By Kelsey Landis | Belleville News-Democrat
• Feb 8, 2021
House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) speaks with reporters in July 2017. Three former ComEd lobbyists, including a close Madigan confidante, and the former CEO of ComEd s parent company were indicted Wednesday, charged with orchestrating a bribery scheme that allegedly sought to influence Madigan. Brian Mackey / NPR Illinois
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
To southern Illinois Democratic lawmakers, Speaker Michael Madigan was the omnipresent benefactor the force behind nearly every successful piece of legislation or election.
To downstate Republicans, he embodied the worst of Chicago politics. He was the ruthless architect of the pension crisis, higher taxes and redistricting that pushed conservatives to the margins. He left the speakership as “Public Official A,” the unnamed figure in the f
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Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
EAST ST. LOUIS Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, led a discussion about COVID-19 vaccines for residents in the East St. Louis community and beyond during a virtual event on Thursday evening.
“An Evening with Dr. Ezike” was hosted by Macedonia Baptist Church in East St. Louis and facilitated by its pastor, Rev. J. Kevin James, Jr. The conversation was streamed on the church’s Facebook page and on the pastor’s YouTube channel. More than 250 tuned in to the live event.
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Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Department of Public Health Director, speaks during a coronavirus update. Ezike will host an virtual event on Tuesday to listen to concerns local Black residents have with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, tonight will lead a conversation about COVID-19 vaccine safety with Black residents in the metro-east.
The virtual event, titled “Let’s Talk Vaccine”, is hosted by the United Congregations of Metro East and Piasa Palisades Sierra Club. It will be streamed at 6:30 p.m. on Facebook Live.
Cleanup highlights environmental racism
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The Regular Everyday Citizens team cleans up parts of East St. Louis as part of a campaign to address racial and social issues related to discrimination in Black communities.DeAsia Page | Belleville News-Democrat (AP)
EAST ST. LOUIS (AP) Some residents are concerned that toxic chemicals may be polluting their air. Black people make up half the confirmed COVID-19 cases in St. Clair County, but are only about 30% of the population. And citizens of East St. Louis have to travel out of the city for hospital care.
As JD Dixon drives along State Street and sees piles of trash, he thinks about how all of these issues are connected to systemic racism.