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COVID-19 pandemic is billionaires' bonanza
$1.1T in wealth gained just since March could fund Biden’s entire relief package, says Americans for Tax Fairness
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Ted CoxAmericans for Tax Fairness, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Elon Musk, Tesla, SpaceX, Joe Biden, Institute for Policy Studies, Forbes, U.S. Billionaires, Jeff Bezos, Amazon, Microsoft, Bill Gates, Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet, Elizabeth Warren, Chuck Collins, Billionaire Bonanza 2020, COVID-19 Relief, Frank Clemente, Bernie Sanders
Lost jobs cause unionization rate to rise
Union members weathered the pandemic economic downturn better than other workers
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Ted CoxU.S. Union Membership, Coronavirus, COVID-19, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, State of the Unions 2020, Janus, Illinois Union Workers, Project for Middle Class Renewal, Robert Bruno, Frank Manzo IV, Illinois Economic Policy Institute
Illinois unemployment rate jumps to 7.6%
Leisure and hospitality lead job losses as U.S. jobless rate remains steady at 6.7%
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Ted CoxIllinois Unemployment Rate, Illinois Unemployment, U.S. Unemployment Rate, U.S. Unemployment, IDES, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Coronavirus, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19, J.B. Pritzker, Dan Hynes, Erin Guthrie, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Chicago dining Saturday, Phase 1B Monday
Pritzker admits ‘frustrating’ shortage of vaccines, blames Trump, lauds Biden
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19 Toll, J.B. Pritzker, Ngozi Ezike, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Restore Illinois
Declare Uber, Lyft drivers employees, says study
Only lack of traffic in pandemic got their pay above minimum wage in Chicago
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Ted CoxUber, Lyft, Ride-Hailing, ILEPI, Project for Middle Class Renewal, UIUC, Frank Manzo IV, Robert Bruno, Via Ride Hailing, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Chicago Minimum Wage, California Ride Hailing
900K file new claims for unemployment
New Illinois filings top 100K amid persistent reports of fraud across the nation
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COVID-19 tiers of relief
State hospital hiring initiative alters metrics, allows more regions to ease restrictions
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19, Li'l Porgy's, Restore Illinois, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Ngozi Ezike, J.B. Pritzker
Pritzker: 'We need more vaccines'
Guv looks ahead to next phase of inoculations and easing mitigations after receiving assurances from President-elect Biden
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Ted CoxCoronavirus Testing, Coronavirus Pandemic, Coronavirus Vaccine, Coronavirus, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccine, Illinois COVID-19, J.B. Pritzker, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Gretchen Whitmer, Tim Walz, Tony Evers, Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Moderna Vaccine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Ngozi Ezike
Pritzker drops next-phase vaccine age limit to 65
Decision driven by concerns over racial equity; regional tier mitigations could be downgraded Jan. 15
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19 Toll, COVID-19 Vaccine, J.B. Pritzker, Ngozi Ezike, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 Disparities, Illinois Department of Public Health, Donald Trump, Joe Biden
AG Raoul warns against COVID vaccine scams
Guard against rogue offers, as shots are only available through designated health clinics
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Minority businesses left waiting for COVID relief
Paycheck Protection Program prioritized big firms in well-to-do areas, AP study finds
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Sic transit annus horribilis
It was a very dark year, but not without glimmers of hope for the future
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Ted Cox2020 Year in Review, Annus Horribilis, Lorado Taft, Graceland Cemetery, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump Impeachment, Kamala Harris, Lauren Underwood, Jim Oberweis, Sean Casten, Jeanne Ives, Dick Durbin, Illinois Teacher Shortage, IDES, Illinois Insulin, Women's March Chicago, Rod Blagojevich, Michael Madigan, ComEd Bribery, Fair Tax Amendment, Thomas Kilbride, Michael Frerichs, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Anna IL, Illinois Legalization, Illinois Legal Marijuana, Illinois Recreational Marijuana, Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis Revenue, Illinois Adult-Use Cannabis, Angela Jackson, John Prine, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amy Coney Barrett, Bruno the Bear, U.S. Census, COVID-19, Coronavirus, COVID-19 Vaccine
Ill. leads U.S. with 100K COVID vaccinations
Pritzker praises process on Pfizer shot, awaits reinforcements from Moderna vaccine
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Relief, COVID-19, COVID-19 Relief, Illinois COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19 Toll, Illinois Coronavirus, J.B. Pritzker, Ngozi Ezike, Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, Moderna, Moderna Vaccine, SSM Health Illinois, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CCAP, Child Care Assistance Program, Grace Hou, Illinois Department of Human Services, Maricela Garcia, Gads Hill Center
Congress passes $900B COVID relief package
Stimulus checks, unemployment aid halved; no relief for cities, states, restaurants
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Relief, Coronavirus Stimulus, COVID-19, COVID-19 Relief, Joe Biden, Congressional Budget Office, Paycheck Protection Program, Robert Reich, Rich Miller, Capitol Fax, Grover Norquist, J.B. Pritzker, Restaurants Act, Independent Restaurant Coalition
New COVID cases dropping, but not enough
State tops 15K deaths, but Pritzker says cases, hospitalizations ‘seem to be heading in the right direction’
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Testing, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, COVID-19 Testing, Illinois COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19 Toll, Illinois COVID-19 Testing, J.B. Pritzker, Ngozi Ezike
New jobless claims rise again
As retail sales fall, how long will Congress continue to hold out on COVID relief?
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Relief, Coronavirus Stimulus, COVID-19, COVID-19 Relief, COVID Unemployment, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Unemployment, Bernie Sanders, Dick Durbin, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
Lightfoot: COVID compromise 'unacceptable'
Chicago mayor blasts ‘heartless’ McConnell in pursuit of relief for cities, states
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Relief, COVID-19, COVID-19 Relief, Lori Lightfoot, Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, Heroes Act, CARES Act, Dick Durbin, Nancy Pelosi, J.B. Pritzker, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Paycheck Protection Program
Governor gets out the knife
Pritzker plots $700M in executive cuts, blames GOP for lost tax revenue, seeks federal COVID relief
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Relief, Coronavirus Stimulus, COVID-19, COVID Unemployment, COVID-19 Relief, Illinois Coronavirus, Illinois COVID-19, J.B. Pritzker, Fair Tax Amendment, Illinois Graduated Income Tax, Bruce Rauner, AFSCME Council 31, Roberta Lynch, Dick Durbin
It's no time to go low
Sen. Durbin holds out hope for aid to state and local gov’ts, but compromise relief bill is just a stopgap
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Coronavirus Relief, Coronavirus Stimulus, COVID-19, COVID-19 Relief, Dick Durbin, Mitch McConnell, Heroes Act, CARES Act, Federal Reserve, Municipal Liquidity Facility, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Rand Paul
First COVID vaccines delivered
Pritzker oversees arrival, declares ‘beginning of the end of this pandemic’
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Ted CoxCoronavirus, Illinois Coronavirus, COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19, Pfizer, Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, J.B. Pritzker, Illinois Strategic National Stockpile, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Alicia Tate-Nadeau
