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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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'Unity is the path forward': Biden
‘We will get through this together — together!’ President insists in inaugural address
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Ted CoxJoe Biden, Jill Biden, Abraham Lincoln, Donald Trump, Langston Hughes, Pandemic Economy, Coronavirus Pandemic, COVID-19, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Garth Brooks
Docile Trump delivers farewell address
Outgoing president tells country to welcome ‘a new administration and pray for its success’
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Ted CoxDonald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Trump Putsch, Trump Impeachment, Mike Pence, COVID-19, COVID-19 Toll, 1776 Commission, 1619 Project, Martin Luther King, Martin Luther King Day, Twitter, Kimberly Guilfoyle
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
Three regions leave Tier 3, ease COVID bans
Northwest, southern Illinois join Quad Cities, Bloomington-Normal in reopening museums, allowing low-risk sports, group fitness
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Ted CoxCoronavirus Pandemic, COVID-19, COVID-19 Vaccine, COVID-19 Testing, Illinois COVID-19, Illinois COVID-19 Toll, Restore Illinois, Lori Lightfoot, Ngozi Ezike, J.B. Pritzker, Joe Biden, Mahatma Gandhi, Illinois Department of Public Health
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
Reform for Illinois cheers election process
But more reforms necessary, says ED Alisa Kaplan, and wider ballot access granted in pandemic may not stick
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Ted CoxReform for Illinois, Alisa Kaplan, 2020 Election, 2020 Illinois Election, COVID-19, Vote By Mail, Illinois Ballot Access, Kanye West, Illinois Sunshine, Illinois Campaign Financing, Better Government Association, BGA, Rod Blagojevich, Michael Madigan, Jim Durkin, Bill Brady, Thomas Kilbride, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, Rodney Davis, Gerrymandering
Trump's Capitol putsch was years in the making
If government is perceived as the enemy, it’s only a matter of time before people try to overthrow it
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Ted CoxDonald Trump, Trump Putsch, U.S. Capitol Assault, Ronald Reagan, Bruce Rauner, Fair Tax Amendment, Illinois Succession, COVID-19, Coronavirus Pandemic, Grover Norquist, Adolf Hitler, Mary Miller, World Wrestling Entertainment, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Mike Bost, Scott Walker, Ken Griffin, Richard Uihlein, Joe Biden
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