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But university economists say ongoing concerns about inflation, rising interest rates, and fears of a possible national recession leave Illinois’s economic picture uncertain.
To be sure, the Loop and River North are still far safer than many neighborhoods in the city, with a rate of about 1 victim per 10,000 residents so far this year. That is lower than the city’s overall rate of about 3 victims per 10,000 residents and significantly lower than 12-13 victims per 10,000 residents in some South and West Side neighborhoods that experience the highest levels of crime.
“I’ve been very clear. I do not believe in erasing history. I think you’ve got to put it in a proper context. I think you’ve got to honor the entirety of that history,” the mayor said.
The latest ruling came on Thursday in a case filed in Christian County on behalf of 46 employees of the Illinois Department of Corrections from 18 separate facilities who objected to the requirement to show proof of vaccination against the virus or submit to regular testing.
The huge spike up we’ve seen is clobbering trucking companies, which employ one out of every 14 workers in Illinois. “What this really impacts is consumers, because eventually our industry has to pass along higher fuel costs,” said Matt Hart, Executive Director of Illinois Trucking Association.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot also said Monday that she is pushing the CTA and police to improve safety on trains after three separate stabbings this weekend.
“During the pandemic, it became clear that Michigan Avenue had a safety problem, including a negative perception that was hurting businesses. Now that shows have returned to the theater district, we see that the same issue haunting the Loop. And it hurts not just the entertainment industry but all the other businesses, from restaurants to retail to hotels to parking lots, that rely on evening and weekend foot traffic.”
The governor’s executive order notes that face coverings are still required in health care and congregate settings such as correctional facilities and homeless shelters. Meanwhile, schools and daycare centers are still encouraged to follow CDC and state agency recommendations on social distancing, testing, ventilation, and contact tracing. Employee vaccine and testing requirements are also still in place in congregate care settings, schools, and daycare centers.
Illinois’ revised plan will replace old diesel engines with all-electric school buses, public transit, Class 4-8 local freight trucks, and light-duty charging infrastructure to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from mobile sources in areas of Illinois that are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and air pollution.
House Republican leader Jim Durkin blamed Gov. JB Pritzker for failing to deal with the problem, saying Director Marc Smith should resign. Pritzker shot back pointing to Republicans who have voted against recent budgets that have added funds to DCFS, noting all nine children involved in the contempt citations were quickly placed in residential settings.
When it comes to the number of homicides during the month of April, David Brown says there were 49 citywide. That’s a 9% decline from April of 2021, and the 58 in April 2020.
“To me, the best social program is a job,” state Rep. Mark Batinick said. “One of the things that are hurting these areas is a lack of investments in the area frankly just due to ridiculously high property taxes.”
Pew researcher Joanna Biernacka-Lievestro said a shrinking or slow-growing populace can be both a cause and effect of weakened economic prospects. The report noted the states with long-term population declines, like Illinois, all fell near the bottom of economic growth over the 12-year recovery from the Great Recession.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the Biden administration has established a Disinformation Governance Board, and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood pushed for the department to do more. “What I’ve heard you describe is internal organizations. What we are looking for is external communications with the American public, including those for whom Spanish is their predominant language to make sure that the information the department around mis- and disinformation campaign is reaching those individuals.”
Each episode focuses on an unsolved killing and features testimonials from the victim’s family members, as well as a CPD detective who recounts the specifics of the case. Department leaders hope that spotlighting the cases will compel potential witnesses to come forward with new information that could help detectives.
The state’s attorney’s office has 48 hours to file charges until a suspect is released, and when Foxx’s felony review unit had not filed charges by the 44th hour, CPD Detective-Commander Charles Brown apparently overrode that decision and approved the murder charge on his own.
There are more than 17,000 federal workers spread out across 38 agencies in the city, according to the United States Government Services Administration. The United States Department of Labor is the latest agency to bring workers back, allowing 100 percent occupancy in its offices as of this week, a spokesperson said. The Social Security Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency — which together have more than 2,600 employees — also brought workers back Downtown in April.
Marvin Bugg, 44, was identified as the CTA assailant after police arrested him in River North on Friday for allegedly touching a 13-year-old girl’s breasts while she was on a school field trip downtown.
Apartments stand out as the engine driving the expansion of the tax base in downtown Chicago over the past several years. Some downtown high-rises that didn’t exist a few years ago are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars—property value that can be taxed, reducing the burden on existing taxpayers.
Which is it, amendment supporters? Is there something new and wonderful for workers under the amendment or does existing law stay in place? Either way, why does the amendment say something entirely different? We think they are being duplicitous by claiming on the one hand that preemption limits the effect of the amendment, but shooting for the stars with amendment language that’s as broad as your imagination.
Among them, police said two men were in an alley near Wabash Avenue and Benton Place Sunday when someone started shooting just before 5 p.m. The Sunday night performance of Moulin Rouge was abruptly canceled.
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