Involve Women In Policy That Involves Women: Report
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois officials say the state should be doing more to level the playing field for women and girls. A council working toward that goal released its first annual report on Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is leading the Illinois Council on Women and Girls, which is working to provide women with more leadership roles, increase economic and academic opportunities, and address barriers such as gender-based violence and issues related to health and healthcare. Stratton and other lawmakers said these barriers have been preventing women from reaching their full earning potential. The council also wants to empower women and girls to take on issues facing their communities. – Olivia Mitchell, NPR Illinois
State Economy Is Not Doing Badly: Report
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois economy is in “decent shape” for a state that still has significant problems. That’s one of the key points of a report by Moody’s Analytics, prepared for the General Assembly’s non-partisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. Analyst Jim Muschinske says compared to how the state was doing a few years ago, Illinois is in a “better place.” Among the issues identified by the report are “a slowdown in manufacturing, poor agricultural conditions, and numerous demographic and fiscal problems.” Experts say the trade war with China had a significant effect on the state’s agricultural exports and although a new deal is in place, the rise of coronavirus could interfere with a recovery. – Brian Mackey, Illinois Public Radio
State Police Identify 3 Victims Of Plane Crash
LINCOLN — A former Bradley University baseball player was among the three people killed when a small airplane crashed on the median of an interstate highway near Lincoln. Illinois State Police announced Wednesday the victims of Tuesday’s crash were 22-year-old Mitchell W. Janssen of Princeville; 33-year-old Matthew Hanson of Pulaski, Wisconsin and 30-year-old Kevin Chapman of Urbana. Janssen, a right-handed pitcher who attended Bradley from 2015 to 2019, was piloting the single-engine Cessna 172 when it crashed on Interstate-55 and burst into flames. The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into the cause of the crash. – Associated Press
United Is First To Cut US Flying Due To Virus Outbreak
CHICAGO – United Airlines is cutting back on flights both internationally and within the United States as it grapples with lower travel demand because of the new virus outbreak. United is also asking employees to volunteer for unpaid time off. The news on Wednesday is the clearest yet of the damage that the coronavirus outbreak is having on the U.S. airline industry. The CEOs of several airlines went to the White House to discuss the impact of the outbreak on travel. The administration is seeking the airlines’ help in tracing travelers who might have come in contact with people ill with COVID-19. – Associated Press