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The suit was filed in federal court in Chicago on behalf of Rep. Michael Bost from Carbondale and two others.

CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced that all recipients of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will receive $200 to support Illinoisans most in need due to rising costs. During this program year (September 2021 – May 2022) the Pritzker Administration has made an unprecedented $386 million investment to support families with bill assistance for heat, gas, and electricity bills to serve more than 250,000 households. The deadline for families to apply for utility assistance is May 31, 2022. Applications must be completed in person at local administering agencies, which can be located on DCEO’s community services website . Families can also contact 1-833-711-0374 for support. “Access to energy is a basic necessity and my administration is working tirelessly to ensure families can afford rising costs,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Hardworking Illinoisans

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by Anjeanette Damon

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.

Federal authorities are expanding an investigation into Chicago-based Northshore Clinical Labs following a ProPublica story that raised questions about its COVID-19 testing operations in Nevada, according to an email obtained by ProPublica.

In a May 17 email that referenced our reporting on Northshore, an investigator with the Inspector General’s Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicated he planned to subpoena documents from Nevada health officials.

“Myself and other law enforcement agencies have had a case opened regarding Northshore Clinical Lab for quite some time,” wrote Special Agent Peter Theiler, who is based in Chicago. “After reading the ProPublica article on Northshore Clinical Lab regarding Nevada patients, we are interested in obtaining records related to testing for COVID-19 for Northshore Clinical Lab rapid test results and PCR test results for Nevada.”

The email did not name the other law enforcement agencies or provide further details on the OIG’s open investigation.

The state of Nevada had not received a subpoena as of Tuesday but will cooperate with one if it’s received, said Nevada Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Shannon Litz.

Meghin Delaney, a spokesperson for Gov. Steve Sisolak, said the state won’t need to be compelled to aid the investigation.

“We’re not going to need a subpoena to cooperate,” she said. “Clearly complying with this federal investigation is important on our end.”

Our investigation documented Northshore’s stunning false negative rate — 96% on the University of Nevada Reno campus — and raised questions about the company’s billing practices. We also found that the company, which is managed by three Chicago men with a history of fraud allegations, used political connections to fast-track its license inspection and to win agreements with local government agencies across the state to provide testing.

The company was able to expand its testing operations in Nevada despite concerns raised by local government scientists about its erroneous results.

Northshore representatives have repeatedly declined to comment.

In a statement released last week, Sisolak’s office said Northshore’s “negligence is despicable.”

“They took advantage of states and local municipalities at a time when millions of Americans were relying on their services,” Delaney said in the written statement. “In order to hold Northshore accountable for these fraudulent practices, the State of Nevada is assessing its legal options.”

Delaney also said Sisolak is making investments in the state’s public health infrastructure to increase testing capacity.

Sisolak, a Democrat running for a second term, is fending off attacks over his response to the pandemic from Republicans vying for the nomination to oppose him. Sisolak is friends with the father of two men Northshore contracted with to expand its business in Nevada.

“Sisolak’s friends made millions and we paid the price,” said Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, one of 10 GOP contenders in the primary for governor.

Sisolak’s office has said repeatedly that he had no discussions with Northshore’s Nevada representatives, Greg and Angelo Palivos, or their father, Peter. The Palivos brothers have said they weren’t aware of the Federal Trade Commission’s past fraud accusations against the leaders of Northshore. They also said Northshore owes them a substantial amount of money for their work in Nevada.

Sisolak also pushed back against criticism of Nevada’s role in allowing Northshore to continue operating for so long, claiming in a statement that the state “ordered them to stop their PCR testing operation, opened an investigation and worked to correct testing issues” on the day it was made aware of the problems.

Nevada’s own internal documents, however, indicate Northshore voluntarily stopped PCR testing days before the state’s regulatory agency learned of the issues. The documents contain no formal orders to stop PCR testing. The agency also waited four days to open the investigation because the complaint came in late on a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend.

The state also opted to allow Northshore to continue providing rapid antigen tests to the public outside of its license as the investigation progressed. Nevada officials said it is standard practice to allow a health care provider under investigation to continue operations as it works to correct deficiencies.

Northshore, citing a lack of demand, pulled out of the state before the investigation could be completed. Nevada regulators closed its license and notified the State Board of Nursing, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of their findings.

ABBA's new show Voyage, featuring digital avatars of the legendary Swedish band performing their hits with a live band, officially opens on Friday night in a purpose-built theater in London.…

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Crime rates are increasing. And too many government officials are deciding it must be something other than the most obvious explanation. That’s prompting actions that will give residents of certain states and cities less liberty, while doing very little for their safety. Virginia in July will eliminate its prohibition on local police use of facial […]

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The free annual event will spread across Ballpark Village and Kiener Plaza for three days of music and celebrations.

The St. Louis startup has software that uses data and artificial intelligence to create mathematical models designed to help freight carriers make decisions on how best to run their businesses. It plans to use its fresh funding to put its technology in the hands of more trucking companies.

ALTON - Tim and Julie Meeks have always given their customer’s experience the “utmost importance” at their Alton and Belleville locations. On June 3-4, Olive Oil Marketplace is marking its 10th anniversary on Third Street in Alton with a celebration. The celebration kicks off at 11 a.m. on Friday and continues on Saturday with free food featuring Get-R-Smoked Pulled Pork and many other OOM recipe dishes, local vendors with samples and educational discussions, and many in-store specials, raffles, and giveaways. On Friday night at 4:30, a Celebration Ceremony will take place with cake and ice cream for customers. Overall, the June 3-4 celebration should be special for the popular couple at their Alton store. This is a link to the two-day celebration for Olive Oil Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/events/371851048297332 “We hope when you come into our store, you feel welcomed and comfortable,” Tim and Julie said in a statement about the stores

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Police said they were looking for the suspect of an armed home invasion in the area of North Glendale Elementary School.

A jury returned a guilty verdict against Marcus Ausler in the fatal shooting of Antonio Williams inside a home in the Greater Ville neighborhood in 2018.

Kirkwood police responded to a report of a possible home invasion not far from an elementary school in Glendale.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced they added a new feature to its online tool "Where's My Refund?"

Take a load off and take in the views on a relaxing daytime cruise that shows St. Louis from the river that built it. Narrated

The post St. Louis Riverfront Cruise appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

Immerse yourself in Van Gogh’s artwork like you’ve never seen it before.  Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will be in St. Louis at the

The post Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience appeared first on Explore St. Louis.

The three-day fest will pack more than 30 acts into Enjoy Illinois 300 race weekend at WWTR.

On May 11, Amber Strautkalns put out a call on Reddit. As a mom of three, Strautkalns sought an inclusive group of like-minded introverts she could enjoy the outdoors with. The only groups she could find were helmed by fitness junkies with washboard abs.

EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Tigers baseball team defeated the Alton Redbirds 16-4 after five innings in the regional semifinals Wednesday night. Having himself a night was freshman Joseph Chiarodo. He went two-for-three against Alton including a three-run walk-off home run. The Tigers led 13-4 when Joe stepped up to the plate. After he put the ball over the fence in left-center his teammates stormed the field to celebrate the walk-off win via the mercy rule. Joe is one of the iCAN Clinic Male Athletes of the Month for the Tigers. Joe didn’t even expect the ball to reach the fence. “I thought it was going to hit the wall and be a double, so I was hustling out of the box, but then I saw the umpire move his hand around, so I was happy,” Chiarodo said postgame. “Joe put a good swing on it,” Edwardsville head coach Tim Funkhouser said. “He’s been a guy ready to break out. It’s good to see him get a couple of hits today.”

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