $150 million in medical marijuana sales. […] Additionally, total marijuana sales for the Fiscal Year (from July 1 through June 30) in 2024 exceeded $2 billion, up from $1.9 billion in FY 2023 to $1.8 billion in FY 2022. * Tribune | Chicago Public Schools’ $9.9 billion proposed budget purports to close $500 million deficit, for now: The total proposed budget’s $500 million increase over last year’s $9.4 billion reflects facility investments that are “vital to keeping facilities operating safely and smoothly,” according to CPS. Representing the lion’s share of CPS spending, school budgets will cumulatively increase by $149 million compared with the start of last year — a margin that the district attributed to the cost of required services for special education students, state-mandated charter school funding increases and expanded bilingual services. Staff salaries and student benefits make up nearly 70% of the total budget, which will fund more than 800 additional full-time employees this year, CPS announced. * Tribune | School board candidates present platforms during forum: ‘This is a really big deal’: More than half of the candidates running for one of 10 elected seats on the new, hybrid Chicago Board of Education gathered at a virtual forum Wednesday evening to introduce themselves and their platforms. Funding neighborhood schools, improving disability services and literacy rates, and balancing the district’s budget were among the issues discussed at the event, which was hosted via Zoom by the education nonprofit Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education. * WTTW | Illinois Reparations Commission to Host Public Hearings, Starting in Chicago: The state’s reparations commission is kicking off public hearings across Illinois — with the first taking place in Chicago on Saturday. The commission is tasked with researching and reporting on possible reparatory actions for Black residents who are descendants of slavery. Leaders said the public’s input will be used in developing proposals for policymakers. * Sun-Times | Fact check: Viral tweet wrongly claims Brandon Johnson blamed Richard Nixon for Chicago violence: But Johnson didn’t blame Nixon for violence in Chicago. The mayor’s only mention of Nixon came after reflecting on President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty. “Black death has been unfortunately accepted in this country for a very long time,” the mayor said. “We had a chance 60 years ago to get at the root causes and people mocked President Johnson, and we ended up with Richard Nixon.” * Sun-Times | Newly hatched piping plover chick presumed dead at Montrose Beach. ‘Much loved and will be missed’: The chick went missing after 6 p.m. Tuesday and was presumed dead, “as it cannot survive away from its parents,” said Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator with Chicago Piping Plovers. The other three chicks “are doing fine,” she added. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County Forest Preserves District to expand lakefront footprint: The Lake County Forest Preserves District Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of 18.2 acres of the former Ft. Sheridan adjacent to the Openlands preserve Tuesday in Waukegan, creating a larger footprint along Lake Michigan. With a little more of the Lake Michigan shoreline now in the public domain, Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, D-Lake Bluff, said planning should be more long-term than the usual strategic planning. * Daily Herald | Fire ‘buddies’ helping build pool deck for Schaumburg girl with cerebral palsy: Schaumburg firefighters are continuing their friendship with a 7-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and epilepsy by helping build a deck for the beloved swimming pool she recently received through Make-A-Wish. Kelly Boscardin said her daughter Savanah, though nonverbal, has been delighted by the firefighters since even before she was selected for the Project Fire Buddies chapter served by the local union. * Forbes | Discover The Midwest’s AI Powerhouse: The University Of Illinois: It was no coincidence that Arthur C. Clarke chose Urbana, Illinois, as the birthplace of HAL, the infamous fictional AI from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Back then, the University of Illinois (U of I) was becoming a powerhouse in the fields of technology HAL represents. Today, the U of I’s Grainger College of Engineering and its brand-new Siebel School of Computing and Data Science constitute a world-leading hub of AI innovation beyond anything Clarke could have imagined. Since 2019, the university has conducted over $270 million of AI-related research projects, spurring advancements in agriculture, biotechnology, education, and other fields while equipping the next generation of inclusive experts with hands-on experience. * NBC Chicago | Rep. Mike Bost, Darren Bailey among Illinois delegates to 2024 RNC in Milwaukee: According to the list released Wednesday, Reps. Mary Miller and Mike Bost will both be among the delegates headed to Milwaukee to nominate former President Donald Trump for the third consecutive election cycle. […] Each of Illinois’ 17 Congressional districts will send three delegates apiece to the convention, according to the Republican Party’s press release. In addition, 13 at-large delegates will also cast ballots during the event, which kicks off Monday at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum. * Sun-Times | Downstate man who wore Revolutionary War costume and gas mask at Jan. 6 riot gets 2.5 months in jail: Derek Nelson, 31, of Danville pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, D.C., that an “indelible” image of Nelson and a companion appearing as “willing foot soldiers of chaos” crystallized the harm caused “to the perceived stability of our republic.” * AP | EU accepts Apple pledge to let rivals access ‘tap to pay’ iPhone tech to resolve antitrust case: The deal promises more choice for Europeans. iPhone users will be able to set a default wallet of their choice while mobile wallet developers will be able to use important iPhone verification functions like Face ID, Vestager said. […] The changes that Apple is making are to remain in force for a decade, will apply throughout the bloc’s 27 countries plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and will be monitored by a trustee.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Jul 11, 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.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Jul 11, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Paris Schutz of Fox Chicago…
* Daily Herald…
* 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. * 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. * 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. * 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. * 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.”
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ILGOP releases national convention delegate list
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * ILGOP…
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…
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.
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Coverage roundup: Mass transit leaders unwilling to give up fiefdoms
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ABC Chicago…
* WTTW…
* Block Club…
* Sun-Times…
* WGN…
* More… * Streetsblog | CTA, Metra, and Pace ridership have been recovering this year, but still have a long way to go to reach pre-COVID-19 levels: “It’s great to see that transit ridership is increasing, although it remains below pre-pandemic levels,” said Kendra Freeman, vice president of programs and strategic impact at the Metropolitan Planning Council. “Accessible and reliable public transit is a necessity for so many people across the region. MPC supports the transit funding and transit governance reforms found in [the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s] Plan of Action for Regional Transit as the best way to bolster our region’s transit system, ensure sustainability and continue to build back ridership to levels comparable to those found in our global peer metropolitan areas.” * Fox Chicago | First look at plan to combine CTA, Metra and Pace unveiled at public hearings: Five additional public hearings on this matter have been scheduled, although some don’t have locations just yet. The next hearing will be July 24 in the south suburbs.
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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.
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NFL teams rolling in dough
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sportico…
* Center Square…
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Healthcare Protection Act signed into law
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * WTVO…
* Press release…
* This is a big package…
* More…
* WCIA…
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Coverage roundup: Pritzker, Johnson make strong statements supporting Biden
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Governor Pritzker reiterated his support for President Biden yesterday during an unrelated news conference. Capitol News Illinois…
* ABC Chicago…
* Tribune…
* 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…
* More…
* 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.”
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Only 16% of Illinois nursing homes are in compliance with federal staffing standards (Updated)
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Capitol News Illinois in May…
* Today from WTTW…
*** Adding *** Lindsey Hess, the Communications Director at the Health Care Council of Illinois…
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Open thread
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois…
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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…
-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. * 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. * 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.” * 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. * 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. * 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.” * 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.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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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.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Jul 10, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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