Forget your I-PASS? Prepare to see tolls double
Forget your I-PASS? Prepare to see tolls double
The Illinois Tollway is cracking down on I-PASS users who don’t have their transponders in their vehicles.
Like a good neighbor: Illinois sees record loss of people to nearby states
Like a good neighbor: Illinois sees record loss of people to nearby states
Solving Illinois’ people problem requires addressing the high cost of government, which makes the state far less attractive for people looking to plant roots.
Freeze-out: Government union strike could cripple Chicago this winter
Freeze-out: Government union strike could cripple Chicago this winter
A potential strike by Teamsters Local 700 – which represents snowplow operators in Chicago – could have a disastrous impact on travel and safety in the city. Unlike neighboring states, Illinois law enshrines this “right to strike,” thereby giving government worker unions enormous power in bargaining.
Honey, I Shrunk Illinois
Honey, I Shrunk Illinois
Investigation: CPS employees stole gift cards meant for students
Investigation: CPS employees stole gift cards meant for students
From 2013 to 2016, Chicago Public Schools purchased more than $250,600 worth of gift cards, most of which were meant for students and families. But CPS employees stole some of them, according to the inspector general’s office.
Land of leaving: Moving companies rank Illinois No. 1 for outbound vans
Land of leaving: Moving companies rank Illinois No. 1 for outbound vans
Studies from two moving companies list Illinois as the top “outbound state” for 2017.
Illinois General Assembly, 2017 in review: State pet, state grain, but no fixes
Illinois General Assembly, 2017 in review: State pet, state grain, but no fixes
Illinois lawmakers passed hundreds of bills in 2017, but enacted no real reforms to boost the state’s economy, rein in the cost of government or provide relief to taxpayers.
Forgotten Illinois 2017: Stories from across the state
Forgotten Illinois 2017: Stories from across the state
We're traveling the state to talk to Illinoisans prone to being overlooked.
Madigan Insanity 2018
Madigan Insanity 2018
Zane Peterson
Zane Peterson
“I think there is quite a bit of opportunity still in downstate Illinois. Building relationships has been the No. 1 thing about being here. “When I was in school I interviewed at Northwestern Mutual [in] downtown [Chicago] and that was kind of appealing, but at that point in time I was already forming a business...
Corey Walker
Corey Walker
“My grandfather moved up here for employment. Wagner Castings, back in the ‘60s, was hiring African-Americans in record numbers. “My dad started his business in 1981. I took over 18 years ago now. “He was a very successful African-American business owner. All my life. “That was a time when money was plentiful. Everybody was working....
Chicago’s dizzying alcohol taxes
Chicago’s dizzying alcohol taxes
The combined burden of municipal and state taxes on alcoholic beverages might make Chicagoans think they’re seeing double.
Illinois losing 1 resident every 4.6 minutes to other states
Illinois losing 1 resident every 4.6 minutes to other states
Heavy losses of Illinoisans to other states have caused the Land of Lincoln to shrink for four consecutive years.
School districts across the state raise property tax levies
School districts across the state raise property tax levies
Illinois’ school district debt and unfair government union bargaining laws contribute to the state’s massive property taxes.