Author: Dani Tietz

State of Illinois

Governor Pritzker Warns of Rural Hospital Crisis as Federal Budget Cuts Threaten Illinois Communities

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker met with southern Illinois healthcare leaders on this week to address the impact of federal budget cuts on rural hospitals. He warned that nine facilities across the state face closure risks that could eliminate over 500 hospital beds and 2,500 jobs. The roundtable discussion, held at […]

Federal

Top 10 Things to Currently Know About the Epstein/Maxwell files

In a departure from standard prosecutorial practice, where cooperation discussions under limited immunity agreements are typically kept confidential, the Department of Justice has released transcripts and audio from a two-day interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former partner and convicted accomplice. Conducted under a “queen for a day” proffer agreement, […]

Federal

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Denying Diversity Visas Based on Travel Ban

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ruled that the State Department cannot use the president’s travel ban to deny visa applications to diversity lottery winners. U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan issued a preliminary injunction on August 21, in the case Aye Aye Thein v. Trump, granting partial relief to over 100 […]

Federal

Federal Judge Orders Partial Shutdown of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Detention Facility in Florida Everglades

A federal judge in Miami has ordered the partial shutdown of the controversial immigration detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams issued an 82-page ruling late Thursday evening, granting a preliminary injunction that prohibits Florida and federal officials from bringing any new detainees to the […]

Federal

USCIS Announces New “Anti-Americanism” Screening for Immigration Benefits

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will now consider evidence of “anti-American” ideologies and activities as an “overwhelmingly negative factor” when reviewing immigration benefit applications. The updated guidance, effective immediately and applicable to all pending and future benefit requests, directs USCIS officers to consider whether applicants have […]

Federal

Fed Chair Hints at Policy Shift as Moody’s Sounds Recession Alarm on Stalled Job Growth

The Federal Reserve’s Chair, Jerome H. Powell, delivered an assessment of the U.S. economy Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium. Just days earlier, Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi sounded the alarm on sharply elevated recession probabilities. In his annual address, Powell noted that while core inflation has eased closer […]

State of Illinois

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Pushes Back Against Trump’s National Guard Threats to Chicago

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker sharply rebuked President Donald Trump’s statements on Friday after the president suggested that Chicago would be the next U.S. city to face a federal National Guard deployment due to crime and public safety concerns. Speaking from the White House, President Trump alleged that Chicago was a […]