Antonia Ayres-Brown

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker stands by during his daily press briefing on COVID-19 on March 20, 2020.

A rookie politician, Gov. J.B. Pritzker confronts the coronavirus pandemic: ‘A switch gets flipped when crises develop’

March 26, 2020 at 8:52 a.m.

When Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office, the biggest task before him was getting the state's deeply troubled finances onto more stable ground. But just more than a year into his...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives his daily briefing about the coronavirus pandemic on March 22, 2020, from the Thompson Center.

Illinois follows federal lead and extends state income tax deadline to July 15

March 25, 2020 at 6:14 p.m.

The deadline for filing state income tax returns will be extended three months to July 15, matching a federal deadline announced last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday. The postponement,...

Students walk through Northwestern University's campus in Evanston in 2017.

As campuses empty, officials in college towns worry students will be missed by census

March 23, 2020 at 1:00 a.m.

The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed it will count the student population from now-shuttered dormitories, but some officials in large college towns remain concerned that campus closures because of the coronavirus...

Seven Democratic candidates are vying for a spot on the Illinois Supreme Court, shown in Springfield in 2019.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. appears to have kept his seat in a close and crowded race

March 18, 2020 at 12:53 p.m.

Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. appeared to have held on to the seat in Tuesday's election. With almost 98% of precincts reporting, Neville Jr., who was appointed...

A driver takes an eye exam at the Secretary of State's driver's license facility in the James R. Thompson Center on March 27, 2019.

Secretary of state closing all driver services facilities; 30-day extension given for licenses and vehicle registrations set to expire

March 16, 2020 at 7:28 p.m.

The Illinois secretary of state's office is shutting down all driver services facilities beginning Tuesday in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The locations are scheduled to...

People crowd into the new sports book on its opening day on March 9, 2020, at the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines. Revenue is likely to fall with the NCAA men's basketball tournament and other major sporting events canceled. The new gambling outlet is one of the ways the state is funding a $45 billion capital construction plan that the Illinois General Assembly approved last year.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget and its reliance on iffy graduated income tax would do little to fix state’s pension problems and could hurt towns across Illinois, critics say

March 3, 2020 at 9:57 a.m.

The budget plan Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed last month is drawing criticism from Wall Street to Main Street. Pritzker's plan to devote $200 million in new annual revenue toward the...

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A rookie politician, Gov. J.B. Pritzker confronts the coronavirus pandemic: ‘A switch gets flipped when crises develop’

Illinois follows federal lead and extends state income tax deadline to July 15

As campuses empty, officials in college towns worry students will be missed by census

Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. appears to have kept his seat in a close and crowded race

Secretary of state closing all driver services facilities; 30-day extension given for licenses and vehicle registrations set to expire

Illinois especially vulnerable to financial fallout from coronavirus, public finance expert says

Bill would allow campaign funds to cover child care in effort to create ‘a system that’s more available to moms’

Clocks leap forward one hour this weekend for daylight saving time, a setting some want to make permanent

Illinois House votes to repeal ‘archaic law’ that criminalizes alcohol consumption on trains

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget and its reliance on iffy graduated income tax would do little to fix state’s pension problems and could hurt towns across Illinois, critics say