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Washington Post (August 3)

2022/ 08/ 04 by jd in Global News

“If it seems like a barrage of extreme rain events has been wreaking havoc across the country over the past week, you’re not imagining things. The latest resulted from an overnight deluge in central and southeastern Illinois.” This was “the third 1-in-1,000-year rain event in the Lower 48 states in about a week,” with two of the events striking in just two days.

 

Chicago Tribune (January 3)

2022/ 01/ 04 by jd in Global News

“Chicago-area hospitals are postponing many elective surgeries, as Illinois on Sunday set a record for COVID-19 hospitalizations…. Statewide, there were 6,294 COVID-19 patients in the hospital, surpassing the previous peak of 6,175 on Nov. 20, 2020.” In addition to the influx of COVID-19 patients, hospitals are struggling with “industrywide staffing shortages” worsened by staff testing positive to breakthrough infections.

 

Chicago Tribune (July 7)

2021/ 07/ 09 by jd in Global News

Illinois has successfully vaccinated 70% of its citizen. The “Department of Public Health on Monday reported zero deaths from COVID-19 for the first time since march 2020—a sign of how far the state has come since the pandemic took hold.” Though concerns over variants and the unvaccinated remain, this represents tremendous “change from the spring of 2020 and this past winter when the state was frequently reporting more than 100 deaths a day,” peaking at 238 on December 2.

 

Chicago Tribune (December 21)

2020/ 12/ 23 by jd in Global News

“Even as the first vaccine shots begin to roll out to health care workers, doctors and nurses say they are struggling to make it through the pandemic’s darkest surge yet, in an atmosphere some describe as bordering on exhaustion.” The staff shortage is now “nationwide, to the point that Illinois’ staffing woes seem merely average by comparison. In California, Wisconsin and Virginia, around 30% of hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages. It’s closer to 40% in Arizona and Missouri.”

 

Chicago Tribune (April 20)

2020/ 04/ 21 by jd in Global News

J.B. Pritzker, the Illinois governor, has done “more than this inadequate and lame leader in Washington. Pritzker has donated $2 million of his own personal money, as well as is dealing with China directly to get PPE supplies instead of waiting on this dysfunctional administration. He has taken the bull by the horns to try and save people.”

 

Chicago Tribune (March 17)

2020/ 03/ 17 by jd in Global News

“The world’s largest Starbucks, the Reserve Roastery in Chicago, will close indefinitely Tuesday. The move comes after Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all restaurants and bars across the state to cease dine-in as of Monday at 9 p.m. until the end of March.”

 

Chicago Tribune (June 8)

2019/ 06/ 10 by jd in Global News

“Because of historic rains, less than half the normal amount of corn has been planted in Illinois.” The state is “the nation’s second-largest producer of corn,” typically supplying about 15% of U.S. production. “A disruption in planting has the potential to shake marketplaces, both domestic and foreign,” and this has been the slowest ever start. “As of June 2, Illinois farmers have only been able to sow corn seed in 45% of the acreage dedicated to the crop, 53% below the five-year average.”

 

Chicago Tribune (November 30)

2016/ 12/ 02 by jd in Global News

“When Donald Trump takes office, he says, one of his first acts will be to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade deal with 11 other nations. Illinois farmers and factory owners are dismayed. China’s thrilled. What does that tell you about the wisdom of Trump’s decision?”

 

Wall Street Journal (January 20, 2012)

2012/ 01/ 22 by jd in Global News

“Run up spending and debt, raise taxes in the naming of balancing the budget, but then watch as deficits rise and your credit-rating falls anyway.” The Journal describes not a European country, but the State of Illinois, which was just downgraded by Moody’s to A2, the worst rating of all 50 states. Among other problems, Illinois “has $6.8 billion in unpaid bills and unaddressed obligations” and a pension fund which covers less than half of its projected liabilities.

“Run up spending and debt, raise taxes in the naming of balancing the budget, but then watch as deficits rise and your credit-rating falls anyway.” The Journal describes not a European country, but the State of Illinois, which was just downgraded by Moody’s to A2, the worst rating of all 50 states. Among other problems, Illinois “has $6.8 billion in unpaid bills and unaddressed obligations” and a pension fund which covers less than half of its projected liabilities.

 

[archive]