Illinois Professors Disagree With School’s Fall Proposals
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ college and university professors are pushing back against their school’s proposals for reopening schools amid the pandemic, prompting officials to adopt new norms to accommodate faculty recommendations. Faculty concerns are becoming more urgent after reports say that students returning to college towns are spreading the coronavirus, the Chicago Tribune reported. But despite the risks, some students want to return to campus and get their money’s worth since most schools are not discounting tuition. Illinois State University’s “Redbirds Return” plan that was rolled out in June received immediate push back from faculty members. A proposal, signed by more than 500 employees, students, parents and community members, called for more precautions when students return in the fall. After more than 200 Loyola University faculty members and students signed a petition calling on administrators to make online teaching the default option for everyone, officials announced this month that they would limit face-to-face classes. They previously had plans to offer on-campus and virtual instruction. Most schools have shifted gears to address faculty and student concerns. But Columbia College Chicago is not one of them. Officials still intend to operate on a hybrid schedule in the fall despite faculty opposition. – Associated Press
Wisconsin Among 4 States Added To Chicago Quarantine Order
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago added Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota to the list of states where people who are traveling to the city must quarantine for two weeks as Illinois learned that its own residents must do the same when they travel to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. Chicago officials said that beginning Friday, anyone from those states who doesn’t comply with the requirement could face possible fines. They issued the quarantine order in early July. Initially, it applied to travelers from 15 states, but it has been updated weekly based on increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The expansion announced Tuesday brought the total number of affected states to 22. – Associated Press
Lawsuit Seeks $150M In ComEd Refunds After Bribery Scheme
CHICAGO (AP) — A class-action lawsuit seeks $150 million in refunds from ComEd for customer rate increases and other benefits the utility received from Illinois as part of an alleged bribery scheme. The lawsuit was filed Monday in Cook County by three individuals and a Chicago-based company that have been ComEd customers since 2011. “Through rampant and widespread corruption in the form of bribery of Illinois elected officials, ComEd and its parent company, Exelon Corporation, deprived ratepayers of vast sums of money, totaling in the hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars,” the lawsuit alleged. – Associated Press