Upward mobility tougher in Illinois than in rest of Midwest, most of U.S.
Upward mobility tougher in Illinois than in rest of Midwest, most of U.S.
Illinois ranked 40th overall and the worst in the Midwest for social mobility, a new report found.
The Policy Shop: Brandon Johnson’s sinking mayorship
The Policy Shop: Brandon Johnson’s sinking mayorship
This edition of The Policy Shop is by assistant editor Dylan Sharkey. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson just barely won the city election less than a year ago, with about 26,500 of the city’s nearly 1.6 million registered voters handing him the race. A lot has changed since then, and voters are much more polarized in their views...
Samantha Danielle
Samantha Danielle
“Alcohol licensing was easy at the federal level. I am an importer and wholesale distributor, but then you have to get it at the state level because prohibition and bootlegging made it a state-by-state decision on how to sell alcohol.”
Chicago’s chronic school absences hit Hispanic students hard
Chicago’s chronic school absences hit Hispanic students hard
Absenteeism rates among Hispanic students in Chicago Public Schools are chronically high. Proficiency in reading and math is low.
Appellate decision: Votes on Bring Chicago Home referendum will count
Appellate decision: Votes on Bring Chicago Home referendum will count
Votes on Chicago’s March 19 referendum will count, according to an Illinois Appellate Court ruling. Now voters must weigh the merits of the real estate transfer tax hike.
Illinois No. 2 in the nation for gas taxes
Illinois No. 2 in the nation for gas taxes
Illinoisans pay the nation’s second-highest gas taxes behind only Californians, thanks to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s automatic gas tax hikes. The next gas tax hike is scheduled for July 1.
Minneapolis’ 4 housing moves can be blueprint for fixing Chicago
Minneapolis’ 4 housing moves can be blueprint for fixing Chicago
Chicago’s tight rental market is raising rents and eating larger chunks of residents’ income. But the city can fix that by following Minneapolis’ lead.
Chicago labor unions refuse to back mayor’s ‘mansion tax’
Chicago labor unions refuse to back mayor’s ‘mansion tax’
Fears of what it would do to Chicago’s housing market and economy led a group of Chicago trade unions to refuse to endorse Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to increase a city tax on real estate sales.
Groundhogs Day: Brandon Johnson’s failures
Groundhogs Day: Brandon Johnson’s failures
Vallas: Chicago needs a public safety act to counter SAFE-T Act
Vallas: Chicago needs a public safety act to counter SAFE-T Act
Chicago's rampant crime is not getting attention from city leaders. It is getting worse thanks to the SAFE-T Act. To fix that, city leaders need their own public safety act. And soon.
Illinois shorts higher ed by nearly $530M compared to 15 years ago
Illinois shorts higher ed by nearly $530M compared to 15 years ago
Illinois’ institutions of higher education will get nearly $530 million less from lawmakers to run this year than they did in fiscal year 2009, adjusted for inflation. Coupled with rapidly rising pensions, students and their families can expect ever-higher tuition costs.
Police report: Chicago Teachers Union president advises punching principal in face
Police report: Chicago Teachers Union president advises punching principal in face
A Chicago elementary school principal filed a police report after he was told Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates recommended his staff punch him in the face.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s priorities
The Chicago Teachers Union’s priorities
2-in-5 Illinois low-income students chronically absent
2-in-5 Illinois low-income students chronically absent
Chronic absenteeism rates among Illinois public school students increased after the pandemic-era school closures. Rates are even higher among low-income students, limiting their futures.