Nursing Home Task Force Releases Recommendations
A task force investigating safety problems in Illinois nursing homes will meet today to unveil a plan to prevent the assaults, rapes, and murders that have plagued some facilities. Gov. Pat Quinn's senior health advisor, Michael Gelder, is recommending more housing for adults with mental illness, higher standards of nursing home care, and improved screening of potential residents.

State Launches Hospital Review Site
Today, the Illinois Department of Public Health will launch a consumer-friendly website that includes detailed information about how much Illinois hospitals charge for various procedures, how often they deliver recommended care, and how consumers rate their care.

Stroger Vows Eleventh-Hour Tax Veto
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger will wait until the final hour of Monday night's deadline to veto the repeal of his controversial sales tax increase. "I want to give the constituents time to talk to their commissioners," Stroger says of his strategy, which hinges on public pressure for upholding the tax.

Study: Hyatt Scores Low In Workplace Safety
A peer-reviewed study of 50 American hotels found that housekeepers who are engaged in a contract battle with Hyatt hotels are almost twice as likely to suffer on-the-job injuries as their Hilton counterparts. Hyatt also ranks fourth in safety among the top five national hospitality chains.

More Friends And Family Hiring Out Of City Hall
Mayor Daley has said that he'll ask a federal judge to end decades of court supervision over clout-heavy hiring because patronage is dead. However, the Tribune's latest investigation reveals that City Hall is covering a $1.3 million annual shadow payroll controlled by aldermen, which includes nearly a dozen people who appeared on the "clout list" that led to the federal conviction of Daley's former patronage chief.

Image used under a Creative Commons license by Flickr user joelplutchak.