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January, 2012
The news: Occupy Chicago, rallying behind its slogan, “We are the 99 percent,” entered a fourth month of protesting.Behind the news:Nationwide, white households are three times more likely to earn more than $200,000—the highest income bracket tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau—than black households. In Chicago, the disparity is even greater with white households being eight times more likely to be...
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January, 2012
The news: Shortly after taking office, Mayor Rahm Emanuel pledged to reform the Tax Increment Financing District program and return the city’s use of the economic development tool to its “roots” of revitalizing blighted communities.Behind the news:In the next two years, TIF districts with a healthy tax base will continue to raise a large amount of funds for new development, while poor districts...
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January, 2012
The news: Chicago Public Schools identified 10,660 homeless students from the start of the school year through Sept. 30, an increase of about 1,500 from last school year.Behind the news:Of the homeless students—more than 98 percent of whom were children of color—1,778 were “unaccompanied youth,” a seven-fold increase from last year.Julie Dworkin, director of policy for the Chicago Coalition for...
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January, 2012
The news: A study published by the Archives of General Psychiatry found that African-American teens are less likely to use drugs, including marijuana, than their white or Latino counterparts.
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November, 2011
The news: In August, the Illinois Lottery announced record-breaking sales of nearly $2.3 billion in fiscal year 2011, up 3 percent from last year.Behind the news: The highest sales in Chicago, on a per-capita basis, came from predominantly African-American and Hispanic areas on the South and Southwest sides, shows a Chicago Reporter analysis of lottery sales data.A combined amount of more than $...
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November, 2011
The news: Taxpayers recently received a bill to pay the second installment of their 2010 property taxes.Behind the news: For property owners with higher tax bills, or who were required to pay more than what their neighbors paid, the Board of Review offers a chance to appeal—the first step in reducing a tax bill.
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November, 2011
The news: As unemployment rises, politicians from all levels of government are trying to create incentives for small-business owners.Behind the news: Chicago’s effort to help small businesses improve may be helping established businesses in prosperous areas, rather than struggling entrepreneurs.
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November, 2011
The news: Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a bill in August that would have allowed ComEd to impose a $155.7 million rate increase. “It may be a dream-come-true for Commonwealth Edison, but it’s a nightmare for consumers of Illinois,” he said.Behind the news: The electric bill for an average Illinois resident is $279 for the months of November and December. For residents living in five of Chicago’s 77...
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September, 2011
The news:This October marks the 24th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month.Behind the news:In Chicago, more than 12,600 people received domestic abuse services from state-funded programs in 2010, according to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.People of different ethnicities and races sought services at slightly different rates. Hispanics received the services at the rate of...
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