Former President Barack Obama will visit the University of Illinois Urbana campus on Friday, Sept. 7, to receive the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. The annual award from the U of I's Institute of Government and Public Affairs recognizes public officials who promote the highest standards of public service.

The University of Illinois’ Flash Index shows an Illinois economy that continues to hold its own, while still lagging behind the nation as a whole. The Flash Index for February measured the Illinois economy at 104.6, up from 104.4 in January.  

A University of Illinois economist says he was hoping to hear more from the governor on how to tackle the state's long-term fiscal issues.

Illinois is preparing to launch a pilot program to test out tax credits for donors to private school scholarships. The five-year $75 million program served as a bargaining chip drawing Republican support to the education funding reform bill that Governor Bruce Rauner signed last month. But less has been said about how it will actually work. 

The Flash Index of the Illinois economy fell to 104.7 in July, down from 105.0 in June.  The reading indicates that that state economy continues to grow, but more slowly than before.