Pritzker expands state child care subsidy, increases reimbursement rates
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Pritzker expands state child care subsidy, increases reimbursement rates

SPRINGFIELD – Thousands more families in Illinois will soon be eligible for subsidized child care and child care providers will see a pay raise under a series of initiatives that Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday. Starting July 1, the state will invest more than $175 million in additional funding for child care and early childhood…

Pritzker signs bills targeting wage theft, expanding HIV care options
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Pritzker signs bills targeting wage theft, expanding HIV care options

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker has signed 401 bills sent to him this calendar year, leaving just 10 of those passed by lawmakers this year awaiting his action as of Monday. His most recent crop of signed bills from Friday, June 10, included a measure taking aim at wage theft in the construction industry and…

A new poll shows Illinois GOP voters still back Trump
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A new poll shows Illinois GOP voters still back Trump

Former President Donald Trump wields a powerful spell over Illinois Republicans with a majority declaring him as their top choice for the White House in 2024 and even more believing legally he should still be there. More than two-thirds of the state’s GOP voters believe Trump actually won the 2020 election. And nearly nine out…

Outside spending dominates in 15th district Republican primary
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Outside spending dominates in 15th district Republican primary

URBANA — There’s a lot of outside interest in the 15th Congressional district Republican primary race between long-time incumbent Rodney Davis and first-time incumbent Mary Miller.  More than $7 million has been spent on the primary by outside individuals and groups, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan independent organization that tracks campaign spending. The group said…

‘Oppressive heat and humidity’ continues through Wednesday PM
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‘Oppressive heat and humidity’ continues through Wednesday PM

URBANA – The National Weather Service says heat indices in Central Illinois will hover around 105-110 degrees Monday through Wednesday of this week. The NWS office in Lincoln placed Champaign, De Witt, Piatt, Sangamon, Vermilion, and many other central, east-central, and southern Illinois counties under a Heat Advisory, starting Monday at noon until Wednesday at…

‘They don’t need lectures, they need to be interactive’: new learning model re-invigorates Rockford 8th graders

‘They don’t need lectures, they need to be interactive’: new learning model re-invigorates Rockford 8th graders

ROCKFORD — Last fall, Cara Wolfe and Aubrey Barnett started their first year teaching English Language Arts (ELA) at Flinn Middle School in Rockford ready to change things up. In 2020, standardized test scores at the school were in the lowest-performing 5% of Illinois. Now add a few years of COVID disruption on top of…

217 Today: After implementing a new learning model, one Illinois middle school isn’t turning back

217 Today: After implementing a new learning model, one Illinois middle school isn’t turning back

Monday, June 13, 2022 Today’s headlines: Republican candidate for Governor Richard Irvin says he’s reassessing his campaign messaging less than three weeks before the primary election. Two political action committees have a heavy hand in the 15th Congressional District Republican Primary between long-time incumbent Rodney Davis and first-time incumbent Mary Miller.  Tune in to hear…