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On the 21st: We talked with author Deirdre Bair about her new book that takes a closer look at Al Capone's life. Plus, Cook County plans to gradually increase its minimum wage to $13 an hour by July 2020. We spoke about how that's affecting workers, especially in surrounding areas.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier has been sworn in as the 120th chief justice of the state's highest court in a ceremony in Springfield. The 76-year-old Karmeier was sworn in Monday by Justice Rita Garman, who served three years as chief justice. In remarks, Karmeier thanked his colleges for their support, adding that they "hold a special place" in his heart.
Voters in Champaign County have three countywide referenda on the ballot this year. Two of them are dueling proposals about whether to elect a countywide board chair or executive. The third would raise the county’s sales tax one quarter of a percentage point for a period of twelve years, with the revenue slated to go toward facilities projects, including an expanded county jail at the satellite location in east Urbana.
Illinois has taken steps to prevent 260,000 residents from losing government food assistance. That gives the state a year to prepare these individuals for the job market.
Under federal law, poor people without kids or significant health problems are cut off from food stamps; they're limited to three months of eligibility in three years' time.
On the 21st: We talked with elementary school teachers about how they explain the presidential election to their students. Plus, we did another round of political fact-checking and talked about superstitions that Cubs fans are keeping up throughout the World Series.
