Madigan caught on tape
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was recorded on a wiretapped phone call in 2018 discussing with lobbyist confidant Michael McClain a plan to arrange secret payments to a close political ally who had been implicated in a sexual harassment scandal.
Newly released court documents show during a call from Madigan to McClain in August of the year, McClain is quoted as telling Madigan he had put “four or five people together” who were willing to make monthly payments to the brother of a Chicago alderman for a six-month period to tide him over until he could find a job.
Former Oakbrook Terrace mayor pleads guilty
The former mayor of Oakbrook Terrace pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to a red light camera scheme.
Anthony Ragucci faces up to five years in prison for the kickback scheme with a businessman and his stepsons. They allegedly paid thousands of dollars a month in bribes to the mayor in exchange for a cut of the town’s red light proceeds.
Chicago nonprofit got BLM money
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation donated $200,000 during 2021 to a Chicago-based nonprofit whose executive director repeatedly called police officers “pigs.”
According to Fox News, Equity and Transformation was founded to defund the police by activist Richard Wallace, who remains the group’s executive director. According to tax forms, the BLM Global Network Foundation doled out $25 million in grants last year. Its co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, has been under fire for using donations to buy a $6 million dollar mansion.
‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign ongoing
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police are teaming up with more than 600 law enforcement agencies throughout the state in the national “Border to Border” mobilization.
The campaign is organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of the “Click It or Ticket” campaign. Illinois law enforcement will increase patrols and seat belt enforcement zones along major interstates, state border crossings and hundreds of well-traveled local roads starting May 23 and extending through Memorial Day.
Illinois moves to automate contact tracing
The Illinois Department of Health is shifting its COVID-19 contact tracing efforts and individual case telephone calls to automated case notifications.
Beginning June 1, IDPH will no longer make calls to people with close contacts to positive cases, and instead those individuals will receive an automated message.
Long COVID lasts around 15 months, study finds
A new study at Northwestern University shows people with long COVID-19 were still experiencing symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and fatigue for a median of 15 months after first falling ill.
Researchers say long COVID may affect up to 30% of people who get the virus, which means an estimated 24 million people in the U.S. may be experiencing lingering symptoms.