Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Analyst says it’s Illinois’ private sector, not state government, being hollowed out
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said it before: state government has been hollowed out. But the state keeps spending more and more every year with next fiscal year’s budget supported by billions of dollars in borrowing.
“This is not a time for governments, state governments particularly, to be cutting services, especially a government like ours where agencies have been hollowed out over a number of years,” Pritzker said.
Chicago Sun-Times: Lightfoot announces curfew as police SUVs flipped, set on fire in clashes with rioters during George Floyd protests in downtown
Four people were shot in downtown Chicago Saturday, one fatally, after Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a curfew following violent clashes between protesters and police in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
On the second day of protests, rioters shattered windows of police cars, tipped one Chicago Police SUV onto its side and set several on fire. Some protesters threw bottles of urine or fireworks at police. And several officers were seen striking back at protesters with batons during confrontations.
The Center Square: In-person school for Illinois this fall still murky as parents may find added costs for PPE
As most schools across Illinois end two months of distant learning for summer break, parents still don’t have clear answers if their school-aged children will be returning to campuses in the fall. But parents may want to start planning to have to pick up some of the cost for personal protective equipment.
Schools have been shut down since mid-March over fears of spreading COVID-19. Students didn’t get to attend their last day of senior year, let alone have a large graduation ceremony or graduation party.