News Progress

Another 3.2 million file claims nationally
By Jerry Nowicki
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com

Another 3.2 million Americans filed for unemployment during the week ending May 2, including more than 74,476 Illinoisans.
That brought the total number of insured unemployed for the week to 697,443 in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Labor estimates, while the total number of jobless claims since mid-March grew to 33.3 million nationwide. The numbers represent roughly 11 percent of Illinois’ civilian labor force and 15 percent of the nation’s workforce.
The numbers continue to grow while states around the country contemplate the best plan for reopening their economies as the novel coronavirus pandemic appears to be in the middle of a plateau.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan, which he says is backed by science and epidemiologists, has faced criticism from Republican lawmakers for moving too slowly to get the state working again.
“Until we have a vaccine or an effective treatment or enough widespread immunity that new cases fail to materialize, the option of returning to normalcy doesn’t exist,” Pritzker said in unveiling the plan Tuesday. “That means we have to learn how to live with COVID-19 until it can be vanquished.” Read More

•May 13, 2020•
At the May meeting, the Lake Land College Board of Trustees approved a new program designed to increase high school students’ opportunities to create a successful path to a college education by increasing access to dual credit courses. The Lake Land College Dual Credit Program Access Incentive, beginning Fall 2020, provides program fee waivers to schools in order to assist in-district high school students who may not be able to afford dual credit coursework.
Dual credit coursework allows high school students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously. This approach lets high school students begin earning college credits earlier, and often encourages them to continue their education at an institution of higher learning after high school. Read More

•May 13, 2020•
The IHSA is embarking on a three-day social media campaign from May 14-16 to celebrate the end of the 2019-20 school year amidst the significant impact COVID-19 has placed on Illinois High School Association teams and students. Despite challenges, COUNTRY Financial, an official corporate sponsor, recognizes the commitments of each school community throughout the entire year and is pleased to assist the IHSA in making sure those efforts do not go unnoticed.
Utilizing the slogan #WeAreInThisTogether, the campaign aims to unify participants statewide via recognition of student-athletes, educators, and the senior class of 2020.
“This is a time of year to celebrate, even among these extraordinary circumstances,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “We want to come together as a statewide high school community to let each of these groups know that we recognize their efforts and accomplishments. No matter what happens, we are in this together.” Read More

•May 13, 2020•
The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) announces their sixth and seventh confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19). The patients are a male and a female in their 70s who are hospitalized. Public health officials are contacting and verifying all close contacts.
To date 116 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. Of those tests, 107 tests were negative for coronavirus, and two are still pending. Read More

•May 13, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

In a recent wide-ranging column, I had only space enough to touch on my thought that we need a reset of American politics. Several readers (well, actually, one reader) asked that I drill down on the topic. Here goes.
Politics is not bad. The FDR speechwriter turned conservative columnist Raymond Moley observed: “Politics is not something to avoid, abolish or destroy. It is a condition of life, like the air we breathe. It is ours to live with, as we must, to control if we can. Either we must master its ways, or most surely we will be mastered by those who do.” I used to recite that as part of my political speeches, when I was on that circuit.
I know that sounds high-minded, and our Founders were certainly not without their personal ambitions. Yet, their overriding concerns were to establish order, harmony and prosperity in our new nation. These three objectives are still paramount, with conservatives tending to put more emphasis on order, liberals more to harmony. Read More