Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his 34th disaster proclamation regarding COVID-19, extending his emergency powers to nearly 70% of his term. President Joe Biden said the pandemic is done.
Chicago reported more traffic deaths in the first six months of 2022 than in any year since 2017, despite speed cameras issuing over 1 million tickets – as many tickets as Chicago has households. Two-thirds of the fines were for speeding 6-10 mph.
Illinois lost more than 100,000 residents and $8.5 billion on net in adjusted gross income to other states from 2019-2020, according to new federal tax return data. Those leaving earned $31K more than those coming in.
Chicago drivers were issued more speed tickets in 2021 than there are city residents. Annual ticket revenues doubled, but fatal crashes still increased.
One-third of Illinois’ missing jobs are from the leisure and hospitality industry, but that sector’s COVID-19 pandemic recovery lags virtually every other state in the U.S.
Chicago Teachers Union takes credit for spreading the “new gospel” of union strike power across the nation. If the CTU-backed Amendment 1 passes in November, it will lock the union’s militant tactics into the state constitution, to the detriment of children and parents statewide.
The nation recovered 85% of the jobs lost to the COVID-19 downturn, but only one metro area in Illinois beat the U.S. average. The Chicago area only recovered 64% of its jobs. Bloomington was one of just 11 U.S. areas to lose jobs last year.