Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs
Leaders of these organizations on the South and West sides connect residents to jobs and engage youth to build safer neighborhoods.
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A worker’s right to choose
Hundreds of thousands of Illinois workers are forced to pay union dues to keep their jobs. But close by, worker freedom reigns.
Illinois’ low-income and blue-collar workers are the worst-paid in the region
Although Illinois’ top earners make more than most of their regional counterparts, Illinois’ bottom quarter of earners have the lowest wages in the Midwest
Busting the myth that Chicago taxes are low
An analysis of Chicago’s taxation and revenue in perspective
Another vendor tells Illinois to pay up
Southwestern Electric Cooperative Inc. sends a disconnection-warning letter to Illinois.
After months of gridlock, compromise rears its head in Springfield
Good-faith negotiation and trust were foundational to all of the deals made, but some Statehouse Democrats pushed for extreme solutions while others were actively compromising.
Front lines of a broken state
What happens to a family that can’t afford to leave Illinois?
Caterpillar lays off 300 Illinois workers
The layoffs come amid a dismal manufacturing climate in the Land of Lincoln.
Springfield’s panhandling prohibition struck down as violation of freedom of speech
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Springfield’s ban on panhandling unconstitutionally discriminated against certain kinds of speech.
As Springfield stalls reform, another Illinois manufacturer heads across state lines
Illinois’ broken workers’ compensation system makes it an easy decision to leave.
