Unity head coach Scott Hamilton talks to players after their home game against Althoff Catholic on September 20, 2024. After the game, Hamilton said the eventual Class 1A state champions was the best team his program has faced on the gridiron. See 19 more photos of Hamilton from his final season below.
All photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
TOLONO - The end of an era has come. Unity head football coach Scott Hamilton announced today that he will retire from the helm of Central Illinois' football powerhouse.
He made his future plans known via a post on social media thanking the school board, community, all the players he coached the past 31 years, and, of course, his family. He said his future plans included spending more time with his family, golfing, and the Florida sun.
Hamilton took the reigns to the Rockets' football program starting 1994, amassing a record of 291 wins against 74 losses in his 31-year tenure. He guided Unity to six state championship games, starting in 2000 in Class 2A, and made five more appearances in Class 3A in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2021. In all five cases, his team finished with runner-up trophies.
Thanks to Hamilton, Unity won its first playoff game back in the 1996 season, knocking off St. Joseph-Ogden in a 42-6 thrashing. The contest cemented the intense legendary rivalry between the two programs that continues to this day. The Rockets went on to finish 11-1 after the quarterfinal loss.
Under the Roxana native and 2017 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer, Unity has seen just one losing season. In 2018, the Rockets finished 4-5. The only other year the team missed the playoffs was in the spring 2021 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
by Jacque Trahan
In 2010, the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision redefined American politics. By granting corporations the same free speech rights as individuals, it allowed them to spend unlimited sums on elections. While proponents called it a victory for free expression, it has instead created a dangerous paradox: a system I call “corporation communism.”
At first glance, the term might seem contradictory. After all, corporations are synonymous with free-market capitalism, while communism is the antithesis of that system. But beneath the surface, there’s an unsettling resemblance.
Much like the centralized control of resources in communist regimes, corporations have amassed outsized power, dominating markets, influencing legislation, and concentrating wealth. This centralization doesn’t reflect the competition capitalism promises; instead, it mirrors the monopolistic tendencies of an authoritarian state.
As President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The corporation is the creature of the State, and it must be held to strict accountability to the people.” Roosevelt—a Republican—championed trust-busting because he understood that unchecked corporate power was a direct threat to democracy. His wisdom is more relevant now than ever.
The Citizens United decision unleashed billions in corporate spending, turning elections into auctions. Candidates no longer vie for votes alone; they chase dollars from the wealthiest donors. Policies that serve public interests—affordable healthcare, climate action, workers’ rights—are sidelined for those favoring corporate profits.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, warned during the Great Depression: "The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic State itself." Today, corporate lobbying often overwhelms the will of the people, making FDR’s cautionary words painfully prophetic.
This system fosters what I call "economic elitism," where a handful of powerful entities dictate the rules. From healthcare and energy to tech and agriculture, monopolies have reduced competition, stifling innovation and raising costs for everyday Americans.
Why Call It 'Corporation Communism'?
Though the term may sound provocative, the parallels are striking:
Centralized Power: Just as a communist state controls resources, corporations dominate entire sectors, from Big Tech to Big Pharma.
Loss of Choice: Consolidation through mergers limits competition, leaving consumers fewer options—whether in broadband providers or news outlets.
Suppression of Dissent: Employees who speak out often face retaliation, while public critics risk lawsuits or smear campaigns.
Reverse Redistribution: Wealth is siphoned upward, enriching executives and shareholders, much like the privileges enjoyed by elites in authoritarian regimes.
The Threat to Democracy
Unchecked corporate power corrodes democratic values. Voters’ voices are drowned out by well-funded lobbying and attack ads. Local businesses are crushed under monopolistic practices, reducing entrepreneurship—the backbone of a healthy economy.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, another Republican, once warned in his farewell address: "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence… by the military-industrial complex." His words echo today, as corporate influence extends far beyond the military into nearly every aspect of policymaking.
Overturn Citizens United: Campaign finance reform is essential to restore fair elections.
Break Up Monopolies: Enforce antitrust laws to dismantle corporate giants and promote competition.
Demand Transparency: Require corporations to disclose political contributions and lobbying activities.
Empower Workers: Strengthen unions and worker protections to ensure fair wages and working conditions.
A Call to Action
The promise of capitalism is opportunity for all—not unchecked power for a few. By framing this issue as "corporation communism," we reveal the irony of a system that cloaks monopolistic control in the rhetoric of freedom.
Leaders across political lines—Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Eisenhower—recognized the dangers of unchecked power, whether from corporations or governments. Their words remind us that democracy thrives only when power is accountable to the people.
It’s time to reclaim democracy from those who would buy it out from under us. Let’s make sure our government answers to the people—not corporations.
Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, Jacque Trahan loves to travel. "I save most of my money for this alone, concerts, festivals, video games with friends, I stream from time to time (but need to update my pc), and enhancing my coding skills." Jacque hopes to become a data engineer.
One example: The price of oranges and the price of orange juice have both steadily increased in recent years due to declining production in Florida caused by large hurricanes.
CHICAGO - Consumers are unhappy with increasing food prices and blame inflation. In reality, natural disasters have a direct link to grocery costs, with no end in sight.
Climate change affects Illinois farms, especially drought. The weather extremes lower their livestock's productivity, raising the price of dairy and meat products.
Michael Stromberg, spokesperson for Trace One, a food and beverage regulatory compliance company, said the effects of floods, hurricanes, drought and extreme heat have a nationwide and global impact.
Photo: Hans/Pixabay
"The price of oranges and the price of orange juice have both steadily increased in recent years due to declining production in Florida caused by large hurricanes," Stromberg outlined. "Grain prices are through the roof in critical agriculture regions like the Midwest. It starts with drought. It affects a huge portion of agriculture in that region that has an aftereffect at the grocery store in terms of your grocery prices."
Illinois ranked 10th in the Trace One study of all 50 states where natural disasters have the biggest impact on the nation's food supply. Losses were mostly due to drought in Henry, Sangamon, Lee, Logan, Bureau and Mason counties.
Stromberg argued innovation is needed to solve these dilemmas. One solution is to develop and
distribute climate-resilient crops capable of withstanding extreme droughts and floods. Other strategies are to implement effective water resource management systems and invest in flood control measures alongside restoring natural buffers. Wetlands and watersheds will act as sponges to help mitigate the dangers of excessive rainfall. He added more answers can take on a scientific tone.
"Farmers can use newer precision agriculture technologies like IOT sensors, drones, advanced analytics that can allow farmers to better monitor weather patterns, things like soil health and their water usage, which can optimize resources better," Stromberg explained.
He urged the public to vote for policies prioritizing renewable energy, water conservation and sustainable agriculture to drive "incremental improvement," and for the public to reduce their food waste. Another Trace One study found Illinoisans lost slightly more than $1,900 per household, or $766 per person from food waste last year.
Five years after the first news of COVID, recent reports of an obscure respiratory virus in China may understandably raise concerns.
Chinese authorities first issued warnings about human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in 2023, but media reports indicate cases may be increasing again during China’s winter season.
Photo: Luisella Planeta/from Pixabay
For most people, hMPV will cause symptoms similar to a cold or the flu. In rare cases, hMPV can lead to severe infections. But it isn’t likely to cause the next pandemic.
What is hMPV?
hMPV was first discovered in 2001 by scientists from the Netherlands in a group of children where tests for other known respiratory viruses were negative.
But it was probably around long before that. Testing of samples from the 1950s demonstrated antibodies against this virus, suggesting infections have been common for at least several decades. Studies since have found hMPV in almost all regions in the world.
Australian data prior to the COVID pandemic found hMPV to be the third most common virus detected in adults and children with respiratory infections. In adults, the two most common were influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), while in children they were RSV and parainfluenza.
Like influenza, hMPV is a more significant illness for younger and older people.
Studies suggest most children are exposed early in life, with the majority of children by age five having antibodies indicating prior infection. In general, this reduces the severity of subsequent infections for older children and adults.
In young children, hMPV most commonly causes infections of the upper respiratory tract, with symptoms including runny nose, sore throat, fever as well as ear infections. These symptoms usually resolve over a few days to a week in children, and 1–2 weeks in adults.
Although most infections with hMPV are relatively mild, it can cause more severe disease in people with underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease. Complications can include pneumonia, with shortness of breath, fever and wheezing. hMPV can also worsen pre-existing lung diseases such as asthma or emphysema. Additionally, infection can be serious in people with weakened immune systems, particularly those who have had bone marrow or lung transplants.
But the generally mild nature of the illness, the widespread detection of antibodies reflecting broad population exposure and immunity, combined with a lack of any known major pandemics in the past due to hMPV, suggests there’s no cause for alarm.
Are there any vaccines or treatments?
It is presumed that hMPV is transmitted by contact with respiratory secretions, either through the air or on contaminated surfaces. Therefore, personal hygiene measures and avoiding close contact with other people while unwell should reduce the risk of transmission.
The virus is a distant cousin of RSV for which immunisation products have recently become available, including vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. This has led to the hope that similar products may be developed for hMPV, and Moderna has recently started trials into a mRNA hMPV vaccine.
There are no treatments that have been clearly demonstrated to be effective. But for severely unwell patients certain antivirals may offer some benefit.
Why are we hearing so many reports of respiratory viruses now?
Since the COVID pandemic, the pattern of many respiratory infections has changed. For example, in Australia, influenza seasons have started earlier (peaking in June–July rather than August–September).
Many countries, including Australia, are reporting an increased number of cases of whooping cough (pertussis).
In China, there have been reports of increased cases of mycoplasma, a bacterial cause of pneumonia, as well as influenza and hMPV.
There are many factors that may have impacted the epidemiology of respiratory pathogens. These include the interruption to respiratory virus transmission due to public health measures taken during the COVID pandemic, environmental factors such as climate change, and for some diseases, post-pandemic changes in vaccine coverage. It may also be the usual variation we see with respiratory infections – for example, pertussis outbreaks are known to occur every 3–4 years.
For hMPV in Australia, we don’t yet have stable surveillance systems to form a good picture of what a “usual” hMPV season looks like. So with international reports of outbreaks, it will be important to monitor the available data for hMPV and other respiratory viruses to inform local public health policy.
Infants and toddlers are at the greatest risk of suffering from an hMPV infection, a seasonal virus in the news identified more than two decades ago. While generally harsh the first time, symptoms are usually mild with subsequent reinfections.
(SNS) - A recent outbreak of hMPV in China in the current news cycle around the world because the China government is taking the rapid spread seriously, taking a preventive stance, asking citizens to wash their hands frequently, masking up, and pushing early testing.
Is there a reason to worry?
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), "In adults of all ages, HMPV is a common infection, and, although often asymptomatic, it can result in serious infection that requires hospitalization."
Exactly who is at high risk of suffering from complications
Young Children: Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to serious respiratory conditions, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Older Adults: Individuals aged 65 or above, as well as those with chronic health concerns such as asthma or COPD, are more likely to have complications.
Pregnant Women: HMPV during pregnancy can result in respiratory issues, which may endanger both the mother and infants' health.
Immunocompromised Individuals: Those with weakened immune systems, whether due to medical conditions or treatments like chemotherapy, are at a higher risk of experiencing severe symptoms.
What is hMPV?
hMPV was first discovered in 2001 by scientists from the Netherlands in a group of children where tests for other known respiratory viruses were negative. It is in the same category of viral infections as the Pneumoviridae family and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
It is believed the virus originated in birds before adapting to infect humans. Genetic studies indicate it likely circulated among humans for decades before it was identified by scientists.
According to the CDC, hMPV is a virus that can cause upper and lower respiratory infections. Because we spend more time indoors during colder months, hMPV is more likely to circulate during the winter and spring months when other similar diseases, such as RSV and the flu, are prevalent.
The American Lung Association says that hMPV is most commonly spread from person to person through close contact with someone who is infected. Shaking hands, hugging or kissing as well as coming in contact with viral material from coughing and sneezing or touching objects such as toys or doorknobs are the usual methods of infection.
Resembling other respiratory illnesses, diagnosis and treatment can be assessed via three methods. There is a PCR test, much like the now standard COVID-19 test, available for doctors. The hMPV is a molecular test that detects the virus' genetic material with high accuracy and is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis. Doctors can also use a Rapid Antigen Test. While providing faster results, they are less sensitive in detecting the virus compared to PCR tests.
The final method is the more evasive Bronchoscopy, which looks for changes in the lung tissue. A bronchoscopy is a standard procedure that allows a doctor to examine the inside of the lungs, trachea, and bronchi using a thin, lighted tube called a bronchoscope. The procedure is commonly used to diagnose and treat a variety of lung conditions.
hMPV usually causes symptoms similar to the common cold that lasts roughly 2-5 days and goes away. Most children who get infected with hMPV are age 5 or younger. According to Cleveland Clinic, you can get HMPV again, but symptoms are usually mild after your first infection. Severe symptoms and complications affect a small number of children (5-16%) who may develop a lower respiratory tract infection such as pneumonia. The majority of the infections occurred in children under the age of 14,
Once infected, patients will develop varying levels of immunity to subsequent exposures according to Cleveland Clinic. "You can get HMPV again, but symptoms are usually mild after your first infection."
KHN - When Michael Adams was researching health insurance options in 2023, he had one very specific requirement: coverage for prosthetic limbs.
Adams, 51, lost his right leg to cancer 40 years ago, and he has worn out more legs than he can count. He picked a gold plan on the Colorado health insurance marketplace that covered prosthetics, including microprocessor-controlled knees like the one he has used for many years. That function adds stability and helps prevent falls.
Prosthetic coverage by private health plans varies tremendously. Even though coverage for basic prostheses may be included in a plan, many insurance companies will cap payouts for devices and impose restrictions on the types of devices approved.
Photo: ThisisEngineering/Unsplash
But when his leg needed replacing last January after about five years of everyday use, his new marketplace health plan wouldn’t authorize it. The roughly $50,000 leg with the electronically controlled knee wasn’t medically necessary, the insurer said, even though Colorado law leaves that determination up to the patient’s doctor, and his has prescribed a version of that leg for many years, starting when he had employer-sponsored coverage.
“The electronic prosthetic knee is life-changing,” said Adams, who lives in Lafayette, Colorado, with his wife and two kids. Without it, “it would be like going back to having a wooden leg like I did when I was a kid.” The microprocessor in the knee responds to different surfaces and inclines, stiffening up if it detects movement that indicates its user is falling.
People who need surgery to replace a joint typically don’t encounter similar coverage roadblocks. In 2021, 1.5 million knee or hip joint replacements were performed in United States hospitals and hospital-owned ambulatory facilities, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ. The median price for a total hip or knee replacement without complications at top orthopedic hospitals was just over $68,000 in 2020, according to one analysis, though health plans often negotiate lower rates.
To people in the amputee community, the coverage disparity amounts to discrimination.
Fewer than half of people with limb loss have been prescribed a prosthesis
“Insurance covers a knee replacement if it’s covered with skin, but if it’s covered with plastic, it’s not going to cover it,” said Jeffrey Cain, a family physician and former chair of the board of the Amputee Coalition, an advocacy group. Cain wears two prosthetic legs, having lost his after an airplane accident nearly 30 years ago.
AHIP, a trade group for health plans, said health plans generally provide coverage when the prosthetic is determined to be medically necessary, such as to replace a body part or function for walking and day-to-day activity. In practice, though, prosthetic coverage by private health plans varies tremendously, said Ashlie White, chief strategy and programs officer at the Amputee Coalition. Even though coverage for basic prostheses may be included in a plan, “often insurance companies will put caps on the devices and restrictions on the types of devices approved,” White said.
An estimated 2.3 million people are living with limb loss in the U.S., according to an analysis by Avalere, a health care consulting company. That number is expected to as much as double in coming years as people age and a growing number lose limbs to diabetes, trauma, and other medical problems.
Fewer than half of people with limb loss have been prescribed a prosthesis, according to a report by the AHRQ. Plans may deny coverage for prosthetic limbs by claiming they aren’t medically necessary or are experimental devices, even though microprocessor-controlled knees like Adams’ have been in use for decades.
Cain was instrumental in getting passed a 2000 Colorado law that requires insurers to cover prosthetic arms and legs at parity with Medicare, which requires coverage with a 20% coinsurance payment. Since that measure was enacted, about half of states have passed “insurance fairness” laws that require prosthetic coverage on par with other covered medical services in a plan or laws that require coverage of prostheses that enable people to do sports. But these laws apply only to plans regulated by the state. Over half of people with private coverage are in plans not governed by state law.
The Medicare program’s 80% coverage of prosthetic limbs mirrors its coverage for other services. Still, an October report by the Government Accountability Office found that only 30% of beneficiaries who lost a limb in 2016 received a prosthesis in the following three years.
Cost is a factor for many people.
“No matter your coverage, most people have to pay something on that device,” White said. As a result, “many people will be on a payment plan for their device,” she said. Some may take out loans.
Working with her doctor, she has appealed the decision to her insurer and been denied three times.
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has proposed a rule that would prohibit lenders from repossessing medical devices such as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs if people can’t repay their loans.
“It is a replacement limb,” said White, whose organization has heard of several cases in which lenders have repossessed wheelchairs or prostheses. Repossession is “literally a punishment to the individual.”
Adams ultimately owed a coinsurance payment of about $4,000 for his new leg, which reflected his portion of the insurer’s negotiated rate for the knee and foot portion of the leg but did not include the costly part that fits around his stump, which didn’t need replacing. The insurer approved the prosthetic leg on appeal, claiming it had made an administrative error, Adams said.
“We’re fortunate that we’re able to afford that 20%,” said Adams, who is a self-employed leadership consultant.
Leah Kaplan doesn’t have that financial flexibility. Born without a left hand, she did not have a prosthetic limb until a few years ago.
Growing up, “I didn’t want more reasons to be stared at,” said Kaplan, 32, of her decision not to use a prosthesis. A few years ago, the cycling enthusiast got a prosthetic hand specially designed for use with her bike. That device was covered under the health plan she has through her county government job in Spokane, Washington, helping developmentally disabled people transition from school to work.
But when she tried to get approval for a prosthetic hand to use for everyday activities, her health plan turned her down. The myoelectric hand she requested would respond to electrical impulses in her arm that would move the hand to perform certain actions. Without insurance coverage, the hand would cost her just over $46,000, which she said she can’t afford.
Working with her doctor, she has appealed the decision to her insurer and been denied three times. Kaplan said she’s still not sure exactly what the rationale is, except that the insurer has questioned the medical necessity of the prosthetic hand. The next step is to file an appeal with an independent review organization certified by the state insurance commissioner’s office.
A prosthetic hand is not a luxury device, Kaplan said. The prosthetic clinic has ordered the hand and made the customized socket that will fit around the end of her arm. But until insurance coverage is sorted out, she can’t use it.
At this point she feels defeated. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” Kaplan said.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Cybercriminals generally hack utilities for one reason: money. They also are deliberately targeting specific businesses, especially those that are civilian but support military installations.
CHICAGO - A former White House cybersecurity expert is warning of potential cyberattacks on critical infrastructure. And in Illinois, security analysts are heeding his message on the dangers.
As former acting principal deputy national cyber director, Jake Braun, executive director at the Harris School of Public Policy's Cyber Policy Initiative at the University of Chicago, said that during his time in the Biden White House, he dealt with escalating cyber threats from China and other nation-states - often targeting utilities.
"They are very deliberately targeting specific water utilities, specific energy operators and so on - that are civilian but support military installations," he said, "so that if we go to war, they've kind of seeded the battlefield, so to speak, with malware."
Of the approximately 50,000 water utilities throughout the United States, Braun said only a few hundred support military operations - and many of the rest are unprotected. Braun noted that he is working with the National Rural Water Association to recruit cybersecurity volunteers to help support local water utilities.
Cybercriminals generally hack utilities for one reason: money. Braun said ransom demands in exchange for the thieves releasing their hold on systems is rising. These schemes start primarily in Russia and other Eastern European countries, but nations such as China are also willing to infiltrate and weaken critical infrastructure.
Braun pointed to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund improvements to these systems.
"And many water utilities aren't even requesting the funds," he said. "So the funds are there, they're available, and water utilities often don't even know they can request the funds for that. And that is true for many other critical infrastructure."
Braun said some water utilities are in such rural areas that they struggle to find cybersecurity experts. He lauded volunteer programs such as the University of Chicago's Project Franklin to fill the gap.
Among the targets of cybersecurity attacks in Illinois 2024 were the Secretary of State's office, three colleges, and three hospitals.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks CHAMPAIGN - Members of the Unity Rockets basketball team hoist their third-place trophy after defeating Far...
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