Afternoon Briefing: Marines moved into Los Angeles amid protests
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan arrived today at the federal courthouse in downtown Chicago for his historic sentencing in a long-running corruption case that shook the state's political world to the core.
Madigan, 83, who for years was widely hailed as the most powerful politician in the state, gave a slight smile as he strode past a horde of television news cameras with his lawyers and family members without comment. Carrying a briefcase and umbrella, he then headed to the 12th-floor courtroom of U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey.
The hearing is expected to last two hours or more. Check back at chicagotribune.com for updates.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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A lot of attention has been given to the Sox since the fandom of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, for the South Side baseball team was revealed. But religious women from local orders have frequented Sox games for decades. Read more here.
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President Donald Trump's administration this week provided deportation officials with personal data — including the immigration status — on millions of Medicaid enrollees, a move that could make it easier to locate people as part of his sweeping immigration crackdown. Read more here.
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Andrew Vaughn, the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft, had been a prominent component of the Sox lineup since arriving in the majors in 2021. But he got off to a slow start this season and the Sox optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte on May 23. Read more here.
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Juneteenth is more than just a holiday. It's a celebration of freedom, community and the rich tapestry of Black culture that continues to shape Chicago and the rest of the country. Read more here.
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After a week of tense protests over the federal immigration raids, about 200 Marines have moved into Los Angeles and will protect federal property and personnel, a military commander said. Read more here.
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Time Magazine
10 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
31 Nobel Laureates Warn: The Signs of Fascism are Here
On June 14, President Donald Trump will hold a military parade to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The Parade is also marking Flag Day, and his 79th birthday. The symbolism is undeniable. Critics have noted that the parade's unmistakably authoritarian flavor evokes Soviet theatrics more than democratic celebration, and accuse Trump of acting more like a monarch than a president. Trump's parade will also occur on the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Letter of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals, published in Italy after Benito Mussolini seized power. The letter posed great personal risk for the signatories, which included scientists, philosophers, writers, and artists. Today, scholars from more than 30 countries, including 28 Nobel Laureates, are taking on the similar risks by signing a modern version of this letter which offers a similar warning: The signs of authoritarianism, and its more militaristic sibling fascism, are here. This is not hyperbole. We are once again witnessing the coordinated rise of authoritarian forces in global democracies. According to the V-Dem Institute's 2025 Democracy Report, 72% of the world's population now live under autocratic rule—nearly 3 out of 4 people. The world is lurching toward autocracy, with alarming speed. And this trend is not just occurring in the United States. Israel —long described as the only democracy in the Middle East—has recently seized humanitarian flotillas in international waters. Palestinians in Gaza are being bombed, displaced, and starved. In Hungary, freedom of the press and civil rights have been fundamentally denied for years. In India, religious minorities are experiencing rising violence and a sustained clampdown on dissent under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele is defying constitutional, political, and legal constraints. And in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is 'purging the judiciary, cracking down on the media, and jailing political opponents.' Across the U.S., masked officers are conducting immigration raids, detaining people of color in churches and workplaces. Protesters for migrants' rights in Los Angeles were met with Marines and National Guard troops. These scenes bear disturbing similarities to those from a century ago, and they should alarm us all. History offers a powerful warning In 1925, when Mussolini was solidifying his power grip on Italy, the philosopher Benedetto Croce authored the Letter of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals, signed by cultural figures such as Luigi Einaudi, and Eugenio Montale. By then, it was already dangerous to dissent publicly. Yet Croce and his peers knew that silence in the face of tyranny is not prudence. It is surrender. As Italian citizens, we feel the responsibility of that legacy. Italy, which has yet to fully reckon with its fascist past, has served and continues to serve as a laboratory for the far right. That history compels us to speak up. So we wrote A Renewed Open Letter Against the Return of Fascism. In one month, it has been signed by more than 400 scholars who understand that being silent is to be complicit. The letter emerged as a response to the events of early 2025, when multiple authoritarian tactics were brutally deployed in the U.S. and beyond in a ' flood the zone ' approach, designed to overwhelm resistance. Prestigious universities, law firms, trade unions, and even elements of the political opposition capitulated or sought accommodation with power. Many clung to the illusion that silence might spare them. But we must reject the false promise of compromise. The pulsion of authoritarianism is to accumulate power, not to come to terms with the opposition. Ultimately, complying leads to complicity. Instead, we must name political aggression clearly: this new authoritarian wave bears clear fascist traits. These movements share essential elements: disdain for pluralism and diversity, fetishization of leadership, order and aggression, dismissal of the rule of law, and aversion to accountability. They thrive on our fear of calling them out. We must not sleepwalk towards the collapse of democracy The over 400 scholars who signed the letter do not agree on everything. In fact, they often debate theories, methods, and ideologies. But they are united in their commitment to democracy: the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the press, the autonomy of scientific and cultural institutions, and the dignity of every human being. They also agree on this: we are sleepwalking towards the collapse of democracy. We must convince people of conscience that masked agents abducting civilians without due process, the neutering of legislatures, the dismissal of international human rights law, and the erosion of judicial independence cannot be accepted. History teaches us that tyrants typically consolidate their power by mocking intellectuals. Then, they escalate through violence. However, we are optimistic that once we acknowledge the signs of fascism, we can defeat it again. Silence does not always stem from ignorance. Often, it grows from fear: of repression, of losing status, of standing alone. And beneath that fear lies a corrosive belief that resistance is futile. That we are outnumbered. That we cannot win. This is the lie that allows authoritarianism to spread, one silenced voice at a time. But history tells a different story. Authoritarianism can be defeated. Not by waiting it out, but through bold and united mobilization that speaks truth to power. When hundreds of scholars—many who have dedicated their lives to studying the fall of democracies—warn that fascism is returning, they are not being dramatic. They are being precise. We know what fascism looks like. We have seen it before. And we know we must all act now to stop it.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
I lived my worst nightmare – but Medicaid made my daughter's 14 months possible
I lived my worst nightmare – but Medicaid made my daughter's 14 months possible | Opinion Medicaid gave me time with my child, providing the essential medical care she needed and the time I needed to know my daughter beyond her injuries. Medicaid gave my daughter a full, rich life. Show Caption Hide Caption Sen. Joni Ernst at Iowa town hall: 'Well, we all are going to die' Sen. Joni Ernst defended cuts to Medicaid at an Iowa town hall May 30, 2025, as an angry crowd confronts her. Medicaid matters. And I'll give you just one reason why. It's the same story I shared with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, after she justified lives lost thanks to Medicaid cuts with the comment, 'We all are going to die.' I was a healthy, soon-to-be mom with a full-time job and health insurance. I had a healthy pregnancy and successful delivery. My child and I were ready for the slow, sleepy recovery necessary after childbirth. Then, every parent's worst nightmare transpired. Surgery to make a minor repair in my daughter's stomach went horribly wrong. My maternity leave turned into eight weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit, followed by 14 months of medical intervention, undergoing therapies in and out of our home, with nursing support and oxygen tubes running through our house. And yes, she did in fact die, as Ernst so bluntly claimed for us all in a town hall meeting on May 30. Medicaid gave me time with my daughter Medicaid gave me time with my child, providing the essential medical care she needed and the time I needed to know my daughter beyond her injuries. Medicaid gave my daughter a full, rich life, even if it was much shorter than anyone hoped for. Though I had great health insurance from a good job, working 50 hours a week on average, I could never afford the care she needed. Like many families with preemies and injured infants in the NICU, we utilized every penny our insurance provided, but it wasn't enough. Medicaid covered what we couldn't and allowed her to have 14 months to meet her family. Hers became the most-visited pew in our church on Sunday mornings. She would always reach for our family dog, who was ever present at her side. She would hold your face in her hands as you held her, because she couldn't always see us clearly. My body will forever know the weight of her in my arms, and I became a kinder, gentler and far more compassionate person because I had this time with my child. Share your opinion: Republicans want massive cuts to Medicaid. What do you want? Tell us. | Opinion Forum It's my job to know we all die. That's what makes us all so valuable. I already know these truths about every human life because it's my job to know our value and worth. I am an ordained minister. I bless babies. I baptize children. I celebrate the lives of those who pass beyond our earthly realm ‒ hopefully, after a very long, and well-lived life. I know we all die. It's my job to know. And it's my job to remind everyone that this very fact – that we do die – is what makes us all so incredibly valuable. Our finitude is exactly why we need to be cherished and cared for. Medicaid gave my daughter the chance to be cherished by me and by everyone who knew her. I lived the incredibly difficult and painful life of loving and losing a child who was on Medicaid. And I am eternally grateful for what this program meant for my daughter and my family. I lived the gift of Medicaid, and I see the daily support Medicaid provides in our community. A deacon in my congregation is on Medicaid. He lives on a fixed income, so he walks to work and to church, and yet, he's the first one there every Sunday morning. He makes the coffee. He prepares the communion trays. Opinion: Will Trump's big bill kill people? Here's the truth about Medicaid cuts. One Sunday, when a gentleman quietly wept after the loss of his beloved wife of 72 years, this deacon gently placed his hand on his shoulder and held the communion tray until he was ready to be served. The patience and comfort our deacon showed that day is what Medicaid provides for Iowans. It doesn't provide everything, just a gentle hand as we face the challenges of life. Yes, we all die. Our dying is what makes how we live so important. How we live and serve one another is why Medicaid exists, and why protecting it matters so much. Single mothers doing their best will be hurt most by Medicaid cuts The people most affected by these cuts will be single mothers doing their very best to raise their children. I know these families. They come to church for preschool and child care before visiting the food pantry down the street. Our most vulnerable are worthy of care and Medicaid. They are not a bottom line on a budget spreadsheet aimed at funding tax breaks for the wealthy. Ernst's reminder that we all die should be a pivotal point in this Medicaid debate. Just not in the way she may have meant it. It is a reminder that how we live together is what matters most. Our greatest calling in life is to care for the least of those in our community. Those in need of care today are the same people we find in the Bible. The children. The disabled. The impoverished. The elderly. Senator Ernst, can you imagine being the one who reminds our community of this calling: that in caring for the least of us, we care for all of us? Can you imagine being the one who gets to say, 'Yes, we all die, so we're going to spend the life we have caring for each other the best we can'? I know you know this to be true. I pray you join me in making this vision a reality and ensure everyone can live before we all die. The Rev. Robyn Bles is senior minister at Wakonda Christian Church in Des Moines. This column originally published in the Des Moines Register.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
DeSantis golf fundraiser for Hope Florida charity ‘unusual,' nonprofit experts say
Gov. Ron DeSantis touted last year's Governor's Cup charity golf weekend as a fundraising success for the fledgling Hope Florida Foundation, saying it raised 'massive amounts of money.' Yet few of the attendees — which included officials in the governor's administration, his former campaign advisers and state contractors — donated to it. Several said they didn't even know the charity sponsored it, even though the nonprofit gave them custom golf bags and paid for their rooms, meals and drinks. The two-day event at a private club illustrates not only the overlap between the Foundation's charitable arm and the DeSantis political operation, but messiness with the financial oversight of the nearly 2-year-old organization. Following questions from the Herald/Times, the charity is scrambling to file paperwork required by Florida law to notify state officials and lawmakers about the value of the gifts it provided as part of the event. The reports were due March 1. Foundation officials are also correcting its IRS tax filing to more accurately show how much the event made. It wasn't the first time the Hope Florida Foundation, which benefits a program spearheaded by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, has failed to file key paperwork. In April, its board president told state lawmakers that the charity had not filed any tax returns, created a budget or conducted audits required by law. The charity is under investigation after diverting $10 million from a settlement with the state's largest Medicaid contractor to a pair of nonprofits that then gave millions to a political committee. Nonprofit experts say the golf fundraiser, held at the Watersound Club near Destin last May, was unusual in multiple ways. Unlike a typical fundraiser, in which attendees are asked to at least pay for a ticket benefiting the charity, just 14 of the 60 attendees donated, the charity's records show. In addition, attendees received free rooms up to $654 per night, food and drinks and other perks on the charity's dime. Some received custom golf bags. Many, including Sen. Ed Hooper of Clearwater and Rep. Lawrence McClure of Dover, said they didn't realize the event was a fundraiser for the Hope Florida Foundation. 'I don't remember it being mentioned or described,' said Hooper, the chairperson of the Senate budget committee. Under federal law, a charity's expenses must further its mission, said Robert Tigner, regulatory council for The Nonprofit Alliance, which advocates for nonprofits. 'Straying wildly outside those bounds, like treating everybody the governor knows to a good time, it's hard to figure out how that fits in any legitimate mission,' Tigner said. The Governor's Cup was the debut fundraiser for the Hope Florida Foundation. The charity was created by the DeSantis administration two years ago to support the state's Hope Florida program, which uses a hotline to connect people with nonprofit charities and social services. The Foundation is supposed to help the state carry out that mission, at least in part by giving grants to organizations that participate. It drew scrutiny from House Republicans earlier this year after it was found to have accepted — and quickly given away — $10 million from a $67 million settlement with a Medicaid contractor in October. The State Attorney's office in Leon County said there is an open criminal investigation involving the transactions. None of the board members attended the Governor's Cup event, according to room receipts and other records about the fundraiser obtained by the Herald/Times through a public records request. The Hope Florida Foundation did not answer questions about why dozens of people received free rooms or whether DeSantis was among them. In a statement, the charity's attorney, Jeff Aaron, said the Governor's Cup was 'an extraordinary success' and had a net profit of nearly $700,000. That's well above the $425,000 that the Foundation's current tax return says the event raised, an error that the charity is fixing. 'Everyone involved in the event played an important role in making the fundraising possible,' Aaron said. DeSantis officials received free rooms The Governor's Cup cost the charity $95,547, including $36,642 in room fees and charges. The charges and receipts were managed not by the Foundation but by a former employee on DeSantis' campaign for governor. Some of the guests were associated with companies that hold state contracts, including Tidal Basin, The North Highland Co. and Centene. Centene gave $100,000 to the Foundation around the time of the Governor's Cup event, records show. Several lobbyists who attended told the Herald/Times that they knew that it was for the Hope Florida Foundation. 'It's my understanding that golf, dinner and staying overnight were part of the fundraising costs for the event,' said longtime lobbyist and Republican consultant Slater Bayliss. He said he and colleague Chris Chaney represented four clients that donated to the event: Centene, Tampa Electric, Tidal Basin and Simply Healthcare Plans. 'I am a huge supporter of Hope Florida and I believe in its mission,' Bayliss said. Records show that three people affiliated with the Hope Florida program attended the first night, including then-Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris and Ginger Faulk, a mom who has been held up by the DeSantises as evidence the state program works. Faulk couldn't be reached for comment. But unlike everyone else on the guest list, they were 'on [their] own for room payments,' the records state. Aaron did not answer when asked why. A spokesperson for the state Agency for Health Care Administration said Harris was there to give a presentation on the program, and the expenses for her and Faulk were paid by the Department of Children and Families. The rest of the attendees, who did not donate, included 13 members of the DeSantis administration. Among them: then-chief of staff James Uthmeier, who is now the state attorney general; then-Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida, who is now DeSantis' chief of staff; and Anastasios Kamoutsas, who was then a deputy chief of staff but was named Florida's education commissioner this month. A spokesperson for DeSantis said the legislators and staff participated 'for the benefit of the fundraiser.' There were five staffers and advisers from DeSantis' failed presidential campaign, including deputy campaign manager David Polyansky, adviser Marc Reichelderfer and pollster Ryan Tyson, who each received $169-per-night rooms. Tyson told the Herald/Times that he did not know that the Hope Florida Foundation paid for his room until a reporter sent him receipts. He also said he didn't recall whether the reason for the golf tournament was to raise money for the charity. 'There was no reason for them to do that, so I'll gladly reimburse them the $189.28 they spent on my stay,' he said. When notified by a reporter, Polyansky also said he was going to pay back the Foundation for his room. He said he flew into town primarily to catch up with the governor and didn't remember the details of the event. Two executives with Charter Communications, including the recently named Florida A&M University President Marva Johnson, also received rooms, according to the records. The cable company gave $100,000 to the Republican Party of Florida in the weeks before and after the event but did not give to the Foundation, according to a list of donations through March 24 this year. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment. Bennett Weiner, president and CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a standards-based charity monitoring organization, said he had never heard of a fundraising scenario in which participants weren't asked to make a donation. 'That's the purpose of the event,' he said. 'Even if it's not a large amount, it's something.' Lawmakers received gifts Nearly a year after the event, DeSantis touted its success during a news conference in the Panhandle. At the time, a House committee was scrutinizing the Foundation, which was used to divert at least $8.5 million from the Medicaid settlement to a political committee controlled by Uthmeier. Republican Rep. Alex Andrade has called the series of transactions illegal. At the news conference, DeSantis singled out lawmakers who attended the Governor's Cup for apparent hypocrisy. 'They were all a part of this,' DeSantis said. 'They were all singing the praises.' Eight Republican lawmakers attended on the second day, golfing with DeSantis and state officials without lobbyists present, several said. But four, including Hooper and McClure, said they didn't know the event had anything to do with the Hope Florida Foundation until being contacted by a reporter more than a year later. The others did not return calls from the Herald/Times or could not be reached for comment. Hooper said past Governor's Cup events have supported the First Tee Foundation, a charity that helps kids learn to golf. Usually lobbyists pick up the tab, he said, but he recalled an announcement that the St. Joe Co., which owns the resort, paid for the rooms. The St. Joe Community Foundation donated $200,000 to the charity five weeks later. State ethics laws require lawmakers and state officials, such as Uthmeier and Weida, to report gifts they receive from state-created charities to the Commission on Ethics. But first, the charity is supposed to inform them of the value of the gifts by March 1. None said they received such notice. Aaron didn't answer a question about why those notices were not sent out. Everyone should have known they were there to support a charity, said Rep. Debra Tendrich, a Democrat from Palm Beach County who runs her own nonprofit. Tendrich is on the House committee that investigated the Foundation. 'I would never have allowed my staff, or my team or my board, to promote an event and let people leave without knowing what they were supporting,' Tendrich said. 'To me, this is mind-boggling.' Tampa Bay Times investigative reporter Justin Garcia contributed to this report.
