🌱 Loretto Hospital Strike + Proposed 'Sub-Minimum Wage' Elimination

Hello all. It's me, Kaytlyn Smith, your host of the Patch newsletter. Follow along to find out everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Not as warm with some sun. High: 77 Low: 64.

Here are the top four stories in Chicago today:

1. Illinoisans who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are now receiving reimbursements for money stolen by fraudsters. Elizabeth Fandl from nearby Berwyn was among those affected, losing all her SNAP funds to an unauthorized transaction. The Illinois Department of Human Services received 5,000 reports of fraud from August 2022 to early July 2023, reflecting a nationwide trend of increasing SNAP benefit theft by scammers. (CBS News)
2. Loretto Hospital workers have issued a 10-day strike notice, voicing concerns over low wages and inadequate staffing. The strike is set to begin on Jul. 31 and will continue until an agreement is reached with the hospital management. The employees demanding higher pay and increased staffing levels also seek to make Juneteenth a holiday for workers. (Chicago Patch)
3. A bill requiring fentanyl education in Illinois high schools awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker's decision. Chicago high school students who worked on a data science project about fentanyl's impact discovered its growing danger, leading them to support the bill's mandate for fentanyl education in health courses starting in fall 2024. The students' research, done in collaboration with the DEA Chicago Field Division, revealed the rising purity of fentanyl and the dangers posed by counterfeit pills, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness among teenagers about the opioid overdose epidemic. (NBC Chicago)
4. City Council members in Chicago introduced an ordinance to eliminate the "sub-minimum wage" for tipped workers, a change supported by Mayor Brandon Johnson. The proposal aims to phase in the full minimum wage plus tips for restaurant workers over a two-year period, with proponents believing it will benefit workers and the economy. However, the Illinois Restaurant Association has expressed concerns about potential financial challenges for smaller neighborhood restaurants and the possibility of layoffs. (WLS-TV)

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Today in Chicago:

Friday, July 21

• Beauty And The Beast At Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (11:00 AM, 2:00 PM)
• Horner Brew Fest 2023 At Horner Park (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The 2023 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps report was recently released, analyzing residents' length and quality of life at the county level. Nearby DuPage County ranked No. 1 for health outcomes while Cook County came in at No. 47 out of the 102 counties in the state. (Chicago Health)
• Did you know on Jul. 20, 1968, the first Special Olympics International Games took place at Soldier Field in Chicago, becoming the largest sporting event for individuals with intellectual disabilities? Approximately 1,000 athletes from the United States and Canada participated in the inaugural Special Olympics International Summer Games in Chicago. (Fox News)
• The Chicago Architecture Center will host a virtual presentation on Jul. 26 at 12:00 p.m. about Chicago's beer culture to explore its rich history, tracing back more than 100 years ago. The presentation will delve into the history of breweries, the individuals who led them, and their impact on Chicago. Those interested can register here. (Chicago Architecture Center via Instagram)

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You're officially in the loop for today! See you tomorrow for your next update.

— Kaytlyn Smith

About me: Kaytlyn Smith is a managing editor at Lightning Media Partners – a content creation agency. She is a Rowan University graduate where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in writing. Outside of work, Kaytlyn is a dog mom to a boglen terrier named Finn and a golden retriever named Willow.