Newsletter: Feds Investigate ‘Rape In Champaign’ Email

McClain
Former powerful lobbyist Mike McClain talks to WBEZ reporters on Jan. 9, 2020. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ
McClain
Former powerful lobbyist Mike McClain talks to WBEZ reporters on Jan. 9, 2020. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ

Newsletter: Feds Investigate ‘Rape In Champaign’ Email

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Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I’ve been reading a lot of comic books lately . Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)


1. The feds launch investigation into “rape in Champaign” email

Federal prosecutors are looking into a 2012 email from a powerful Illinois lobbyist who praised a state worker for keeping quiet about an unspecified “rape in Champaign,” reports WBEZ’s Tony Arnold.

As Tony reports, “The bombshell email was written by Michael McClain, a long-time confidant to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. McClain is now a central figure in the ongoing probe into utility Commonwealth Edison’s Springfield lobbying activities.” [WBEZ]

Federal authorities are also investigating ComEd over allegations that the utility giant hired politically connected consultants in exchange for electricity rate increases and other favorable actions from state lawmakers.

That wide-ranging investigation comes as the city of Chicago is in the middle of a once-in-a-generation negotiation with ComEd, and some activists and aldermen want the city to cut out ComEd and run its own electric service. [WBEZ]

2. Who won the Iowa caucuses? Week 2

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg are calling for a partial recanvass in Iowa. Both candidates have claimed victory in the caucuses, with Buttigieg pointing to his large delegate count and Sanders noting he received the most support overall. [NPR]

The meltdown of the Iowa caucuses has shaken many Americans’ faith in the electoral system at a time when the Democratic Party hopes to galvanize voters, reports The New York Times in this investigation into how problems in Iowa extend far beyond a smartphone app. [New York Times]

Meanwhile, voters are preparing to cast their ballots in tomorrow’s primary in New Hampshire. WBEZ will air live coverage of the primary results tomorrow at 7 p.m. CST.

3. China reports nearly 100 coronavirus deaths in a single day

It’s the highest number of deaths from the mysterious, new strain of coronavirus in a single day. The head of the World Health Organization said the spread of the virus in other countries could accelerate and “we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg.”

In China, there have been 909 deaths and 40,235 confirmed cases. Outside of China, there have been more than 300 other confirmed cases and one death. [NPR]

Meanwhile, 65 new cases of the virus have been reported on the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that’s been quarantined off the coast of Japan. That means a total of 135 people on the ship are infected. [NPR]

4. Trump unveils budget plan that cuts funding for Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program

President Donald Trump’s administration today released a $4.8 trillion budget plan that includes cuts to domestic and safety net programs, reports The Washington Post.

Trump proposes cutting Medicaid spending by about $920 billion over a decade, which critics say would reduce benefits and the number of people insured. The president’s plan would also slash the EPA’s budget by 26.5% over the next year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would also see budget cuts, though officials said they would not affect the agency’s fight to contain the coronavirus.

Trump’s plan must be approved by Congress, where most lawmakers have previously rejected the White House’s proposed cuts. [Washington Post]

5. South Korea rejoices in historic Oscar win

Many South Koreans are celebrating after Parasite became the first foreign-language movie to win the best picture Oscar last night.

“Toppled the impregnable fortress of Hollywood,” read one headline in South Korea, where the Oscar win dominated the news. Parasite director Bong Joon-ho also won awards for best director and best original screenplay.

“The American Oscars, they don’t give that to just anybody,” said Shin Kyung-chul, who runs a rice store in Seoul. “It got over that wall.” [Los Angeles Times]

Meanwhile, two films with links to Chicago also won Oscars. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

  • More than half of the murder cases cleared by the Chicago Police Department did not result in an arrest, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. [Sun-Times]

  • The U.S. Justice Department charged four Chinese military officers with hacking the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing personal information of around 145 million Americans. [NPR]

  • A “doomsday timeshare” is hoping to make your plans for the apocalypse more affordable. [NPR]

  • The BBC is creating a television series with environmental activist Greta Thunberg. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

I have a lot of tattoos, and some local shops offer discounted tattoos for Valentine’s Day.

WBEZ’s Lauren Frost is working on a story about folks who are either getting or have a Valentine’s Day-related tattoo. Are you one of those people? If so, you can email Lauren at lfrost@wbez.org.

Tell me something good …

So yeah, Valentine’s Day is Friday, and I’d like to know what you’re doing for Valentine’s Day.

Me? My husband and I are going on a double date with friends to White Castle, which is reservation-only on V-Day (ooo la la) and has table service.

What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! If you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.