If you’re looking for a job in Illinois, I’m sorry. It’s hard for you because Illinois is failing to do its job. The state hasn’t created enough of the right infrastructure to teach skills for jobs that employers need.

In December, Illinois’ 4.7% unemployment rate, the fourth-highest in the nation, meant there were more than 304,000 people looking for a job. At the same time, there were an estimated 391,000 job openings as of November 2023. But if those 304,000 people had the right skills, they could fill some, if not most, of these 391,000 jobs.

Compared to other states, Illinois’ property taxes continue to be among the highest.

The personal finance site Money Geek gave Illinois the grade of “F” because it ranks second in the nation behind New Jersey for the highest property taxes.

The implementation of the controversial SAFE-T Act in Illinois continues to put a strain on state coffers.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, which is responsible for training and certifying law enforcement officers, is hoping to receive $23 million in state taxpayer funds to improve curriculum and pay instructors.

Mayor Brandon Johnson debuted his pick for Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer during a Monday news conference that also saw him stand firm against the real estate lobby and other political adversaries over his progressive agenda.

Sendy Soto, a former senior director at the Chicago Community Trust and ex-managing deputy commissioner at the city’s Department of Housing, will helm the post starting next week, the mayor’s office announced. Soto’s chief task will be to develop a five-year plan on addressing the city’s homelessness crisis.

Fresh from clinching the Democratic nomination for Cook County state’s attorney, Eileen O’Neill Burke on Monday acknowledged she must improve her messaging in a race in which she says she was unfairly cast as the tough-on-crime candidate.

The former appellate judge saw her election night lead over challenger Clayton Harris III dwindle from more than 10,000 votes to less than 1,600, as mail-in ballots were tallied over 10 days. Early Friday evening, O’Neill Burke declared victory and Harris conceded.

A key Chicago City Council panel unanimously lashed out at Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday, advancing an order that accuses him of having “usurped the will of the City Council and their ability to represent constituents” by canceling the city’s contract with a controversial gunshot detection system.

The measure, now set for a final vote by the full City Council on April 17, would require the Johnson administration to provide alderpeople with a host of data generated by the ShotSpotter system before the city’s contract with SoundThinking expires on Nov. 22.

Sparks flew at a packed Dolton village hall on Monday night as residents confronted embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard and demanded she resign over recent allegations.

A regularly scheduled board meeting began an hour late following what police called a credible threat. Specifics of what the threat entailed and who it was made by weren’t immediately released.

The City Council rejected a push Monday to strip Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez of his Housing Committee chairmanship for a protest speech he made in front of a burnt American flag last month.

After more than two hours of often-heated debate that touched on First Amendment rights, appropriate behavior for elected officials and the increasingly divided nature of the council, aldermen voted 29-16 not to punish Sigcho-Lopez, a progressive ally of Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Measles infections related to an outbreak at a Chicago migrant shelter have proliferated from one case reported on March 4 to 53 as of Monday statewide.

Nearly 60% of those falling sick are children age 4 and younger, Chicago Department of Public Health records show. Three cases were reported in suburban Cook, Lake and Will counties; the rest involve Chicago residents.