Tag: JB Pritzker

Illinois Moves All Public Universities To Common App In Hopes Of Curbing Out-Migration

SPRINGFIELD – Beginning this fall, all 12 of Illinois’ public universities will begin using the Common App, a single online application used by hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. Only three of the state’s public universities, including the University of Illinois’ Chicago campus, use the Common App — in addition to 32 private

New IL Congresswoman Criticized For Saying ‘Hitler Was Right On One Thing’

URBANA – Leaders of both major parties in Illinois condemned downstate Congresswoman Mary Miller Wednesday, for saying Adolf Hitler was “right on one thing” at a Washington D.C. rally. But Miller denies that her remark was meant to endorse any of Hitler’s ideas. Miller, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, cited the Nazi dictator at

Statehouse Reporter Expects ‘Gridlock’ On Budget Cuts

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced more than $700 million in budget cuts this week for the current fiscal year. Pritzker says these cuts are just the beginning, and that he’ll need to work with the General Assembly on additional cuts of more than $1 billion. Illinois Newsroom’s Brian Moline spoke with Illinois Public

Some Health Officials Find Their Hands Tied On COVID-19 Restrictions

ROCKFORD – Sandra Martell is in a tough spot. As public health administrator in northern Illinois’ Winnebago County, Martell was threatened with lawsuits from several area bar owners after she included them on a list of businesses allegedly defying the governor’s orders to halt indoor dining.  The county is part of a region that faced

Rep. Darren Bailey Discusses Suit Against Gov. Pritzker

State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) says he will continue his court battle against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A transcript of an interview with Bailey is at the end of this article. Audio of the interview is here. Last week, a Sangamon County judge denied the governor’s request to

U Of I Plans To Expand COVID-19 Testing To Champaign-Urbana Community

URBANA – Administrators at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign want to expand their testing program to the broader Champaign-Urbana community. U of I System President Tim Killeen said earlier this week that the university system was working with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to expand its saliva-based COVID-19 test to other communities and public institutions

Pritzker Visits Urbana To Promote Grants For COVID-Stricken Businesses

URBANA – Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited a barbecue restaurant in Urbana Thursday to showcase the first round of grants from a new state program to help small businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor says Illinois’ new Business Interruption Grants, or BIG, will help small businesses that haven’t been helped by the federal government’s

News Around Illinois – Aug. 12, 2020

Wind Knocks Down Wall Of Fire-Gutted Historic Chicago Church CHICAGO (AP) — Strong winds caused additional damage to a historic Chicago church but may have also swept in a badly needed “blessing” for a sanctuary where Mahalia Jackson and other famed gospel singers often sang and the man considered the father of gospel music led

News Around Illinois – June 26, 2020

Pritzker Touts Illinois Reopening As Other States Backtrack Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that the state is progressing much more quickly than expected into the fourth phase of his five-part Restore Illinois program in response to the coronavirus, a vaccination for which is still at least several months away. Pritzker and his state public health

News Around Illinois – June 23, 2020

Chicago To Join State In Reopening Museums, Zoos On Friday CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago will join the rest of Illinois in the next reopening phase starting Friday, allowing museums, gyms and zoos to open for business with restrictions in place. Public health officials said Monday that COVID-19 metrics required for reopening under state and city

News Around Illinois Cover

News Around Illinois – June 12, 2020

NTSB: Plane Spiraled Before Fatal Crash In Illinois Field CARLINVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A small plane that crashed last month while heading from Missouri to Michigan, killing four men aboard, entered into a “right descending spiral” before it went down in a southwestern Illinois farm field, authorities said. Investigators will examine the wreckage to determine

Lawsuit: Illinois Prisons Are Failing To Protect Inmates From COVID-19

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:54 p.m. on May 26 to include comments from the Illinois Department of Corrections.  An amended lawsuit filed against Rob Jeffreys, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week claims that the state’s prison system has failed to protect medically vulnerable prisoners from

Gov. Pritzker Announces Modified Stay-At-Home Order: What Is Essential/Prohibited?

CHICAGO – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has extended the state’s stay-at-home order through the month of May. The order includes modifications, however, and includes some phased re-opening of state parks and non-essential businesses with social distancing guidelines. The governor also announced that people will be required to wear face masks in public places where they

Pritzker Concerned About Increasing COVID-19 Cases In Rural Illinois

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,585 new cases of COVID-19 statewide on Saturday, and an additional 125 deaths. The total number of cases across Illinois stands at 29,160 cases with 1,259 deaths across 93 of the state’s 102 counties. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced during a news conference Saturday that the state has yet