Latest news with #McBroom
Chicago Tribune
27-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Letters to the Editor: McBroom's arguments for new IMEA contract ‘ring hollow'; what does democracy mean and how do we protect it?
I was disappointed to read Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom's June 22 opinion column in the Naperville Sun. Naperville voters should ask the councilman why he wants to sign a $2 billion contract without getting any bids from other companies. Naperville has received one offer from one organization, and he's ready to lock Naperville ratepayers into a contract that extends 30 years into the future. The consultants he references predict Naperville electricity costs will triple over the course of the contract. The council has collected zero information from companies other than our current provider, IMEA. Naperville ratepayers deserve better. The councilman has reviewed the analysis, which shows that IMEA's current contract with Naperville was hundreds of millions of dollars more expensive than the wholesale market, due in part to billions of dollars in cost overruns. The councilman's 'cost of delay' warnings ring hollow on a contract that doesn't expire until 2035, and when the experts he references said they've never seen a contract signed this far before the current contract expires. Equally hollow are the claims that his proposal is low risk. Each consultant warned that the electricity market is changing because of new technology and legislation, but Councilman McBroom advocates signing a contract with no ability to exit until 2055. The lack of any flexibility puts ratepayers at the highest risk. As if the proposal couldn't be worse, it sends a good portion of our money to a coal plant in Kentucky for three more decades. Please consider options that improve our economy by keeping those dollars and jobs in our state. The contract he wants to sign does nothing to keep IMEA from sending even more jobs out of state. He mentions bonds will be paid off soon but it's naive to think that IMEA will not issue new bonds as soon as we sign because their largest plant will shut down about half of its capacity three years into the contract and at least 50% of IMEA's current generation will be decommissioned 10 years before the end of the contract. On June 3, the councilman and all other members voted unanimously for a 'series of workshops on the long-term energy options.' We expect the councilman to stand by his vote and rigorously evaluate different options, rather than shortcutting the process and short-changing speeches, picnics, time with our families and fireworks are events commonly associated with the Fourth of July. But this year, when challenges to our government's checks and balances established by our founders are being reported almost daily, we invited our members to reflect on the meaning of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the United States government. Here are a few of the heartfelt responses to two questions. What does democracy mean to you? How can we protect our democracy? As you celebrate with your family and friends this Fourth of July, we hope you will take a moment to celebrate the importance of our democracy and the value of our Constitution and reflect on what you can do to defend our democracy.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan lawmakers talk education reform, funding & local control at Mackinac Policy Conference
State Sens. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) discuss Michigan's education system during the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. May 28, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson Gathering in Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel on Wednesday, State Sens. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) joined Skillman Foundation President and CEO Angelique Power to discuss areas for improvement in Michigan's education system. The discussion was one of the forums scheduled during the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. McBroom and Camilleri, both former educators, opened the panel by recounting the pathway that brought them to begin teaching, before answering some pre-recorded questions from Michigan students about education policy and how they engage with education on the ground. Jia Patel, a senior at Grand Blanc High School, asked the lawmakers how they interact with and listen to youth voices in their policymaking process. Camilleri said one of his guiding philosophies as a lawmaker is to stay connected to the kids. 'I go to my classrooms all the time, all across my district. I listen to students, listen to educators, and I've never really left…I may not be teaching in front of the kids anymore, but I miss them all the time and I talk to them,' he said. Additionally, Camilleri said he works to bring youth into the campaign and political world through internships, telling attendees it's something that would have benefitted him as a young adult. Alongside raising five teenagers, McBroom said he also visits schools within his district but noted those invitations have come slower since the pandemic. He also helps conduct mock interviews with student teachers for Northern Michigan University's teachers education program. McBroom touched on Patel's effort to bring forth legislation allowing youth to serve on school boards, calling it an excellent opportunity and noting his school had put students on the board while he was in eighth grade. Alongside youth engagement, McBroom and Camilleri touched on funding for schools, with McBroom arguing the state's shift to merit core curriculum in the mid 2000s, which requires students to earn a specific number of credits in subject areas including English, math, science and social studies, had strangled the state's career technical education, as funding for many classrooms hinged on their enrollment from the year prior. However, in his 13 years in the Legislature, McBroom said there have been a lot of efforts to provide more resources to career technical centers and work with labor unions to teach skilled trades. The state has also worked to close the funding gap between students, noting that the gap had almost been closed since efforts began in 1994. Camilleri pointed to the Opportunity Index Formula used in recent years which shifts school funding to the schools with greater need and higher levels of poverty. 'I wanna be clear, it's not just urban schools, right? These are rural school districts across the state that have transportation funding issues and special education funding issues and all kinds of other challenges too, and this puts them through that lens as well,' Camilleri said, noting that lawmakers had paired this lens of historic levels of school funding with the Senate's latest education budget allocating another $250 million into the formula, for a total of $1.3 billion in funding. Shifting to another question from University of Michigan student Brandon Hofmeister, Camilleri and McBroom discussed ways to ensure Michigan students have the tools they need to pursue a post-high school education. McBroom again looked to Michigan's merit curriculum, noting that prior to those changes, the only requirements were a year of physical education and a semester of government, with the remaining curriculum left up to a local school district. 'Unfortunately, the Legislature, in my opinion, overstepped by a long way, by creating this huge 'here's the classwork everybody should accomplish' and directed so many students away from the skilled trades,' McBroom said, calling merit curriculum the turning point in going down a 'bad one-size-fits-all path.' Instead, lawmakers should be setting overarching goals for graduation, literacy skills and job attainment rather than telling students they have to take specific courses, McBroom said. Whether a school focused on the arts or the sciences should be decided by the local school board and the community in collaboration with parents and students, McBroom said. As Michigan's literacy rates have decreased across the past two decades, leaving the state at 41st in the nation for education, Power asked both lawmakers what needs to change in Michigan to improve the state's educational outcomes. While Lansing could do more on credentialing of superintendents and principals to ensure quality staff are administering schools, McBroom called for lawmakers to empower locals more, giving them more opportunity and more freedom with clear directives of what to accomplish. 'We also need to stop changing the rules so often…. we need less turmoil from Lansing, more good guidance,' McBroom said, emphasizing that local communities know their needs best. He also argued that changes to the state Board of Education are necessary, pointing to the current process of allowing political parties to nominate candidates for the board without holding a primary. Camilleri offered a different approach, arguing there are too many school districts in Michigan. While lawmakers can get local by allowing them to set goal posts, total local control is not in the state's best interest, he said. 'We gotta get, again, these guiding posts of where we all want to be and in order to meet better standardized testing and be prepared for college and career, all of these things have to be with a vision in mind. And we as stakeholders in Lansing and policy makers in Lansing, we need to be empowered and feel comfortable with setting that direction and do so in a collaborative way,' Camilleri said. 'I'm not saying 'no local control', but when you have 1,600 people, plus boards, plus superintendents, all these different people in the room, it makes it challenging,' Camilleri said, with McBroom agreeing. Camilleri and McBroom also offered their perspectives on moving forward amid federal disruptions and efforts to eliminate the federal department of education. While it's possible to move forward, it will require willing leaders on both sides of the aisle, Camilleri said, noting that the state Senate had already advanced its own education budget. However, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) has avoided committing to passing a budget before the July 1 legislative deadline, which carries no mandate, arguing the Legislature's responsibility is to pass a budget before the fiscal year ends on Oct. 1. 'I hope that we can still meet that deadline. Well, we are in uncharted territory. I mean, I don't have a good answer on that front, because we still do have the chaos out of [Washington] D.C. where we don't have a final budget from them. What are they attempting to cut? And then, how does that have the impact on our budgets here at the local level,' Camilleri said, arguing the state does not have to cut funding to schools due to a surplus in the school aid fund. McBroom offered a more optimistic assessment, arguing the situation was something lawmakers navigated before, with lawmakers previously working under a split-legislature in 2010. 'We've had chaos from the feds before. We've had cuts before in times of bad finances and bad decisions. So I don't really see this as uncharted, whereas it's just different than it was for the past 15 years in Michigan,' he said. 'Whether the feds are doing a good job or not, we should always be trying to labor for something better, to do a better job. If the feds are going to give us these dollars that used to come through the Department of Ed and block grants, let's make sure that we work together to make sure they get to where we need them to be,' McBroom said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Express Tribune
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ace Family's Catherine Paiz details Austin McBroom cheating scandal on podcast
Catherine Paiz is breaking her silence on what really ended her marriage to Austin McBroom. In a new Call Her Daddy podcast interview, the former ACE Family star revealed the truth behind their 2024 divorce — and confirmed years of cheating rumors. The couple, once beloved for their family vlogs on YouTube, built a fanbase of over 18 million subscribers by sharing daily life with their three kids: Elle, Alaïa, and Steel. But in January 2024, they quietly announced their split. Now, Paiz has revealed McBroom cheated with at least three women she knows about — and possibly up to 20. McBroom addressed his infidelity on Snapchat earlier this year, claiming Paiz was okay with it as long as he didn't embarrass her — a claim she strongly denied. 'I would never say that,' Paiz told host Alex Cooper. 'You never cheat on the person you love.' Their once-idyllic family life began to unravel in 2021 following financial and legal controversies, including the foreclosure of their $10 million home. The couple stopped posting to their ACE Family YouTube channel in 2023. Despite the split, the two remain committed co-parents and live minutes apart for the sake of their children. Paiz has since gone public with her new boyfriend, Igor Ten, while McBroom says he'll keep his relationships off social media. Paiz's memoir Dolores: My Journey Home, released in May 2025, explores her healing journey after years of betrayal. Though the ACE Family era is over, both stars are now focused on personal growth and raising their children peacefully.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
YouTube star Catherine Paiz says ex Austin McBroom cheated with 20 women
YouTube star Catherine Paiz says ex Austin McBroom cheated with 20 women Show Caption Hide Caption It's been 20 years since Jawed Karim uploaded the first Youtube video On April 23, 2005, Jawed Karim uploaded the first-ever Youtube video. Trillions more followed. In January 2024, social media was abuzz with news of a huge breakup in the vlogger world. Catherine Paiz and Austin McBroom, a married couple who were among YouTube's first family vloggers (to the tune of more than 18 million followers), announced their split at the start of the new year. At the time, they didn't specify why they chose to go their separate ways, but now, fans are finally hearing the reason behind their dramatic and very public divorce. During an appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast on May 28, Paiz revealed McBroom's cheating contributed to their split. Paiz told host Alex Cooper that she found out about his infidelity after discovering a text from another woman on his phone while she was pregnant with their third child. "I grabbed the phone, this long text comes through, 'If you really love your wife,'" she said. "I was yelling, screaming, 'Tell me, please, please, just tell me who that was. I feel so stupid. Just tell me, I'm having a baby.'" She continued: "I never heard him say the words, 'I cheated' until about a week ago," which may be in reference to McBroom publicly admitting to cheating on May 12. Paiz found out about "20 or something" women McBroom had cheated with, saying her ex claimed she had given him a pass and told him "as long as ... you don't embarrass me." "I never, ever, ever said that," she said. "I would never say that. I would never want my kids to think that that is OK to cheat on your husband or your wife, and I will make sure that I raise them and that they know that they never, ever do that because that is so wrong. And you never cheat on the person you love. Paiz appeared on the podcast ahead of the July release of her book, "DOLORES: My Journey Home: (Finding Myself Beyond The ACE Family)." Here's what to know about the former YouTubers. Who is Catherine Paiz? Who is Austin McBroom? Catherine Paiz, 34, born Dolores Catherine Johnston Paiz , was born in Montreal, Canada, and moved to Los Angeles at 16. Her ex-husband, Austin McBroom, 33, is a content creator and former basketball player from Palmdale, California. The pair met at a dinner party in 2015, and after McBroom kept pursuing her, they eventually began dating. Paiz and McBroom got married privately in 2017 and didn't reveal their nuptials until January 2020, shortly after the couple announced their third pregnancy. The couple share three children: daughters Elle and Alaïa and a son named Steel. Looking back at the divorce: The ACE Family's Catherine and Austin announce divorce after 7 years. When did the Ace Family start on YouTube? The ACE Family started their YouTube channel a couple of months after their first daughter, Elle, was born in 2016. The couple's first video was posted on July 27, 2016. The name is derived from the first initial of each of their names – Austin, Catherine and Elle. The channel gave millions of viewers an inside look into their lives, from the births of all three of their children to the rise of their social media empire. The ACE Family's YouTube account still has over 18 million subscribers, despite not posting since June 2023. When did the ACE Family break up? Why did the ACE Family quit YouTube? Paiz and McBroom announced their divorce in January 2024, posting separate statements to their Instagram accounts. As of May 13, 2025, both posts have been removed. "Our paths as a couple have shifted and has created differences that are irreconcilable. This decision comes with a very heavy heart," Paiz wrote in her post on Jan. 11, 2024. "As heartbreaking as it is, I feel liberated. "I have spent the past few years prioritizing my children and honoring my commitment to my family; all the while I seemed to be losing myself and my own personal happiness." As for McBroom, he said, "We created one of the greatest stories, almost a decade together, so many memories, so many accomplishments but every book comes to an end. And now we will be writing a new book as separate authors." McBroom ended his post: "With that being said, 2024 will be life-changing for me. I will be dedicated to myself, my kids, my health, my body, my mind, my spirit, and God." The couple had never shared a reason behind the separation before now, simply stating they had "mutually agreed" to a divorce. Has Austin McBroom addressed the cheating allegations? Leaked pages from Paiz's book made waves on social media in early May, leading McBroom to post a nearly 30-minute story to his Snapchat on the night of May 12. He said he felt "blindsided" by the book's content and never wanted to discuss this in public. While he admitted to cheating, he told his followers that he was not portrayed fairly. He claimed Paiz was aware of his actions and that they had continued their relationship for several years afterward. Once the news of their divorce became public, he claimed he wanted to make a video admitting to the cheating, but Paiz told him not to do it. He added that he feels she's now monetizing their past for attention. When does Catherine Paiz's book come out? "DOLORES: My Journey Home: (Finding Myself Beyond The ACE Family)" is set to release on July 1. The book is co-written and published by USA TODAY bestselling author Riley J. Ford. "When her path led her to Los Angeles, she built a life that seemed like a fairytale: love, children, and a pioneering YouTube career that influenced millions. As part of The ACE Family, she became a familiar face around the globe. But behind the scenes, Catherine was carrying heartbreak, facing betrayal, navigating intense public scrutiny, and slowly losing herself," the book's description reads. It continued: "When everything she built began to unravel, she set out on the most important journey of all—alchemizing her pain into strength, transforming her life, and finding her way back to the woman she was always destined to be. This is the true story of a life that looked perfect, and the brave heart who stepped beyond the picture to find something real."
Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Naperville councilman McBroom, DuPage GOP, Awake Illinois battle District 203 over transgender female athletes
Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom and DuPage County Republicans are among those attacking Naperville School District 203 over a junior high track meet at which it's claimed one of the winning athletes was a transgender girl. In a case that has evoked hundreds of online comments and national media attention, Naperville-based Awake Illinois Monday filed a federal Title IX complaint against the district with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. 'Some of the girls were left in tears (at the May 14 track meet),' McBroom wrote in a May 16 post on his Naperville City Council Facebook page. 'And parents are speaking out — not from a political place, but as concerned moms and dads who care deeply about fairness for our daughters.' He also made it a city issue by questioning why the Naperville office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a department he has advocated for dissolving, did not speak out about the situation because 'residents deserve to see action when it matters most.' But it's also a subject that elicited support from area residents and the LGBTQ+ population and advocates, many of whom attended Monday's night's Naperville District 203 School Board meeting to laud the district for not yielding to the criticism. The situation is the latest in a series of complaints in Chicago and the suburbs centered on transgender students. Last month, Awake Illinois lodged similar allegations against Valley View District 365-U, which inspired passionate pleas in support of LGBTQ+ youth at a school board meeting for the Bolingbrook-Romeoville district. Chicago Public Schools and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 have also been subject to federal complaints over the past few months. Allegations against District 203 are tied to a junior high track meet held at Naperville North High School last week. Videos started circulating on social media of a Naperville student athlete winning events at the event alongside claims that she should not have competed in the girls' division. Posts have garnered thousands of views and hundreds of comments. In response, DuPage County Republicans on May 15 posted a statement on its Facebook page maintaining that female athletes 'should be allowed to compete fairly and safely in their desired sports.' As part of the statement, the local GOP linked to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February under which transgender athletes are banned from participating in girls' and women's sports. On the same day, Awake Illinois weighed in, noting on social media that it was prepared to file a federal civil rights complaint against District 203, which the group made good on four days later. At the core of Awake's complaint is that District 203 is in violation of 'current Title IX protections.' Title IX is a 1972 law forbidding discrimination based on sex in education. Last year, the Biden administration finalized new rules expanding the law to also prevent discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Those added provisions, however, were struck down nationwide in January after a federal judge in Kentucky found they overstepped the president's authority. McBroom spoke out on the situation on May 16 via Facebook. 'So here's my question: Where is the (city of Naperville's) DEI department now? Is its role just to host workshops and 'conversations'? Will it speak out on this issue?' McBroom wrote in his post. 'Will it engage the community? Or will it stay silent?' McBroom has not been shy about his skepticism of the city's DEI department. He has questioned the city's spending on DEI amid discussions over how Naperville will account for the $6.5 million in annual revenue it stands to lose when the state's grocery tax sunsets next year. In a guest column in the Naperville Sun last fall, McBroom wrote, 'Sharpening the pencil on the city budget is certainly in order and DEI should be on the short list of where to tighten.' Reached by phone, McBroom deferred to his Facebook post and declined further comment. Requests for comment from the city were not returned. In his post, McBroom also called on school boards and district leadership to 'lead.' 'Protect the girls in our schools. Step up. Take a stand. … We are watching. And we're waiting,' he wrote. The situation was also discussed in a segment of Fox News' America Reports Monday. People flooded the District 203 School Board meeting Monday night to speak for and against transgender student athletes and to denounce those who were sharing the student's identity and photo on social media. 'The use of a student's image, likeness or name to further a political agenda is abhorrent and unacceptable,' said Amanda Zigterman, parent of two District 203 students. 'Essentially, it is bullying on a local and national stage by adults who should know better.' But other parents and community activists were vocally opposed to biological males competing in sporting events against girls, saying it creates an unfair playing field and should not be allowed. 'What is the acceptable amount of genetic boys allowed to participate in girls sports divisions?' parent Jason Copeland said. 'If the answer is anything other than zero, that person isn't qualified to be on a board overseeing the protection and education of children at any level in this district.' More than 30 residents and community activists voiced their opinions for about 90 minutes. On one side of the room, audience members held up neon yellow signs with messages that included 'Protect Girls Sports,' 'Support Common Sense' and 'Defend Title IX.' The other side was filled with people waving flags supporting transgender and LGBTQ+ rights, wearing Naper Pride shirts and 'ally' buttons, and holding signs advocating for inclusion. Roughly two-thirds of the speakers voiced their support for the right of transgender students to compete in sports and criticizing those who would turn a child into a political pawn by spreading their image on social media. 'It's not just wrong. It is harmful,' Jon O'Toole said. 'As a person of faith, we are called to love our neighbors, to speak for the vulnerable and to make space at the table for everybody. That includes trans kids. Kids should be able to show up as their bold true selves, on the field, in the classroom, in their communities.' Playing sports is about teamwork, confidence and belonging, he added, and everyone deserves that chance. 'This is not about politics,' O'Toole said. 'This is about people. This is about a child who just wants to play with their friends and be accepted for who they are. We should be working to lift that child up and protect all students, not single them out for harm. Trans kids aren't up for debate. They are not a threat. They are not a problem that needs to be solved.' Parent Tim Thompson, father of two children, said he appreciated that the school board was upholding state law and allowing transgender students to compete. District 203 should be lauded for its support of inclusivity and not cowed into bending its beliefs by civil rights complaints. 'This is just another in a long list of ways that they are attacking and devaluing public education,' he said. '… Don't be fooled. It was never about a race. It was never about an athlete. This is an attempt to further marginalize a group and tell them they don't belong, that they aren't good enough.' Other speakers, however, said it's not fair to expect girls to compete against biological boys in sporting events. A student who was born male should not be able to take away girls' achievements, hard work and effort, they said. Parent Doug MacGregor noted that some parents spend thousands of dollars on sports coaches, training and camps for their daughters only to face unfair competiton due to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'When their daughter steps up for her chance to win a state championship or medal, she'll lose to a biological male,' he said. 'That once in a lifetime moment gone because of DEI's political agenda.' Parent Jenny George said there are clear disparities between male and female athletes. Her son, a high school track athlete, would rank first in girls' categories but is in the 300s when competing against boys, she said. 'Your job is to represent every student in this district, but you have turned your back on half of them,' George said. 'Women's sports exist to offer a competitive space for female athletes. When males enter those spaces in competition, it is women and girls who are pushed out — out of races, out of records and out of recognition. This is not progress. This is a huge step backwards.' Naperville resident Shannon Adcock, founder of Awake Illinois, said her organization is fighting for fairness and to uphold protections provided through Title IX. 'Now in 2025, you've got boys stealing girls' victories, leaving young girls sobbing on the track,' she said 'This isn't inclusion, it's oppression.' Adcock said she would like to see the $8.9 million the district receives in federal funding frozen until it abides by Title IX. The school board did not address the public comments, and no item was on the agenda related to its policies regarding transgender athletes. District officials declined comment after the meeting. A District 203 spokesperson also declined to comment, saying in an email, 'Please know that the district is committed to protecting the privacy of all students. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and district policy, we cannot and will not share personal or identifiable information about any student without appropriate consent.' The district adheres to the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Illinois State Board of Education guidance, they said, 'which prohibit discrimination in schools and ensure full and equal access to programs and services regardless of gender identity or other protected characteristics.'
