Pritzker raises minimum tobacco sale age to 21
By Staff Report, News Desk
April 10, 2019
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill Sunday raising the minimum tobacco sale age in Illinois from 18 to 21.
Lori Lightfoot elected Chicago mayor, making her the first African American woman to lead the city
By Bill Ruthhart, Chicago Tribune
April 4, 2019
Lori Lightfoot won a resounding victory Tuesday night to become both the first African American woman and openly gay person elected mayor of Chicago, dealing a stinging defeat to a political establishment that has reigned over City Hall for decades.
A historic decision: Voters will choose between Lightfoot and Preckwinkle to become Chicago’s first African-American female mayor
By Bill Ruthhart, Gregory Pratt, and Juan Perez Jr.
April 1, 2019
Chicago voters will make history Tuesday when they head to the polls and pick either former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot or Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to become the city’s 56th mayor.
Bill to reopen Tamms Correctional Facility passes Illinois House, moves to Senate
By Kallie Cox, Staff Reporter
March 29, 2019
House Bill 210, a bill to reopen and reorganize the Tamms Correctional Facility, has moved to the Illinois House floor for consideration after being amended to create a task force to study the potential effects reopening the facility would have.
Arrests ordered of 2 former Madigan operatives for failing to answer questions in lawsuit
By Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune
March 26, 2019
A federal judge on Monday ordered the arrests of two alleged political operatives of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan for failing to appear for depositions in a lawsuit filed by Madigan’s opponent in the 2016 election.
Public Policy Institute releases approval ratings for select Illinois officials, Trump
By Brandi Courtois, Staff Writer
March 26, 2019
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute has released job performance reviews for a select group of elected officials based on a statewide sample of 1,000 registered voters.
Illinois House passes bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ individuals in curriculum
By Brandi Courtois, Staff Writer
March 14, 2019
SPRINGFIELD- The Illinois House passed a bill Wednesday which would require public schools to include lessons on prominent LGBTQ+ figures in history. House Bill 246, also called the Inclusive Curriculum bill, would go into effect July 1, 2020.
Invoking the Great Depression, Pritzker delivers first budget proposal amid $3.2 billion deficit
By Dan Petrella and Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune
February 20, 2019
Comparing Illinois' financial morass to the challenges the state faced during the Great Depression, Gov. J.B. Pritzker used his first budget address Wednesday to lay out the initial stages of a multiyear road map that is ultimately dependent upon voters approving a graduated income tax.
State Democratic leader seeks more candidates to ride ‘blue wave’
By Lenore Sobota, The Pantagraph
February 19, 2019
After a “blue wave” that swept many Democrats into Congress and governorships — including J.B. Pritzker in Illinois — the new leader of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association is looking for stronger county organizations and more Democratic candidates to keep the momentum going.
6 dead, including shooter, and 5 officers wounded in attack at Aurora manufacturing firm
By Chicago Tribune
February 15, 2019
Six people, including a gunman, died in a shooting at a manufacturing firm in a Chicago suburb Friday afternoon, and five officers were struck by gunfire, officials said Friday.
Polar bears at the zoo will love the arctic weather, but other Chicago animals could face fight for survival
By John Keilman, Chicago Tribune
January 29, 2019
The brutal cold expected to descend upon Chicago this week could be deadly for many animals that live outdoors, but experts say it's likely that the populations of everything from stray cats to stink bugs will escape lasting damage.
Patti Blagojevich ‘speechless’ convicted chicago cop’s sentence is shorter than her husband’s, sends flare to Trump on social media
By Lisa Donovan, Chicago Tribune
January 22, 2019
Patti Blagojevich compared on social media Friday the controversial sentencing of former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke with the lengthier prison sentence given to her husband, imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
