On Monday, July 15, Chicago issued 16 tornado warnings, the most sent on a single day since 2004. In an average year, the state only experiences 50 tornadoes annually. But as the air becomes more humid, tornadoes will become more common.
In November, Madison County voters will be asked whether Cook County, which includes Chicago, should separate and form a new state. Madison County has a history of proposing non-binding referendums.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday for a case that challenges the bribery statute and could shape the future of Illinois politics. A decision is expected by late June.
The Effingham City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s zoning ordinance to regulate cryptocurrency mines and data centers, including their noise generation and physical locations.
There are some delightful, lively small towns, but let the numbers do the talking: In Illinois, downstaters and their city “cousins” live in different worlds of expectations and aspirations.
More than $5.8 billion of the $7.8 billion in federal funds awarded to Illinois schools since March 2020 has been spent. In Chicago, the school system faces a $391 million shortfall for the 2024-25 school year.
The state was one of eight that saw population declines between July 2022 and July 2023. Illinois was third in total population decline, behind New York and California, but remains the sixth most populous state.
Effingham County, Ill., has seen a decrease in the number of inmates and a reduction in caseloads just three months after the state ended cash bail. However, the long-term impacts of the end of cash bail remains to be seen.
The fifth National Climate Assessment found that the Midwest region faces threats caused by rising temperatures, drought and extreme precipitation. Since 1980, the region has incurred over $49 billion in economic damage due to flooding.
On Oct. 20, Navigator CO2 announced that it would abandon its plan to send a $3.4 billion carbon dioxide pipeline through five states. But the company is still pursuing carbon storage projects in central Illinois.
Effingham County, Ill., has approved new voter registration software, which has the ability to upload election results on election night. Officials also approved the disbursement of $32,780 from the contingency fund for the purchase.
The nation’s agriculture industry is pushing for better protections for crops and the people who grow them against a changing climate, like the unprecedented drought that hit Illinois this summer.
From 2013 to 2022, the state saw significant growth in higher-paid taxpayers and gained about 63,000 young adults aged 18 to 24. Those who moved out of the state were more likely to be Black or from downstate.
The long-sought reform took effect on Monday and abolished cash bail as a potential condition for release, changing the way pretrial hearings are conducted. State Republicans who mostly oppose the measure still have concerns about the legislation.
The proposal includes the states of Illinois and Indiana, along with private sector partners, and would produce hydrogen as a way to clean up carbon-intensive industries like steelmaking.
About 3.3 million state residents live in an area considered to be a food desert by USDA guidelines. Nationally, 17.4 percent of the population has limited access to affordable and nutritious food.
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