Get the latest news headlines from around Illinois.
ABC 7 Chicago: Anthony Porter, whose case helped end death penalty in Illinois, dies
A former Illinois death row inmate whose exoneration became an incentive to end the death penalty in the state has died, his attorney announced Wednesday.
Attorney Jim Montgomery told WBBM Radio that Anthony Porter, 66, died this week. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said Porter died from “anoxic brain injury, probable opioid toxicity,” and ruled the death an accident.
CNN: Biden pushes for 'generational investments in human infrastructure' in speech in Illinois
President Joe Biden on Wednesday pushed for generational investments in human infrastructure to expand the social safety net, asserting that he’ll continue to make the case for his plans “until the job is done.”
WGN: Illinois COVID-19 vaccine lottery drawing starts Thursday
Illinois’ first COVID-19 vaccine lottery drawing will happen Thursday afternoon.
Residents are automatically entered if they’ve had at least one vaccine dose. Anyone who got their first doze by July 1 is eligible for Thursday’s drawing.
The Center Square: Illinois sports betting declines for second month, remains No. 2 in nation
Illinois sports wagering declined for the second month in a row, but those placing bets in the state have a greater appetite than all but one other state.
Since it’s been implemented, legal sports betting has generated over $53.8 million in taxes for the state of Illinois. An industry analyst expects gambling to develop further in the years ahead.
WGN: Over $65 million of stimulus money went unclaimed in Illinois
The country’s economy is missing out on a hefty chunk of spending or saving from stimulus checks.
Americans refused, paid back or failed to cash 1,315,717 checks of the first-round $1,200 stimulus checks issued under President Trump’s administration at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Internal Revenue Service records obtained by the KDVR Data Desk.