Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Raoul: As student loan repayments set to start, beware scammers
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is warning student loan borrowers about potential scam efforts now that the U.S Supreme Court has rejected the Biden Administration’s student debt relief plan to forgive as much as $20,000 of federal student loan debt.
“It is important to take the time to find reliable information and answer all questions before giving anyone your personal information or paying them,” Raoul’s office said in a statement to The Center Square. “Borrowers should reach out if they need help finding information on their student loans or repayment options, if they are having difficulty with their servicers, or if they feel they may have been the victim of a student loan repayment scammer.”
Chicago Tribune: Slow start or cautious rollout? Mayor Johnson unveils transition report, fills key posts later than predecessors
Days before he was sworn in as Chicago’s mayor in 2011, Rahm Emanuel unveiled a series of goals from his transition team, including plans for the first 100 days.
Lori Lightfoot similarly held a pre-inaugural news conference in 2019 detailing her transition committee’s recommendations and her aspirations for the administration to come.
Chicago Sun-Times: With little fanfare, Shakman era ends as Cook County clerk’s office is released from court oversight of hiring
At a hearing that lasted barely 10 minutes, a federal judge released Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough from court oversight of hiring and promotions in her office, ending a 54-year-old lawsuit that led to a sea change in Illinois politics and largely ended patronage hiring.
The order was lifted by U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang, the sixth judge to preside over the lawsuit filed in 1969 by Michael Shakman, a reform-minded Democrat who claimed the army of patronage workers holding government jobs thwarted his bid to become a delegate to a constitutional convention.
NBC Chicago: Got a ticket in Chicago? You could be included in a new lawsuit against the city
If you have received a ticket from the city of Chicago, you could already be included in a new class-action lawsuit alleging the city violated Illinois law by charging you too much.
This week, a judge approved class-action status for a lawsuit originally filed last year by two men who claimed Chicago broke the law when it charged them more than $250 in fines and penalties for the same violation.
Daily Herald: Train service from Chicago to Rockford back on track
Forty years after passenger rail service from Chicago to Rockford ended, the state is collaborating with Metra to revive the route with stops that include Elgin.
“With this new service, we’re connecting more communities and creating greater opportunities for people across the region,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday in Rockford.
WCIA: Sen. Rose wants to legalize sale of fireworks in Illinois
One Illinois State Senator wants to make sure that the next Fourth of July, the money Illinoisans spend on fireworks stays in the state.
Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) wants to make some fireworks legal in Illinois. He’s talking about those that temporarily explode and make sound for amusement purposes, like bottle rockets and Roman candles. Commercial-grade fireworks, however, would remain excluded.