Illinois Capital News
Census outreach ‘incredibly stymied’ by COVID-19 pandemic
Organizers forced to adapt as in-person outreach efforts put on hold By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Like everyone else, Illinois’ census outreach coordinators have had to adapt to a new reality during the COVID-19 pandemic. “As drastic as this change has been for everyone, it’s the same thing for…
Read MoreDownstate judge denies AG request to move lawmaker’s case to Sangamon County
Bailey’s attorney argues request was state looking for a ‘favorable ear’ By REBECCA ANZEL Capitol News Illinois ranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A downstate judge on Friday denied the attorney general office’s request to move to Sangamon County a Republican representative’s lawsuit challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s authority to issue successive disaster proclamations. Rep. Darren Bailey, of Xenia,…
Read MorePritzker announces new job training programs for unemployed Illinoisans
IDPH: 3,239 new COVID-19 cases, 138 deaths By REBECCA ANZEL Capitol News Illinois ranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Unemployed Illinoisans will soon have access to free, online skills-based training programs. Beginning in June and lasting through the end of the year, 3,800 courses and 400 specializations will be offered by over 160 universities through the online learning…
Read MoreState tops 20K COVID-19 tests in a day for first time yielding 2,887 more confirmed cases
Reports another 130 deaths linked to the virus By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state reported another 130 COVID-19-realted deaths in the past 24 hours Friday to go along with 2,887 new confirmed cases out of 20,671 tests completed. That marks the first time the state topped 20,000 tests completed in…
Read MorePritzker: Employment security department processing claims ‘in timely manner’
Ezike says honor mothers this weekend by staying home as state announces another 138 COVID-19 deaths By REBECCA ANZEL Capitol News Illinois ranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday, May 7, the Illinois Department of Employment Security is paying benefits to unemployed Illinoisans “in a timely manner” after a number of improvements were made to the…
Read MoreAnother 74,000 file first-time unemployment claims in Illinois
Another 3.2 million file claims nationally as states contemplate reopening By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Another 3.2 million Americans filed for unemployment during the week ending May 2, including more than 74,476 Illinoisans. That brought the total number of insured unemployed for the week to 697,443 in Illinois, according to the…
Read MoreIllinois House Minority leader wants Legislature to return to resolve issues
By BEN ORNER Capitol News Illinois borner@capitolnewsillinois.com Republican members of the Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 6, criticized Gov. JB Pritzker’s multi-phase plan to reopen Illinois by region, saying it does not act quickly enough to respond to the economic hardship caused by his stay-at-home order. “We all know that the stay-at-home order…
Read MoreAmid apparent virus plateau, Pritzker says stay the course
House Republicans call for session as check on executive power By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com As statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations remain stable, state leaders say not much has changed to warrant an altered response to the pandemic. “The virus hasn’t gone away. It is still out there, and nothing that we’re doing now is…
Read MoreSacrifices then, sacrifices now
Memories from the Greatest Generation can inspire us today By Dr. Mark DePue As we struggle with the coronavirus today, we would do well to learn something about how the men and women of the “greatest generation” coped with adversity during World War II. They knew something about the pain and anxiety of separation, and about the…
Read MoreIllinois reports 2,300 new COVID-19 cases, 46 additional deaths
Data shows hospitalizations, ventilator use declining By BEN ORNER Capitol News Illinois borner@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Monday reported 2,341 new cases of COVID-19 as Gov. JB Pritzker noted the state is making progress in multiple areas. Illinois’ total number of cases is now 63,840. The IDPH on Monday also…
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