Gov. J.B. Pritzker has yet to say what his threshold is for lifting Illinois’ mask mandate but on Monday he said he’s waiting for a further decline in COVID-19 cases. Pritzker had an indoor mask mandate in place for more than a year until he let the order expire in May. He then re-instituted a […]
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Federal and state law enforcement in Illinois working to address increase child exploitation online
Local and state police along with federal authorities are working together to help combat increasing cases of child pornography and child exploitation in Illinois, the attorney general announced Monday. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, along with Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Douglas J. Quivey, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly and […]
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FBI crime report shows homicides, violent crime up in Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois continues to outpace the rest of the country for homicides and violent crime, according to a new report released by the FBI. According to the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report, there were 9 homicides per 100,000 people, the highest total in a decade. That is compared to 6.5 per 100,000 […]
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Illinois State Police announce they will be doubling police presence on Chicago area expressways
The Illinois State Police announced they will be more than doubling their patrol presence on Chicago area expressways beginning Friday in an effort to combat a surge in shootings. The patrol presence will be increased by 157% during “peak criminal activity times” on Chicago area expressways as part of District Chicago’s Safe Drive Detail. This […]
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Lawsuit asks judge to block Gov. Pritzker’s vaccine mandate for two school districts
Four west suburban school staff members have filed a lawsuit seeking to block Gov. JB Pritzker’s vaccine mandate in their school districts. Attorney Patrick J. Walsh of Griffin Williams McMahon & Walsh law firm filed the lawsuit in Kane County Circuit Court against Community Unit School Districts 303 and 304 in St. Charles and Geneva, […]
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Illinois adopts CDC recommendations for COVID-19 booster shots for certain residents
The Illinois Department of Public Health has adopted the CDC’s recommendations for certain populations to receive COVID-19 booster shots six months after getting vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people ages 65 and older, 18 and older in long-term care settings and ages 50-64 with underlying medical conditions should receive […]
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President Biden to visit Illinois this week to promote vaccine mandate for businesses
(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden will be in Chicago on Wednesday to promote his order for all businesses with more than 100 employees to require the COVID-19 vaccine for their workers. Business groups are wary about the mandate, which is expected to impact 80 million jobs nationwide. Biden announced the mandate earlier this […]
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Gov. Pritzker expected to sign sweeping energy legislation, which could raise utility bills by $180 per year
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign sweeping energy legislation into law, which could raise utility bills by $180 a year. Supporters say the legislation will help create new clean-energy jobs across the state. During a special session for the Illinois Senate on Monday, senators approved the House version of […]
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Illinois suspends thousands of license plates with new automated verification system
(The Center Square) – The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office has suspended approximately 2,700 license plates due to lack of insurance after a new electronic verification system was launched earlier summer. Nearly 2,700 Illinois license plates have been suspended in the past two months since the program went into effect. The state’s new system, called […]