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Thomas Pritzker, cousin of Illinois governor, steps down as head of Hyatt due to ties with Jeffrey Epstein

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Thomas Pritzker, cousin of Illinois governor, steps down as head of Hyatt due to ties with Jeffrey Epstein


Billionaire Thomas Pritzker will be stepping down as executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels and will not be seeking reelection for the position over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, he announced on Monday.

The decision to step down, according to Pritzker, was in order to provide “good stewardship” to help protect the corporation and ensure a “proper transition at the Hyatt.”

“Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell which I deeply regret. I exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner. I condemn the actions and the harm caused by Epstein and Maxwell and I feel deep sorrow for the pain they inflicted on their victims,” he said in a statement

Pritzker, who is Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s cousin, was one of 100 mentioned in the documents that were released on Jan. 3, 2024. The more than 900 pages of primarily unredacted documents included names mentioned by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers.  

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In a deposition, Giuffre accused Thomas Pritzker of serious sexual allegations, naming him as one of several men she was trafficked to have sex with. He continued to deny those allegations. 

Pritzker has served as a member of Hyatt’s Board and as executive chairman since August 2004, and began his senior executive and chairman responsibilities for predecessor entities starting in 1980. 

The corporation announced that Mark S. Hoplamazian was appointed as Hyatt’s president and CEO in Pritzker’s place.  

In a letter to the Hyatt board on Monday, Pritzker wrote in part:

“I am extremely proud of the evolution of Hyatt over the past 25 years. Over that time we have taken Hyatt public, we have transitioned to a purpose driven company, we have adopted agile ways of working, we have gone asset light. We have demonstrated our ability to design and execute strategies. We have also demonstrated resilience in the face of Covid and the ability to move quickly to take advantage of opportunities such as ALG. We have generated very intentional growth not only in our numbers, but more importantly, in our people, culture and ways of working. To have played a role in this was both an honor and one of the great experiences of my life.

But now, inevitably, we are coming to a point where we must face the prospect of succession. This goes to good stewardship. I will be 76 in June. Were I to stand for reelection, I would be committing to another three years as Executive Chairman of a public company. When I look at my care for Hyatt, my respect for good governance and the focus that Margot and I have on our legacy, they all lead me to conclude that what is right for Hyatt and for me is that I retire as Executive Chairman of Hyatt effective immediately and not stand for reelection at our 2026 annual shareholder’s meeting.

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Illinois

5 tornadoes confirmed in central Illinois following weekend storms

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5 tornadoes confirmed in central Illinois following weekend storms


(WAND) – The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes touched down in central Illinois during Sunday’s storms. 

The tornado count for the WAND viewing area, which does not include all of central Illinois, is now at 61 as of June 22.

For reference, the area averages 20 tornadoes annually. 

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The NWS confirmed an EF-1 east of Neoga in Cumberland County, along with EF-0 tornadoes southwest of Stewardson in Shelby County and northeast of Toledo, also in Cumberland County. 

Additionally, the NWS office in St. Louis confirmed two EF-0 tornadoes south of Shobonier in far southern Fayette County. 

Shobonier is about 10 miles south of Vandalia.

Final details have yet to be released.

This is a developing story. 

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Jimmy Awards: Park Ridge, Tinley Park students to make Broadway debut

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Jimmy Awards: Park Ridge, Tinley Park students to make Broadway debut


CHICAGO (WLS) — The Jimmy Awards honoring “theatre kids” is happening on Monday night in New York City!

Jane Nuich from Park Ridge and Logan Arroyo of Tinley Park will represent Illinois. They’ll be competing against over 100 students from across the nation.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

ABC7’s Hosea Sanders has been following their adventure that leads to a Broadway debut.

When asked if they’ve been intimidated about what’s to come, Arroyo said, “Yes, it’s scary. It’s a scary place, especially putting yourself out there on a stage or alone. I want to be an actor, and I will do whatever I can to do that.”

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Nuich added, “It’s a huge opportunity to work with industry professionals and with so many other talented young people. And you get to experience so much in New York in that short week. And it’s, I think, such a cool experience rather than a big competition.”

Sanders also Arroyo and Nuich what growing up in the Chicago area has done for their exposure and their goals.

“I think the immediate access to all of the theater that Chicago has to offer has been so incredible to me. As a young student of theater and young performer in theater, I think it’s been so educational to me, and so inspiring to be able to anywhere in Chicago in a quick moment from the suburbs to just see so much theater,” Nuich said. “I think it’s so comforting to know you’re surrounded by so many artists who are just as passionate as you. And I think that going into a career in this, it’s so incredible to be exposed to so many young performers who are so talented and passionate as this age.”

Arroyo added, “I’m so excited to be around people I care about and love this as much as I do.”

When asked what previous Illinois Jimmy winners have told the performs, Nuich said, “It goes by really fast, that a lot will happen, but it’s important to stay grounded and to take it all in and realize what a special experience it is, and you just keep working hard.”

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“My big dream is to do what I love and love myself for doing it,” Arroyo said.

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Video shows deadly tornado that hit southern Illinois, killing 2

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Video shows deadly tornado that hit southern Illinois, killing 2


A tornado caught on video tore through southern Illinois on Sunday, killing at least two people, hurting several others and destroying homes.

What we know:

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The tornado touched down shortly after 5 p.m. in northeastern Jefferson County and moved northeast, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Soon after, 911 dispatchers began getting calls about damaged homes, fallen trees, downed power lines and missing people.

Several police, fire and ambulance agencies responded to help search for people and clear damaged areas.

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By 9 p.m., officials said three homes had been completely destroyed, and many other buildings were damaged.

Two people died in separate homes that were destroyed by the storm. Both were single-wide mobile homes.

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Five people were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

What we don’t know:

Officials have not released the names of the two people who died.

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The National Weather Service has not yet said how strong the tornado was or how far it traveled.

Local perspective:

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Fallen trees blocked at least three roads across the area.

Power lines were knocked down in multiple places, but officials said power had been restored to most customers by Sunday night.

Authorities asked people to stay away from northeastern Jefferson County unless they had an emergency reason to be there.

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The backstory:

The storm came less than two weeks after another round of severe weather produced more than 20 tornadoes across parts of Illinois and northwest Indiana on June 11.

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What they’re saying:

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office thanked first responders and volunteers who helped with search and rescue efforts.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the families of those lost in this tragic event,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

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The Source: The information in this story came from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

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