logo
"Chicago's Morning Answer" cuts Amy Jacobson

"Chicago's Morning Answer" cuts Amy Jacobson

Axios02-07-2025
Longtime Chicago radio personality Amy Jacobson is out at the conservative station WIND-AM.
Why it matters: Jacobson is well-known to Chicago media consumers, most recently co-hosting "Chicago's Morning Answer" with Dan Proft for almost 16 years.
She was last heard on Tuesday morning.
What they're saying: "Due to staffing reductions, today was my last day on the air," Jacobson wrote on social media Tuesday night, before promoting her new podcast.
Axios reached out to Salem Media Group, but did not hear back.
Flashback: Jacobson started as a news reporter for NBC Chicago in 1996, but was fired in 2007 after a rival station captured video of her poolside with Craig Stebic, who was a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, Lisa.
Jacobson sued CBS and others for libel. After a state appeals court ruled against Jacobson, she appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case in 2015.
Zoom out: After leaving television, Jacobson moved into a radio career, eventually settling in as co-host alongside Proft.
The two enjoyed success as one of Chicago's most conservative radio programs, routinely slamming Illinois leaders, including President Barack Obama and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Key decisions that will shape rural health fund
Key decisions that will shape rural health fund

Axios

time9 hours ago

  • Axios

Key decisions that will shape rural health fund

States next year will begin tapping the $50 billion rural health fund in the GOP's tax and spending law, but questions have already arisen about how the funds will be allocated — and how much they will benefit rural providers. Why it matters: The fund aims at helping rural hospitals and providers adjust to sweeping changes in how Medicaid is financed, including limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments. But important details have to be fleshed out. What they're saying: Sen. Josh Hawley, who pushed for the fund, in part to get his vote for the megabill, said CMS will need to make sure the money "flows to hospitals that need it" and are not simply "going to states in general to do whatever they want with it." "So far, so good. I liked how it was written up," Hawley said. "But we'll want to monitor closely how the agency puts it into effect." Sen. Thom Tillis, who was one of the three GOP "no" votes on the reconciliation bill, told Axios that CMS needs to "make sure it's a fair formula for rural hospitals." "I think that that pot of money looks big, but it's not really when you consider some of the economic impacts, mainly from the state-directed payments," Tillis said. "We'll be interested to see how they interpret the law." How it works: The new law allocates $10 billion annually for the next five years, starting in 2026. The law says $25 billion is to be distributed equally among all states that submit a "detailed rural health transformation plan," which could include details on how they would use the funds. Between the lines: States can apply for the aid only once, by the end of this year. If they estimate wrong, or run into unforeseen problems, they don't get another shot at it. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz must approve each state's application by Dec. 31. CMS has discretion to distribute the other $25 billion, based on factors such as how much of the state's population is rural and the number of rural health facilities. The CMS administrator can also consider other factors deemed appropriate. Friction point: Some of that flexibility raises questions about how CMS will proceed, said Zach Levinson, director of the KFF Project on Hospital Costs. "States will also have discretion on how they distribute funds among hospitals and other providers," Levinson said. "And they maybe will steer some dollars to non-rural areas, pending CMS approval." The concern is that some states could be favored over others, or that funding will not go to providers with the greatest needs. "There are risks of this becoming a slush fund if it's not carefully attended to and if it's not focused" on actual rural hospitals, said Jackson Hammond, a senior policy analyst at Paragon Health Institute. All the money has to be distributed by 2030 and spent by 2032. That also means much of the assistance will have already been spent before the provider tax and state-directed payment provisions take effect in 2028. The $50 billion sum also is about one-third of the $155 billion in estimated cuts to federal Medicaid spending in rural areas, per a KFF analysis.

Democrat Wiley Nickel may suspend NC Senate campaign: Reports
Democrat Wiley Nickel may suspend NC Senate campaign: Reports

The Hill

time11 hours ago

  • The Hill

Democrat Wiley Nickel may suspend NC Senate campaign: Reports

Former Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), who launched his campaign for Senate in April, is now mulling whether to suspend his campaign and instead enter the race for an open district attorney position in Wake County, two local stations and Semafor reported Friday. A shift from Wiley would open up the Senate field for former Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who has not yet formally launched his campaign but is expected to do so next week, Axios reported. Many Democrats are hoping for the former governor to run for a seat that is wide open after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced he would not seek reelection. Wiley served one term in Congress, from 2022 to 2024, opting not to run again after his district was re-drawn to heavily favor Republicans. Nickel is instead considering entering the race for the open district attorney position in Wake County, the state's most populous, WNCN and WRAL reported. Democrats are hoping North Carolina could be a prime pickup opportunity in the upcoming midterms. The party would need to flip four seats to gain control of the upper chamber. The general election is shaping up to be a showdown between Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who is running with the blessing of President Trump. Tills's successful reelection bid in 2020 became the most expensive race in Senate history after a close challenge from Democrat Cal Cunningham. The Republican senator announced he would not seek reelection in June after Trump mulled backing a challenger over Tillis's opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill.' After Tillis announced he would retire, the Cook Political Report rated the race a toss-up.

Scoop: Dems think they can get ahold of Epstein's birthday book
Scoop: Dems think they can get ahold of Epstein's birthday book

Axios

time12 hours ago

  • Axios

Scoop: Dems think they can get ahold of Epstein's birthday book

House Democrats are trying to get their hands on the now-infamous book celebrating Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday after it was suggested the disgraced financier's estate is in possession of it, Axios has learned. Why it matters: As the minority party in Congress, Democrats have been largely toothless in their attempts to investigate President Trump. They believe this is a rare opportunity to obtain concrete information. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who is leading the effort, told Axios it would be "very difficult" to obtain the book if it was in the hands of the Department of Justice. "In this case, you literally have a private attorney," said the California Democrat. "A private attorney is much more likely to comply. It's a much easier challenge than going after the administration." Driving the news: Khanna and House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) wrote to attorneys for the Epstein estate's executors asking for a "complete, unredacted copy" of the book, according to a copy of their letter obtained by Axios. Citing Wall Street Journal reporting that Trump submitted a poem and drawing for the book, the lawmakers wrote that it may be "essential" for a probe of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein matter. Trump has denied the Wall Street Journal's reporting and sued the outlet for libel. What they're saying: " We write with deep concern regarding potential public corruption, abuse of power, and failures in the federal law enforcement response to the Epstein case," Khanna and Garcia wrote. They argued that members of the Oversight Committee should be permitted to review the book before deposing Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who reportedly put it together. "Information gathered from this document may also inform the development of legislative reforms addressing sex trafficking networks, financial regulation, or other critical matters," they added. State of play: Brad Edwards, a lawyer for over 200 of Epstein's victims, said in an MSNBC appearance Thursday, "I know the executors of the estate are in possession of that book." "If somebody simply called" Epstein's executors "and said, 'Give us the book,' they would probably give you the book," Edwards said. "They have attorneys, their attorneys are good people. If they didn't just voluntarily turn over the book out of fear of reprisal, Congress could just issue a subpoena to their attorneys ... they would turn the book over immediately." The three attorneys for Epstein's executors did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Axios. What's next: Khanna and Garcia asked that Epstein's estate turn over the book by August 10. Khanna told Axios: "I will make sure, if we get it, that whatever we do in terms of releasing it is what the victims want, what the victims' attorney wants, and not just trying to score partisan points." "If the victims don't want certain things, I am going to guarantee that the victims are the topmost consideration," he said. "But I do believe that they will want some of it released and once we get it, we can."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store