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Illinois quick hits: Illinois unemployment rate rises to 5.2%
Illinois unemployment rate rises to 5.2% The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Thursday that the state's unemployment rate increased to 5.2%, while nonfarm payrolls increased nearly 13,000 in July. The national unemployment rate was 4.3% in July, up from the previous month. Based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry sectors with monthly payroll job declines included Manufacturing, Leisure and Hospitality, and Trade,...
Sportsbook reverses decision on surcharges for Illinois bettors
(The Center Square) – In the wake of tax hikes on sports betting apps in Illinois, one operator that announced surcharges to make up revenue is changing course. DraftKings announced last month it would add surcharges to high-tax states like Illinois, which just hiked taxes on sports books from 15% to as much as 40%. Now the company says for the time being, no surcharges will be imposed. “We always...
Banks file lawsuit challenging Illinois credit card fee law
A coalition of banking groups on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Illinois law they say would create costly chaos in their industry and headaches for consumers. The law blocks banks and credit card companies from charging retailers a small fee on taxes and tips. Illinois earlier this year became the first state in the nation to enact such a law, prompting outrage and an ...
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth to lead U.S. delegation to Paralympic Games
Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth will lead the U.S. delegation at the 2024 Paralympic Games opening in Paris along with the newly revealed members tasked with representing America at the global event and closing ceremonies.
Swarms of Dragonflies Are on the Move Across Illinois, Part of a Great and Mysterious Migration
“It’s the most exciting time of the year if you love dragonflies.”. The author of “Chasing Dragonflies” and the blog “Tuesdays in the Tallgrass” is talking about the start of the annual southern migration of green darners (Anax junius), one of the largest and most common dragonfly species.
A Second Round of Potent Storms Possible
More storms are targeting central Illinois. A low-pressure system is marching across the region, and it already brought one round of hefty showers and storms on Thursday morning. Springfield got drenched with over 3/4" of rain, and Decatur picked up nearly an inch. Now central Illinois is in the warm...
Healthcare waiver to expand Medicaid coverage gets federal approval
The Healthcare Transformation 1115 Demonstration waiver was federally approved July 2, allowing the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to expand Medicaid coverage. That additional coverage is expected to help address root causes of health disparities, according to an Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker press release. That includes housing and...
ILLINOIS NEWS BRIEF (08/15/2024)
(SPRINGFIELD) A new state law will expand fentanyl education for grades 6-12 in Illinois schools beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year. It was last week that Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the non-partisan bill into law. The Illinois Department of Public Health says a lethal dose of fentanyl is smaller than a drop of water. Opioids containing fentanyl, along with several other drugs, are involved in 70% of most all fatal drug overdoses.
Public Community Workshop on Nuclear Fuel Cycle
As part of the Department of Energy’s Consent Based Program, North Carolina State University will host a Public Workshop on community consent and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, aimed at establishing societal consensus. This event is organized in partnership with the Tribal Consent-Based Coalition and Mothers for Nuclear. The workshop...
Cooler pattern taking shape later this weekend…
Friday’s highs will surge well into the 80s—will the warmest temperatures we see over the next seven days. Following Friday’s above normal warmth, a cooler pattern taking shape later this weekend, and continuing well into next week.
Gary / Chicago International Airport Hosts 2024 Gary Air Show – August 17th and 18th
Chicago’s 3rd Official Airport Once Again Hosts Annual Stunning Aviation Showcase of Regional, National and International Aviators and Aerial Aerobics. On Saturday August 17th and Sunday August 18th, the City of Gary, the Gary / Chicago International Airport (GCIA) and the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority (SSCVA) will once again host the dozens of aviators and aerial acts that will participate in the Gary Air Show weekend performing along the South Shore of Lake Michigan. The event will occur between 11 am and 2 pm each day, and feature notable performers staging at GCIA.
Metra, Pace, and CTA offering free rides for K-12 students on August 26
Offer good for all the region’s elementary and high school students on that date. Elementary and high school students from across the region will also be able to ride the CTA, Metra, and Pace for free on Monday, August 26, the first day of school for Chicago Public Schools and many suburban schools.
Friday’s Headlines Go the Conventional Route
It's not quite the Olympics, but hosting a political convention like the DNC in Chicago next week gives cities an incentive to get transit projects built faster. (ABC News) Heat forces trains to slow down to avoid damaging the tracks, and as the climate gets hotter, this is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. The infrastructure can be fixed, but it will be incredibly expensive. (The Atlantic; paywall)
Newark offers lessons for Chicago's efforts to replace lead lines
Krippner is a Chicago-based solutions and investigative journalist. The prevalence of lead-contaminated drinking water remains an ongoing infrastructure issue in cities throughout the United States. Many of the contaminated water lines exist primarily in the Midwest, within homes that were built before 1960. According to the National Conference of State...
Denver Mayor Reports Record Reduction in Unsheltered Homelessness: City Outpaces Seattle, Chicago, D.C., and Atlanta in Mitigation Efforts
Mayor Mike Johnston has announced what's being celebrated as one of the most substantial drops in the number of unsheltered homeless individuals within a major U.S. city, as indicated by the results of the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count. In a significant move in the fight against homelessness, Denver has displayed an 83% reduction in unsheltered family homelessness and a 23% decrease in tent and vehicular homelessness. This improvement marks Denver's largest single-year decline in homelessness since the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) began documenting specific data. According to the City and County of Denver, the total population of unsheltered homeless individuals has seen a reduction of 11%.
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