Insurance industry makes millions from delays

Good morning, Chicago. ✶

🔎 Below: How much money are insurance companies making by delaying paying out claims? A recent analysis shows it’s in the millions. 

🗞️ Plus: Another round of tornadoes hit the Chicago area, the White Sox’ Pope Leo night and more news you need to know.

📝 Keeping score: The Cubs beat the Nationals, 8-6; the White Sox fell to the Reds, 5-4.

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⏱️: A 7-minute read

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TODAY’S WEATHER 🌧️

Afternoon storms with a high near 83.

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CHICAGO JIGSAW PUZZLE 🧩

Piece together history to reveal more about today’s photo from the Sun-Times archives.

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TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎

Insurance industry makes millions each day claims go unpaid, analysis shows

Reporting by Stephanie Zimmermann

Delay and profit: A new analysis shows that delaying home insurance claims for just a day or a week can add millions of dollars in profit collectively for the insurance industry.

The analysis: For each day of delays on home insurance claims, the industry takes in an extra $8.8 million in interest and investment income, according to an analysis by the independent financial institution rating firm Weiss Ratings for the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, which looked at the money that home insurers take in as premiums as well as their investment income. 

All insurance: Across all lines of property and casualty insurance — including home, auto, business and other coverage — the industry gains a combined $52.3 million in investment income for each additional day claims are delayed, the analysis found.

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CHICAGO STORMS 🌪️

3 tornadoes packing winds of 86 to 110 mph hit Chicago area

Reporting by Elijah James and Violet Miller

Damaging storm: Three tornadoes hit the Chicago area on Tuesday in a fast-moving storm with extreme winds that left a path of destruction in the south suburbs and cut power to hundreds of thousands.

Areas impacted: The National Weather Service said surveyors confirmed the tornadoes with gusts of 86 to 110 mph: One in southern Cook County, another in eastern Will County, and the third in the Mokena area, also in Will County. Survey teams would continue working to confirm possible tornadoes near Homer Glen, Tinley Park, Crete and Manhattan. 

In Chicago: The storms also damaged parts of Chicago, where downed trees were reported across the city. About 357,000 ComEd customers lost power as the storms initially passed, according to the company. 

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EDUCATION 🍎

Bankrupt charter wants to pocket cash from selling taxpayer-funded school building

Reporting by Sarah Karp and Dan Mihalopoulos

For sale: More than a decade ago, Aspira Inc. of Illinois got $27 million from the state to build a modern school in Avondale. Now the nonprofit has declared bankruptcy and wants to sell the building for $11 million to a real-estate investment company — and pocket some of the proceeds for its own operations.

Key context: Aspira filed for bankruptcy after it was forced to close two schools in March, leaving more than 500 students to transfer midyear. In bankruptcy court filings, the nonprofit cited the loss of funding from Chicago Public Schools and “significant and continuing financial distress.”

Questions raised: It’s unclear whether CPS or the state will be able to recoup anything from the sale after sending millions to Aspira. WBEZ has also been seeking information to get a better picture of what led to Aspira’s financial troubles.

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PUBLIC SAFETY 🚨

• Man arrested after fatal stabbing: Ankur Patel, who was arrested at O’Hare Airport apparently trying to board a flight, is facing first-degree murder charges for allegedly fatally stabbing a woman in Albany Park.
• Baby hurt after TikTok stunt: A 1-year-old’s cousin placed rubbing alcohol inside a microwave, causing an apartment fire and explosion that left the baby clinging to life with burns and injured two adults.
• Potential suit filed against funeral home: A Texas woman has launched a potential class-action lawsuit against South Chicago Chapel, the South Deering funeral home that allegedly mishandled the remains of her father along with dozens of other bodies recently found in various states of decomposition.
• New charges in botched sting: New charges have been filed over the June 9 attempted robbery of undercover federal officers in Country Club Hills, nearly two months after the case originally brought by prosecutors fell apart over video of a police shooting that seemed to contradict an FBI special agent’s sworn affidavit.

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MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️

• Remembering Dion Jackson: A radio personality and advocate for Chicago hip-hop talent, Mr. Jackson died July 24 at age 51. “He opened the door for a lot of young Chicago talent to be recognized through the power of radio,” said his sister Connie Faye Jackson.
• Mayor calls for data center pause: Chicago should impose a temporary moratorium on new or expanded data centers until permanent regulations are established to mitigate their impact on the power grid, the water supply and the environment, Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday.
• Cemetery concerts still happening: A series of music performances scheduled at Bohemian National Cemetery this month and next will go on as planned, in spite of a new investigation into the North Park property over the alleged mishandling of human remains.
• City’s new CFO: Under pressure to stabilize his finance team before an investors conference and a preelection budget battle, Mayor Johnson has chosen Ashlee Gabrysch, a senior director at Fitch Ratings, to serve as his new chief financial officer.
• Spotlight Series: To celebrate 10 years of its series highlighting Black playwrights, Court Theatre is supporting several free performances at multiple venues this month.
• Chicago Humanities lineup: “This American Life” host Ira Glass, actor Kyle MacLachlan, author Naomi Klein and Jamaican author and Booker Prize winner Marlon James are among the dozens of guests are among this year’s featured names.
• Air and Water Show: The annual showcase of U.S. fighter jets returns to the city’s shoreline this weekend. Here’s what you need to know.

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ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.

• Giving blood: The CEO of the Red Cross of Illinois and blood donation advocates join the show to talk about the cause and impacts of what the American Red Cross has described as a blood supply emergency.
• Art therapy: Local nonprofit SkyART, which provides free art therapy for the city’s youth, recently received a major funding gift. The program’s executive director Devon VanHouten-Maldonado and art therapist Lisa Hassler discuss the impact of this gift.

Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.

• Living with AI: Has artificial intelligence changed how you live and work? Has AI threatened your job? Or are you changing your career path? Are you adapting to AI – or holding out? Callers weigh in.

LISTEN LIVE 🎧

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FROM THE PRESS BOX ⚾🏈

• Pope night draws faithful fans: Thousands attended the White Sox’ Pope Leo XIV-themed home game Tuesday, which featured a pontiff hat giveaway and a stadium-wide “Peace be with you” greeting among fans during the fifth inning.
• Reunited at Wrigley: Ex-Mets Clay Holmes and David Peterson are back together, with eyes on rediscovering their best selves and aiding the Cubs’ playoff push.
• Bears timeline: QB Caleb Williams looked promising in the Bears’ most intense practice to date, but after an up-and-down training camp, Williams admits now is the time to fail.

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CHICAGO MINI CROSSWORD 🌭

Today’s clue: 1A: Women’s boutique founded at 1837 West North Ave.

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BRIGHT ONE 🔆

Brookfield Zoo welcomes newborn squirrel monkey

Reporting by Elijah James

Amid the humid mist and roaring waterfalls inside Brookfield Zoo’s Tropic World habitat, a new, tiny resident clung tightly to its mother last week as a Sun-Times reporter visited.

A newborn squirrel monkey was born July 30 to mother Gizmo and father Sandy. While the infant does not yet have a name and its sex remains unidentified, it is already thriving, spending its first days riding securely on its mother’s chest and back as she navigates the habitat.

Guests will have a chance to see the newborn squirrel monkey and the rest of the primates inside the Tropic World exhibit daily during regular park hours.

The newborn enters an active group of six squirrel monkeys, including aunts and older sibling Slim, who was born in a previous litter and is learning maternal behaviors by watching Gizmo. For now, the newborn will remain dependent on mom.

“It’ll be a while before they actually go off on their own,” said Kim Skelton, director of primate care and conservation at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, of the newborn.

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

How has this summer’s slate of intense storms affected your community?

Reply to this question via email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.

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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Satchel Price

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