Thursday - November 21, 2024
News Tipoffs - Illinois Editors Newsletter for Tuesday November 19, 2024 ( 15 items )  

David Teter Selected as DOE Idaho National Laboratory Chief Operating Officer
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, Nov. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory issued the following news release: Following an extensive nationwide search, David Teter has been selected as the Idaho National Laboratory's next deputy laboratory director for management and operations and chief operating officer. Teter will begin his new role in the spring of 2025. He succeeds Juan Alvarez, who left INL in October to become executive vice president of laboratory operations for Battelle M  more

FEMA Extends Application Deadline for Mid-July Severe Storms; Disaster Recovery Centers to Close This Week
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: SPRINGFIELD Homeowners and renters who suffered damage or loss from the July 13 16 severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding have additional time to apply for federal disaster assistance. FEMA has extended the application deadline to December 13, 2024, for residents in Cook, Fulton, Henry, St. Clair, Will, and Winnebago counties. FEMA assista  more

HHS Office for Civil Rights Reaches Agreement with Illinois Department of Human Services to Enforce Federal Disability Rights Laws
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release: This action serves as the latest in a series of efforts OCR has made to advance and protect the civil rights of people with disabilities to live in their homes and communities. Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced an agreement with the State of Illinois Department of Human Services to enforce Federal disability rights laws  more

ILL. A.G. RAOUL OBTAINS RESTITUTION FROM FORMER STATE EMPLOYEE WHO PLEADS GUILTY TO PPP LOAN FRAUD
CHICAGO, Illinois, Nov. 19 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2024: Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced today his office obtained a guilty plea in a case against a DuPage County woman who fraudulently received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for over $20,000 while employed by the state of Illinois. The Attorney General's prosecuted Arnita Rudd, 63, of Oak Lawn, Illinois who pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception, a Clas  more

ILL. A.G. RAOUL RECOVERS OVER $500,000 IN UNPAID OVERTIME WAGES FOR MISCLASSIFIED CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
CHICAGO, Illinois, Nov. 19 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2024: Attorney General Kwame Raoul today reached a $550,000 settlement with Polo Masonry Builders Inc. (Polo), United Builders Group Co. (United), and company owners Petro Pariychuk and Oleh Synychak. If accepted by a judge, the settlement agreement will resolve allegations that the Glenview, Illinois-based construction company, United, and its dissolved predecessor, Polo, violated   more

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Announces More Than $1M in Grants for Protection and Management of Illinois' Lake Michigan Shoreline
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Nov. 19 -- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program has awarded $1,075,395 in grants to Illinois organizations for coastal education, recreation, water quality protection, planning, and design and engineering projects along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Through a federal-state partnership with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, Illinois wil  more

Labor Dept.: Federal Court Approves $12M Plan to Distribute Assets to Providers, Participants Harmed by Underfunded Health Plan Arrangement in 36 States
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration issued the following news release: * * * AEU Holdings, Black Wolf Consulting, Veritas PEO Plan underfunded plan by more than $54M * * * CHICAGO - A federal court has approved a plan to make a final distribution of $12 million in assets to health plan participants and medical providers harmed by a multiple employer welfare arrangement, known as a MEWA. This distribution arises from a litigation broug  more

Medal of Honor Monday: Army Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Lee Davis
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: When a huge wave of Viet Cong troops threatened to overwhelm Army Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Lee Davis' battalion at a small fire base in Vietnam, he jumped into action to fight back. Despite suffering several injuries, Davis traversed a river to save three of his comrades and did what he could to stop the onslaught. He received the Medal of Honor for his efforts. Davis was born on Nov. 1, 1946, in Dayton, Ohio, to Robe  more

N.Y. A.G. James Urges Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act
ALBANY, New York, Nov. 19 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2024: * * * Bipartisan Coalition of 32 Attorneys General Urge Federal Action to Protect Children on Social Media Platforms * * * NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today joined a bipartisan coalition of 32 attorneys general calling on Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which would protect children from emerging technologies including some of the   more

National Park Service Announces Kevin Griess as Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release: The National Park Service has named Dr. Kevin Griess to serve as superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks. He will oversee management of the Mall's iconic monuments and memorials and care for treasured neighborhood green space with a budget of approximately $38 million and alongside a staff of more than 200 employees and 3,000 volunteers. Griess begins his assignment in   more

National Park Service Distributes $500,000 in Grants to Underground Railroad Sites, Projects
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release: The National Park Service (NPS) has awarded $500,000 in grants to a variety of research, preservation and outreach activities related to the Underground Railroad and freedom seekers. In collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the grants were distributed through a competitive process to 20 current or prospective NPS Underground  more

NIH-developed AI algorithm matches potential volunteers to clinical trials
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health issued the following news release: Such an algorithm may save clinicians time and accelerate clinical enrollment and research. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to help speed up the process of matching potential volunteers to relevant clinical research trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study published in Natu  more

Okla. A.G. Drummond Calls on FCC to Strengthen Process Blocking More Robocallers
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, Nov. 19 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2024: Attorney General Gentner Drummond is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to improve its Robocall Mitigation Database that could reduce illegal robocalls. He is working with 46 other attorneys general to close a loophole in the database that allows bad actors to have access to the U.S. telephone network. Registration on the FCC's Robocall Mitigation   more

Pa. U.S. Attorney: Seven Defendants Charged In Health Care Fraud And Kickback Scheme Involving 'Foot Baths'
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Nov. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that the following individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and multiple counts of health care fraud: * Frank Suess (a.k.a., Franz P. Suess), age 78, of Wellington, Florida; * Luis Salgado, age 50, of Nape  more

Tenn. A.G. Skrmetti Leads 31 State Attorneys General Urging Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Nov. 19 -- Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued the following news on Nov. 18, 2024: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led 31 state attorneys general in a letter today to Congressional leadership urging them to pass the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act ("KOSA"), crucial legislation protecting children from online harm, before the end of the year. The coalition letter emphasized the urgent need to address the growing crisis of youth mental health   more