However, diplomas will be mailed and there remains the possibility of rescheduling commencement and/or virtual events to honor the Class of 2020.

“On one hand, state officials are telling people to stay at home from restaurants and bars, and at the same time, they’re saying it’s OK to go to the polls. This kind of mixed messaging is the last thing people need at a time when so much confusion exists over the coronavirus that people aren’t sure exactly what to believe.”

Granting the governor and Illinois Department of Public Health these powers are two statutes — one effective during times of disaster and the other when a health situation demands certain actions.

In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker has urged stronger action from the federal government while also taking COVID-19 response steps at the state level. He noted Tuesday the administration will file for statewide eligibility in a federal loan program for small businesses facing financial hardship.

Despite ranking in the top one-third of states overall, Illinois was near the bottom in one area, coming in No. 49 for states with the lowest public health emergency preparedness funding per capita.

“From March 17 through March 30, all school district employees on the district’s payroll will get paid as if the schools were functioning normally. Normal pay includes salary, hourly and stipend pay, benefits, and employees will receive full and normal service credit in their pension systems.”

That anti-consumer, likely unconstitutional regulation dating from the end of Prohibition might change.

The problem does not come from a computer glitch, but rather from a clerical error which could be caused by many different things.

As many states facing imminent cash flow issues dip into reserves amid the coronavirus outbreak, Illinois’ rainy day fund is nearly empty.

In Chicago, election officials were forced to close eighty polling locations and take steps to move others from locations where they thought bringing the general public could put the elderly at risk.

Chicago election officials said they asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker to postpone Illinois’ primary election, but were rebuffed and reportedly threatened with a charge of voter suppression.

The patient was a Chicago woman in her 60s with an underlying condition, Pritzker said.

His office has fielded more than 100 complaints in recent days from people about prices for hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, face masks and disinfectant sprays.

School assignments given during the mandatory school closure should not count toward student grades because most school districts are not ready for e-learning, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Chicago election officials anticipated a serious shortage of workers at city polls.

A tax on video gambling that Oak Lawn village officials have boasted will bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars, helping the village to deal with spiraling public pension costs, has been challenged in court.

The Chicago Police Department canceled police academy training, the Cook County board approved measure giving Toni Preckwinkle more power during coronavirus crisis, and Mayor Lightfoot said she’s looking at ways to support restaurant workers.