A fourth-place finisher at Tokyo 2020, Garrett Scantling joins the Illinois track staff under longtime coach Petros Kyprianou.
CHAMPAIGN - The University of Illinois has added an Olympian to its coaching roster as director of track, field and cross country Petros Kyprianou announced the hiring of Garrett Scantling as an assistant coach Tuesday. Scantling will work closely with Kyprianou, focusing on the jumps and combined events squads.
A fourth-place finisher in the decathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Scantling brings a wealth of high-level competitive and coaching experience to the Illini program. His Olympic run was highlighted by a score of 8,611 points, which included personal bests in the 400-meter dash (48.25) and 1500-meter run (4:35.54). He qualified for Tokyo by winning the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, with 8,647 points.
“Garrett is an ultra-positive person who brings world-class Olympic experience,” said Kyprianou, who has coached Scantling since 2011. “He has a special ability to relate to student-athletes because he’s walked in their shoes. I believe his impact will be felt immediately.”
Scantling’s collegiate career at Georgia, where he was coached by Kyprianou, was marked by steady excellence. He medaled three times at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the heptathlon, earning bronze as a freshman in 2013, silver in 2015, and another bronze in 2016. His top collegiate mark came in 2015 with 6,068 points in the heptathlon.
After his NCAA career, Scantling continued to compete at the highest level. In 2022, he claimed two national titles, winning the U.S. Indoor Championships in the heptathlon with 6,382 points and later dominating the USA Combined Events Championships with a personal-best 8,867 points in the decathlon.
His coaching background includes a stint as an assistant coach at Georgia under Kyprianou from 2019 to 2021. Most recently, he returned to his alma mater, the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, where he served as the strength and conditioning coach while also leading football, girls weightlifting, and track and field.
Now, Scantling brings that experience to Champaign.
“I’m super excited to be a part of what Petros has built here for the Illini,” said Scantling. “I can’t wait to share my experience and expertise with all the different student-athletes I’ll get to work with.”
The addition of Scantling comes as Illinois continues building depth across its program. His arrival strengthens an already ambitious push to elevate the Illini’s performance in multi-events and jumps on the Big Ten and national stages.
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Tags: Garrett Scantling Illinois track and field coach, University of Illinois hires Olympic decathlete coach, Illinois track and field jumps and combined events coaching staff, Petros Kyprianou reunites with Garrett Scantling at Illinois, Garrett Scantling coaching career after Tokyo Olympics
Democrats wanting transparency now is “asinine”, says White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
By Greg Bishop.::. Illinois Editor The Center Square
CHICAGO - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, is joining the chorus of congress members calling for the release of files involving Jeffrey Epstein.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice released a memo about Epstein, who died in jail awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges in 2019. The unsigned two page memo concluded that the 300 gigabytes of materials related to Epstein included graphic video of child pornography.
“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the memo said. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
The announcement caused waves of criticism among President Donald Trump supporters, saying he promised to reveal the client list.
[Trump] wants to move on from the story.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Durbin called for the files release.
“We call upon you to follow the bipartisan directive of the Appropriations Committee and release the Epstein files without delay,” the letter said. “From the lenient plea deal he received in Florida in 2008 to the end of his case with his death in prison in 2019, survivors of his abuse have been denied the full accounting of his crimes and the justice they deserve.”
Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Democrats wanting transparency now is “asinine.”
“The Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years, and they didn't do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes,” Leavitt said. “[Trump] wants to move on from the story.”
Many believe Epstein did not kill himself
Prominent figures like the U.S. House speaker and the U.S. Senate minority leader have voiced support for releasing the Epstein files.
Leavitt said the president stands by the DOJ’s decision that they wouldn't release any of the child sex abuse materials. She was asked about any other releases of court records surrounding the case, even redacted files.
“Those are also questions for the judges who have that information under a seal,” Leavitt said. “And that would have to be requested. And a judge would have to approve it. That's out of the president's control.”
Epstein died in jail awaiting trial in 2019. While the official conclusion was suicide, many believe Epstein did not kill himself and had high profile clients.
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Democrats say such protections are needed as President Donald Trump rolls out higher tariffs on foreign nations as part of an effort to overhaul global trade.
Photo: Tung Lam/Pixabay
Democrats are pushing a bill at the federal level, clarifying that price gouging is an unfair and deceptive practice under the FTC Act. The bill would give the FTC and state attorneys general new tools to enforce a federal ban against merchants who overprice goods to American consumers. Critics say it could make issues worse.
By Brett Rowland.::. Investigative Reporter The Center Square
CHICAGO - Democrats are pushing a bill prohibiting price gouging at the federal level and giving the Federal Trade Commission another $1 billion and new tools to go after companies charging "grossly excessive" prices.
Democrats say such protections are needed as President Donald Trump rolls out higher tariffs on foreign nations as part of an effort to overhaul global trade. A tariff is a tax on imported goods that the importer pays to the federal government. That importer can then absorb the loss, or try to pass the added costs on to consumers through higher prices.
Critics say the measure could actually make shortages of key products worse.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Democrats proposed similar measures to prevent price gouging.
A group of Democrats reintroduced the Price Gouging Prevention Act "to fight back against the corporate greed enabled by the Trump administration's chaotic tariff policies," they said. The bill would give the FTC and state attorneys general new tools to enforce a federal ban against "grossly excessive price increases."
"Donald Trump's reckless tariff policies are giving companies cover to squeeze families and raise prices more than necessary," said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. "My bill is an opportunity for Congress to stand up for families by cracking down on price gouging and fighting back against corporate abuse."
Ryan Bourne, of the Cato Institute, said the measure was just as bad as it was the first time it was introduced.
"This 'anti-price gouging' bill is a reheated version of Elizabeth Warren's earlier misguided proposal. Back then, Democrats found it politically convenient to blame greedy corporations for an inflation overwhelmingly caused by excessive government spending and loose monetary policy," he told The Center Square. "Now, the same politicians are using the price-inflating effects of Donald Trump's tariffs to revive their anti-corporate legislation."
This legislation would compound those problems by turning pricing decisions into legal liabilities.
Bourne said the measure could exacerbate shortages at critical times, such as after a natural disaster.
"The results of such a federal law would be disastrous. Capping prices below what people are willing to pay for goods would produce shortages and empty shelves during volatile periods," he said. "Firms today face ever-shifting trade barriers, unpredictable demand conditions, and evolving supply chains – all factors that increase price volatility. This legislation would compound those problems by turning pricing decisions into legal liabilities. Firms fearing prosecution would hesitate to raise prices even when those higher prices accurately reflect genuine scarcity or increased risks. The price controls would thus risk making goods' shortages far more severe and prolonged."
Democrats first introduced the measure in 2024, but it failed to advance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Democrats proposed similar measures to prevent price gouging.
The bill would clarify that price gouging is an unfair and deceptive practice under the FTC Act. The measure would allow the FTC and state attorneys general to stop sellers from charging a grossly excessive price, regardless of where the price gouging occurs in a supply chain or distribution network, according to a news release.
"Greedy corporations are using the economic turmoil the Trump Administration has created to gouge the American people on everything from groceries to consumer goods," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. "While these large corporations rake in record profits, families in my community and across the country are struggling to put food on the table."
The bill would give the FTC an additional $1 billion in funding to do the work. It would establish when price gouging occurs during a significant shift in trade policy. It lists a set of market shocks – including an "abrupt or significant shift in trade policy" – and outlines a standard for a presumptive violation of the price gouging prohibition during such a shock, such as when companies brag about increasing prices, according to Democrats.
Trump administration has worked to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The measure would also create an affirmative defense for small businesses acting in good faith. Sponsors noted that "small and local businesses sometimes must raise prices in response to crisis-driven increases in their costs because they have little negotiating power with their price-gouging suppliers." That affirmative defense protects small businesses earning less than $100 million from frivolous litigation if they show "legitimate cost increases."
The bill would further require public companies to disclose costs and pricing strategies.
"During periods of exceptional market shock, the bill requires public companies to transparently disclose and explain changes in their cost of goods sold, gross margins, and pricing strategies in their quarterly SEC filings," according to the sponsors.
Warren and Schakowsky face an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled House and Senate. Republicans have been moving in the opposite direction. The Trump administration has worked to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal agency created after the 2007-08 financial crisis to establish a single agency responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris promised to introduce a federal anti-price-gouging law during the 2024 presidential campaign.
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Tags: federal price gouging prevention legislation 2025, Elizabeth Warren anti-gouging bill against corporate pricing, Democratic response to Trump tariff price hikes, FTC funding increase to fight excessive pricing, impact of trade policy shifts on consumer goods prices
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Rybak wins state track title, next stop Notre Dame
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Father McGivney's Elena Rybak and St. Anthony's Isabella Keller embrace after running in the Class 1A 1600m Run on Saturday at the Illinois High School Association's Girls Track & Field State Finals.
