Crumbling sidewalks, gas line failures and cracked concrete — the problems at Brookfield Zoo are a metaphor for what’s wrong with public infrastructure…
Rural hospitals aren’t just providers of medicine and health care, but also are often major employers and a massive part of a town’s tax base. However,…
The U.S. trade war with China has created a financial burden for farmers and companies that import Chinese goods. Consumers, on the other hand, have…
The U.S. trade war with China, now approaching a year, is often framed as hurting manufacturing and agriculture the most. But that’s mainly collateral…
Illinois’ population loss could be a warning for larger changes to come. Between July 2017 and July 2018, Illinois lost more than 45,000 people, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It’s still the sixth-most populated state, but is one of only a handful of states that lost people over that time period. That means Illinois [...]
J.B. Pritzker is set to becomes the 43rd governor of Illinois on Monday. He won in part by promising to make college more affordable, improve the state…
Some unlikely advocates have emerged in the fight to lift a 1997 ban on rent control in Illinois – manufactured home owners who are upset with the increasing cost of their lot rents. Terry Baker, 70, moved in to her tidy manufactured home in Urbana, Illinois, more than two decades ago when she was looking for [...]
The ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government, now into its third week, is reaching ever deeper into the lives of people far from the…
The need for new or repaired roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure in Illinois continues to outpace the amount of funding available to complete the projects. With a new governor and legislative session starting in January, discussions have already started with an aim to change that. Illinois Newsroom will follow negotiations of a capital plan. [...]
Last spring, Illinois Newsroom reported that the Illinois Department of Corrections spent less than $300 on books for all of its prisons the prior year. In a recent interview, IDOC Director John Baldwin said state lawmakers dictate how the agency spends its money. var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1545322209346'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > [...]
Small internet service providers in Illinois are optimistic after the farm bill – which President Trump recently signed – included more money for…
The fertile soil of Illinois farmland has defined the state for 200 years (hello, bicentennial). And current farmers and aspiring ones are wondering who gets to carry on the legacy for the next 200. If you’re not in the farming industry, the issue is more complicated than you think. Older generations are farming for longer, [...]
Come January 14, Illinois will have a new pro-pot-legalization governor and a Democrat-held legislature, leading many to believe the state will legalize recreational cannabis. That’s exciting for some, concerning for others. At a recent “News & Brews” community event about what legalization may mean for Illinois, several attendees asked how police officers plan to deal [...]
The issue of marijuana legalization in Illinois has been hotly debated for years. But assumptions, inaccuracies, and unknowns still fuel arguments on all sides across the state. As vocal legalization supporter and governor-elect J.B. Pritzker prepares to take office, Illinois residents are trying to understand how the potential legalization will affect them. During Illinois Newsroom’s [...]
The push to legalize recreational marijuana in Illinois could get a jump-start early next year. State Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat, said this week she plans to introduce legislation early next year to tax and regulate the use and sale of marijuana. Incoming Democratic governor J.B. Pritzker campaigned on a pro-legalization platform, and House [...]
