A national republication of our Wirepoints column.

The $45 million will support 148 programs run by organizations operating on relatively small budgets in communities designated as socioeconomically disadvantaged. Grant amounts varied, with most in the mid-to-low six figures. Cook County, where Chicago is located, received $305,137.

The unemployment rate dropped in 11 metro areas in Illinois in May, stayed the same in Decatur and increased in Kankakee.

Republican leaders think a moderate nominee for governor could beat Gov. J.B. Pritzker. But the party’s base seems to prefer a far-right state senator — and he is getting help from Mr. Pritzker.

“This time — where’s a scorecard when you need one? — it was former state Sen. Thomas Cullerton…But if the defendants are coming fast and furious, the sentences imposed upon wrongdoers remain weak. Those caught selling a couple ounces of cocaine can go away for a long time. Compared to that, being a white-collar criminal and/or a corrupt public official is the safer path to follow.

“We will see 20,000 or potentially 30,000 [abortion seekers] because people do need to exercise those rights,” Pritzker said during his appearance on Meet the Press, adding that Illinois saw 10,000 women from surrounding states, including Texas, come to Illinois last year for abortions.

More than 45,000 people received abortions in Illinois in 2020. Most of those who got abortions in Illinois were residents, with 36,000 patients from counties across the state. Yet, the majority of in-state patients were from a select few counties in the northeastern part of the state near Chicago — Cook, DuPage, Will and Lake — as well as St. Clair County near St. Louis.

More than 60% of the Illinois facilities are in Chicago and its suburbs, the analysis found, but 85 of the state’s 102 counties have at least one potential source of the chemicals.

“There was not enough attention paid to the skills gap,” said Sarah Hartwick, vice president of Education and Workforce Policy for the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “Employers are saying there is a significant skills gap in math, reading and even the essential soft skills.”