The secret life of gift cards: Here’s what happens to the billions that go unspent each year
Bankrate found that 47% of U.S. adults had at least one unused gift card worth an average of $187. That’s a total of $23 billion in unspent money.
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Decaying Pillsbury mill in Illinois that once churned flour into opportunity is now getting new life
The group called Moving Pillsbury Forward has $6 million in commitments and plans for obtaining the balance of the $10 million needed to raze the plant and redevelop the site.
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Racial covenants limited housing options for Black residents in Champaign; a local group aims to repair that harm
Racial covenants restricted almost 800 pieces of land in Champaign County from being owned by anyone who wasn’t white. The Champaign-Urbana Reparations Coalition is starting to advocate for reparations for this for African Americans in the area.
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Pritzker designates additional $160M for migrant response as winter approaches
New spending focused on building Chicago’s shelter capacity, getting migrants to permanent housing.
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Advocates hail regulatory ‘earthquake’ as state slashes requested gas rate increases
Company profits cut, low-income customers set to receive new discounts.
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Biden says workers need ‘a fair shot’ as he celebrates the labor deal saving an Illinois auto plant
Biden learned in June that the Stellantis plant was set to close and he made keeping it open a priority. The plant will expand as part of the tentative contract with the UAW. Biden met with UAW President Shawn Fain and Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and plans to hold a fundraiser later in Chicago.
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Illinois Senate approves plan to allow new nuclear reactors
Proponents say the plan endorsed Wednesday will ensure the state can meet its carbon-free power production promise by 2045.
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UAW and Stellantis reach tentative contract deal as union adds strike at Tennessee GM factory
The union says the Stellantis contract also saves jobs at a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, that Stellantis had planned to close.
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States sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harming children’s mental health
Dozens of US states, including Illinois, California, New York, Arizona and Indiana are suing Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people’s mental health and contributing the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to the platforms.
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Controversial pipeline canceled amid safety concerns, regulatory pushback
Other projects still on the table as advocates, industry groups debate regulatory reform.
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State officials recommend gas price increase for 4.1 million consumers
Final decision on rate increases expected before the end of the year.
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The Piatt County Board, with reluctance, approves the county’s first wind farm
The Piatt County Board voted 4-2 on Friday to approve a special use permit for a wind farm in the county. But several members made it clear they were approving the Prosperity Wind project reluctantly, as a new Illinois law gave them no real choice in the matter.
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Controversial carbon dioxide pipeline paused following regulatory setbacks
Pipeline ending in Montgomery and Christian counties drew safety, eminent domain concerns.
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Pritzker urges Biden to intervene amid ‘untenable’ pace of migrant arrivals
Buses from Texas accelerate as Illinois counts 15,000 new arrivals in 13 months.
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Government shutdown averted with little time to spare as Biden signs funding before midnight
Federal agencies would cease all actions deemed nonessential, and many of the federal government’s roughly 2 million employees, as well as 2 million active-duty military troops and reservists, wouldn’t be paid.
