Afternoon Briefing: Illinois clinic offers new device to spinal cord injury patients
Eliazar Rodriguez was running errands in Roscoe Village when he was stopped by two men with a laminated flyer outside a Starbucks. They said they were raising money for their little brother who was killed in a drive-by shooting and told Rodriguez that they were struggling to gather funeral funds.
He gave the men $15 through Apple Pay and wrote his name down on a sheet pledging his donation. One of the guys took Rodriguez's phone to make the transaction, showed him the screen to confirm that Rodriguez donated $15 and the two men went on their way. Next thing Rodriguez knew, he got an instant notification from his bank telling him he had a $3,000 charge for a carpet purchase.
'I was just blinded by my naivety and my wanting to do good and be kind to others, only to be kind of slapped in the face,' Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez is not alone — he is one of dozens who have recently lost thousands of dollars to a scam going around Chicago where con artists will use a sad story to lure victims into paying them thousands of dollars when the victim thinks they are only paying a small amount of money.
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.
Chicago observers relieved a reserved Mayor Brandon Johnson achieved 'a draw' with congressional Republicans
If Mayor Brandon Johnson had reacted as antagonistically to Republican congressmen hoping to goad him into an argument Wednesday as he at times has, the mayor's appearance at the House Oversight Committee could have gone south fast. But a different Johnson appeared on Capitol Hill to testify in the hotly anticipated hearing on sanctuary policies for immigrants. Read more here.
Protests have taken over Chicago. Here's what to know.
Federal subpoena seeks Dolton records for bar and grill subject of Tiffany Henyard lawsuit
Illinois clinic one of first places in the country to offer new device to spinal cord injury patients
The ARC-EX is not the first device to deliver electrical stimulation through the skin to help people with spinal cord injuries. But unlike other commercially available devices, the ARC-EX delivers stimulation directly to the spine, rather than to other parts of the body that a person wishes to move, such as to an arm or a leg. Read more here.
More top business stories:
Chicago Blackhawks trade Petr Mrázek and Craig Smith to Detroit Red Wings for forward Joe Veleno, 25
The 25-year-old Joe Veleno, a left-handed shot, was a first-round draft pick (No. 30) by the Red Wings in 2018. The 6-foot-1 fourth-liner has five goals and five assists in 56 games this season. Read more here.
Column: Chicago Bulls are destined for the play-in tournament — again. Embrace it, ignore it, but don't fight it.
A flag football first in Illinois: History will be made Saturday as sport continues to grow nationally
Chicago Symphony audiences expected to hear an American composer's clarinet concerto, written for CSO principal clarinetist Stephen Williamson, last season. Unexpected quadruple bypass surgery forced Williamson to postpone the performance to this week, in concerts conducted by Gustavo Gimeno. Read more here.
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Unexploded WWII bomb in Paris halts Eurostar travel connecting it to London and Brussels
The disposal of what Paris police called an 'excessively dangerous' unexploded World War II bomb caused hours of transportation chaos Friday on rail and road networks in the French capital, including the suspension of high-speed train links with London and Brussels. Read more here.
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Politico
7 minutes ago
- Politico
House Dems Find Their Mojo With the Epstein Saga
In the middle is Trump, who once had a well-documented friendship with Epstein and who has been referenced in court documents surrounding the now deceased financier — though who is not accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Trump has tried to smother the controversy, even scolding his supporters for obsessing. 'Everyone's always talking about Trump being 'Teflon' — obviously that's because all Hill Republicans are pretty much a suit of armor for him, right? But in this instance, they're not,' said a senior Democratic aide discussing the strategy. 'And so it exposes him, I think, to more attacks that otherwise would be brushed off — and makes it easier for us to drag his numbers down while creating chaos among the Republicans.' The most interesting part about the strategy is how organically it came together. After watching the MAGA-sphere melt down over the administration's announcement in early July that there was no 'client list,' Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) grabbed the issue, telling his colleagues that the matter was kryptonite for the GOP, according to people close to him. In the House Rules Committee, ranking Democrat Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and his team had similarly been watching the feeding frenzy with right-wing podcasters and influencers, sensing an opportunity to needle Republicans so clearly out of step with their own base. Khanna found an unexpected ally in libertarian gadfly Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), teaming up to launch a discharge petition that could let House members circumvent Johnson's attempt to keep the issue from a vote on the floor. Through it all, Democratic leaders were cheering on their members. Beyond giving Khanna tacit support to work with Massie, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries set the tone for members early last week. He insisted in press conferences and in private meetings that this issue was a lose-lose situation for Republicans: either Trump and his allies had been lying for years about what was in those files or they were right and were now hiding evidence to protect their cronies. For longtime Hill watchers like myself, Jeffries' embrace of the scandal was a surprise. As Axios wrote last week, Jeffries has been known for an 'often taciturn approach to salacious stories of the day, preferring to remain disciplined and on-message in his public communications.' But like his members, Jeffries sensed the Epstein scandal was different, insisting it could feed into a narrative of corruption that would resonate beyond just the Democratic base.
Politico
13 minutes ago
- Politico
Johnson tries to contain Epstein dissent
IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Republicans are getting impatient over Epstein— GOP leaders eye clawing back education funding— Dems slam today's GOP meeting with Dr. Oz Speaker Mike Johnson is managing a delicate balance between appeasing antsy Republicans over the Jeffrey Epstein files and buying President Donald Trump time by shutting down the House early for August recess. The Louisiana Republican tried to quell dissent in a closed-door House GOP meeting Tuesday. He told members to stay united, arguing it would take time for the administration to release files that would also protect the names of Epstein's victims, Meredith Lee Hill and Hailey Fuchs report. But Republicans are getting impatient. In an Oversight subcommittee hearing Tuesday, lawmakers voted to compel the full committee to subpoena Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Oversight Chair James Comer later told reporters he had warned GOP leadership last week that if the Epstein files came up in his committee, most of his members would vote on the side of transparency. 'Everyone knew that,' Comer said, adding that his team will visit Maxwell in prison for the interview once they negotiate details with her attorneys. The saga has given Democrats just the platform they needed to land a successful blow on the White House. In her latest column, Rachael Bade outlines just how much the party has found their mojo in effectively hijacking the House and sticking it to Trump. Democratic efforts to further drive the MAGA wedge has legs beyond this week. The bipartisan bill led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, which would compel the release of more files, could hit the floor as soon as lawmakers return in September. That means Republican leaders are bracing for Democrats to keep the Epstein issue hot during August recess. And some of their own members who are itching for an outlet acknowledge that five weeks off may not stop Johnson's headache. 'The Epstein issue has contributed to their desire to just get us out of town because they hope that the energy will dissipate,' Massie told reporters Tuesday. 'I doubt that's the case.' GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING. Don't forget to wear your sneakers to the Hill today — the Sneaker Caucus is hosting its third annual Sneaker Day (with awards given to the five best sneakers at 1:45 p.m. in Longworth 1539). Air Jordan designer Wilson Smith Ill will speak on a panel at 1 p.m. Email your Inside Congress crew at crazor@ mmccarthy@ and bguggenheim@ Follow our live coverage at WHAT WE'RE WATCHINGWith help from Jordan Williams The House will vote on the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act of 2025, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 and the Enhancing Multi-Class Share Disclosures Act under suspension of the rules at 3:30 p.m. The Senate will confirm Arielle Roth as assistant Commerce secretary for communications and information and John Hurley as undersecretary of Treasury for terrorism and financial crimes at 11 a.m. The Senate will vote on a motion to proceed to the fiscal 2026 MilCon-VA appropriations bill, as well as a cloture vote on Zachary Bluestone's nomination for U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri at 2 p.m. A confirmation vote on Bluestone is expected at 5 p.m., along with a cloture vote on Aaron Szabo's nomination be an assistant EPA administrator. — House Appropriations will mark up the fiscal 2026 National Security, State Department and Related Programs bill at 10 a.m. — House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar will hold a news conference at 10:15 a.m. — Ways and Means will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 2 p.m. The rest of the week: The House will leave for August recess. The Senate will continue to work through appropriations bills and Trump's nominations. Pro subscribers receive this newsletter with a full congressional schedule and can browse our comprehensive calendar of markups, hearings and other notable events around Washington. Sign up for a demo. THE LEADERSHIP SUITE Dems debate shutdown strategy Democratic leaders emerged from a closed-door meeting on Tuesday without any specific ultimatums for Republicans, after discussing their government shutdown strategy ahead of the government funding deadline in 10 weeks. 'House and Senate Democrats are in complete and total alignment,' House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters after the meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The two leaders privately huddled before bringing in a larger group of Democratic leaders. Leaders reiterated they are approaching negotiations in good faith and encouraged Republicans to do the same. Democrats 'want to pursue a bipartisan, bicameral appropriations process,' Schumer said, but 'the Republicans are making it extremely difficult to do that.' Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the House's top Democratic appropriator, said this is the worst appropriations process she has seen in her 34 years in Congress. 'It has not been what we have experienced,' DeLauro said. 'There's always been that give and take to pass the bills.' Privately, Democratic leaders have discussed the need to focus on how government funding affects 'people,' rather than how Republicans are undermining the government funding 'process,' two people granted anonymity to discuss the private talks said. Some Democrats are already making their opposition to the appropriations bills clear. Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Peter Welch of Vermont voted against the first procedural step of the Mil Con-VA appropriations bill. Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders also opposed moving forward with the package. GOP leaders eye second rescissions package Republican leaders are in talks with the White House about a second rescissions package, after pushing through the first rescissions package last week, Calen reports with Juan Perez Jr. and Eli Stokols. The package would include Education Department funding, which was first reported by The Daily Signal. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise did not disclose the specifics of upcoming rescissions but told Calen talks were well underway. 'We haven't made a final decision on what will be in the second rescissions package, but we're of course talking about it,' Scalise said. 'The administration is very interested in it.' Scalise also said the Trump administration is 'having talks with appropriators' and will ultimately decide when to send it over and what's in it. It's not clear how much the package would cut, but Johnson told Republicans in recent days this group of federal funding cuts won't be as big as the first, according to two people granted anonymity to share details of private discussions. POLICY RUNDOWN CRAPO EYES FUTURE TAX, HEALTH BILLS — Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo told reporters Tuesday he's looking at policies across his panel's jurisdiction to move in year-end legislative pursuits. 'We're going to be looking in the healthcare arena. We're going to be looking in the tax arena still,' said Crapo, noting bipartisan efforts last year to enact a legislative overhaul to pharmaceutical benefit managers, which act as intermediaries between drug manufacturers, health insurance plans and pharmacies. Crapo said he 'would not oppose' reversing a new limitation on gambling tax deductions implemented by the GOP's domestic policy bill, which caused a big stir in the betting industry. He also reiterated his support for addressing upcoding, a form of Medicare fraud where providers submit a claim for a costlier service than the one that was provided. The conversations around a bipartisan health deal are in a very early stage, with Johnson telling reporters Tuesday that an extension of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits — the main ask by Democrats in exchange for coming to the negotiating table — hasn't come up yet. Extending those credits would get an immense amount of pushback from deficit hawks in the House, however. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris noted to reporters Monday that extending the premium tax credits would cost $300 billion and be 'a non-starter.' DEMS SLAM GOP MEETING WITH DR. OZ — Democrats on the House Ways and Means committee plan to call out Republicans for holding an off-the record roundtable with CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz this morning, said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a committee Democrat. 'They could have done this as a hearing with the full bells and whistles… allow reporters to come in, but they're choosing not to,' Gomez said in an interview. 'I think they know we'd kick the crap out of them… [Oz] might play a doctor on TV, but he's not an administrator. He doesn't know the job.' Republicans, meanwhile, say they have plenty of items on their agenda for the bipartisan briefing. Rep. Aaron Bean, for instance, intends to press Oz on the importance of legislation he co-sponsored with committee member Rep. Kevin Hern, which would require CMS to provide more accurate data to consumers on different kinds of Medicare plans. HOUSE GOP KEEN TO SCRAP CAP GAINS ON HOUSE SALES — House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith appeared receptive Tuesday to Trump's idea to eliminate capital gains on sales of homes. When asked about whether he would seek to codify the proposal in legislation, Smith told reporters on Wednesday, 'I'm always looking for tax cuts on Americans.' Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has a new bill that would do just that. Committee Rep. Ron Estes, however, said in an interview Tuesday he's not sure the legislation would increase housing supply, while another member of the panel, Rep. Lloyd Smucker, said he'd have to look at the proposal's total cost. Financial Services member Andy Barr lauded the idea in an interview Tuesday and said Republicans should eliminate capital gains taxes on investment properties, too: ''Yes' on the president's idea, great idea. And build on that.' SENATE GOP UNVEILS NEW CRYPTO BILL — Senate Banking Chair Tim Scott and Sens. Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty and Bernie Moreno released draft legislation Tuesday for a digital asset market structure overhaul,Jasper Goodman reports. It's the Senate's version of the House's CLARITY ACT, which passed the House on July 17 with support from 78 Democrats and would divvy up regulation of digital assets under the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Best of POLITICO Pro and E&E: CAMPAIGN STOP HARDER GETS A REMATCH — Former Stockton, California Mayor Kevin Lincoln has launched another bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Josh Harder, Juliann Ventura reports. Lincoln, a Republican who unseated prominent Democrat Michael Tubbs in an upset in Stockton's 2021 mayoral race, lost to Harder in last year's House contest by fewer than 4 percentage points. Harder's Central Valley seat is a target for the NRCC. JOB BOARD Abigail Gost is now comms director for Rep. Rob Wittman. She most recently was deputy comms director for Rep. Brad Finstad. Greer Foster is now director of scheduling for Rep. Michael Cloud. She most recently was acting deputy scheduler and assistant to the chief for Sen. James Lankford. Iyanla Kollock has been promoted to legislative director for Rep. Shomari Figures. Scott Prutting joins the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council as special assistant. Scott was previously a policy analyst for the Interior subcommittee on House Appropriations. Tammy Pham has been promoted to legislative director for Rep. Sylvia Garcia. TUNNEL TALK MEMBER SECURITY UPDATE — House lawmakers are getting an increase in funds they can use for personal security, including at their homes, our Katherine Tully-McManus reports amid an increase in threats against lawmakers. The announcement came during the closed-door GOP conference meeting Tuesday morning, during which House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil announced an 'updated Member security framework.' A growing number of lawmakers have asked for more protection when outside the Capitol grounds. GOODBYE LONGWORTH DUNKIN' — House eateries originally scheduled to close at the end of the week will close starting today as lawmakers leave early for recess. Get your last Capitol medium iced from Dunks. THE BEST OF THE REST Young Progressives Are Figuring Out How to Use Zohran Mamdani's Playbook, from Oriana González and Shifra Dayak at NOTUS John Thune Tells Ruthless Podcast He's Ready To Help Fix Transfer Portal, NIL Problems In College Sports, from Trey Wallace at OutKick HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sen. Raphael Warnock … former Rep. John Hall … POLITICO's Lisa Kashinsky and Jake Traylor … Stephanie Grisham … Dean Aguillen of OGR … David Brock … Mary Crane of Targeted Victory … Reuters' Erin Banco … Judy Lichtman … Edelman's Courtney Gray Haupt … Tracie Pough … Gabriel Barnett … Newsmax's Jon Glasgow … Monica Venzke of American Bridge 21st Century … State's Kenya James … Monica Lewinsky … former Justice Anthony Kennedy TRIVIA TUESDAY'S ANSWER: Jamie Gillespie correctly answered that the only U.S. president who was born on the Fourth of July was Calvin Coolidge. TODAY'S QUESTION, from Ben Jacobs: Republicans passed a proposal in committee to name the opera house at the Kennedy Center after Melania Trump. Which president's daughter pursued a career as an opera singer? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Billionaire LA Times owner announces he's taking the newspaper public
Billionaire Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong announced on Monday that he would be taking the newspaper public sometime in the next year, calling it a move to democratize the paper. 'It's important for the paper to have the voices of all, and that's what I wanted to do, right?' he said on 'The Daily Show.' 'Whether you're right, left, Democrat, Republican, you're an American, so the opportunity for us to provide a paper that is the voices of the people, truly the voices of the people, so I'm going to announce something to you tonight… we're literally going to take the LA Times public and allow it to be democratized.' Soon-Shiong bought the newspaper for $500 million in 2018. He said the offering would allow the public to have ownership of the newspaper and a say on the board. He didn't delve into specifics as to how that would look in practice. 'I'm working with an organization that's putting that together right now,' Soon-Shiong told host Jon Stewart of the process of taking the newspaper public. 4 LA Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong appears on 'The Daily Show' on July 21, 2025. The Daily Show/YouTube 4 The Los Angeles Times building in downtown Los Angeles, Calif. on Feb. 7, 2018. AP 'Ethics get cloudy if, in fact, the truth is not told,' Soon-Shiong said on Monday. 'Our institutions today, there's so much distrust. Unless you have truth and trust, those two words, I think we're not going to have any healing in the country… I live this American dream. I'm an immigrant here, right? So to me, this is really a wonderful opportunity for us to have the privilege of being an American.' The interview with Stewart mainly delved into Soon-Shiong's efforts to cure cancer. In addition to holding the Times, Soon-Shiong is a surgeon, medical researcher and biotech entrepreneur who's seeking to develop a cancer vaccine. The decision to go public comes amid news of the Los Angeles Times' financial struggles. In April, AdWeek reported the paper had lost $50 million in 2024, the same year it laid off 115 staffers. 4 Soon-Shiong shakes hands with President Donald Trump at the Lusail Palace in Doha on May 14, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 4 The decision to go public comes amid news of the Los Angeles Times' financial struggles. AFP via Getty Images Soon-Shiong's tenure has also been marked by discontent on the staff, particularly over his recent efforts to moderate its content. He defended his moves to reform the paper's left-leaning opinion pages in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year. 'I really wanted to make sure that we are a trusted source for all Americans,' Soon-Shiong said in January. 'Clearly, California is blue, very blue. When our opinion pages were so one-sided, and these are just opinions, I wanted to make sure that everybody had a chance to voice their own opinion. And more importantly, opinion based on facts, not on speculation.' He also incensed liberal media observers when, like Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, he yanked a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Soon-Shiong has expressed past willingness to work with the Trump administration on his cancer moonshot and disappointment at a lack of partnership from the Biden administration. Fox News Digital has reached out to the LA Times for additional comment.
