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Tax, Budget Vote May Be Too Late for Illinois to Escape ‘Junk’ Status

Thursday will be do or die for an income tax increase and Illinois’ first budget since July 2015, following a warning from Moody’s that the state is under review for a credit rating downgrade.

Zoo’s Condom Giveaway Brings Awareness to Endangered Species

Lincoln Park Zoo will give away hundreds of condoms this week as part of a nationwide outreach program to draw attention to the link between human population and endangered species.

Chicago Filmmaker’s Portraits Honor Transgender People Killed in 2016

Artwork by Lilly Wachowski, best known as co-director of “The Matrix,” honors 27 transgender people killed last year—and allows the viewer to look them in the eyes.

Northwestern Opens Gender-Neutral, Multi-Stall Bathroom

As the national debate over gender-neutral bathrooms continues, Northwestern says its new facility is the first of its kind at a major Chicago university.

Senate Overrides Rauner Vetoes, but Illinois Still Without Budget

Illinois is a single step away from having its first budget in years, after a whirlwind of Fourth of July action that saw the state Senate swiftly overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner’s vetoes of a $5 billion tax hike and $36.1 billion budget that the senators had passed just hours earlier.

Senate to Call Fourth of July Budget, Tax Vote

Illinois senators will spend Independence Day voting on a budget and income tax hike. Even if both plans pass, it doesn’t necessarily mean Illinois will get its first budget in two years. 

Tracking CPS’ Shuttered School Properties

Following a highly controversial move in 2013 to close 50 elementary schools, Chicago Public Schools has sought to sell the vacant properties. Find out who is buying the shuttered schools, how much they’re paying, and what the sites could be used for.

Pediatric Trauma Physician Resigns to ‘Refill Tank’

Dr. Catherine Humikowski described her job at Comer Children’s Hospital as “perfect.” But dealing with trauma—and her own near-death experience in 2013—prompted her to take a break.

City Council Passes Ordinance on Registry Programs

City officials say the ordinance affirms that government agencies will not practice discrimination-based operations, but some activists say the city could do more to protect immigrant and minority rights.

Brookfield Zoo’s Oldest Animal Gets Knee Scope to Treat Arthritis

Like many humans approaching their elder years, a 49-year-old western lowland gorilla named Ramar has been dealing with knee pain.

GOP Joins Democrats to Approve Tax Hike in Madigan’s House

In a stunning turnabout from the partisan divisions that has kept Illinois without a budget for the past two years, Republicans joined with Democrats to pass $5 billion in new taxes, along with a $36 billion budget.

Mixed Signals, Finger-Pointing as Illinois Begins 3rd Year Without Budget

Illinois escaped an immediate slump to “junk” bond status as it began its third consecutive year without a budget—a politically depraved condition that’s a first for modern state governments. Get the latest from Springfield.

Judge Blocks Cook County Soda Tax

A new penny-per-ounce sugary drink tax will not take effect in Cook County on Saturday.

Illinois: On the Brink of a Deal, or a Disaster

The state will begin a third fiscal year without a budget in place, despite a potential breakthrough Friday morning, when a $36.5 billion spending plan cleared a major hurdle in the Illinois House.

Rauner, State Ask Judge to Toss Amended CPS Discrimination Suit

The governor and the state of Illinois claim an amended discrimination lawsuit filed by Chicago Public Schools suffers from the same flaws that got its previous suit tossed from court earlier this year.