News Progress

•March 14, 2018• By Jim Nowlan NP Guest Columnist Whenever kicked out of Illinois government and politics (frequently), I have taken refuge as a visiting professor at several Illinois colleges and universities, primarily the University of Illinois. And I admit a soft spot for the sector. Yet, higher education across the country is out of favor at present, especially so in Illinois. Since 1978 (when I was Gov. Thompson’s assistant for education), state appropriations for higher education shrank from 10 percent of the total state budget to just 3 percent in 2014. Excluding state funding for university pension programs, Illinois … Read More

•March 14, 2018• By Kerry Lester The Daily Herald The Gettysburg Address. Hull House. The nation’s first African American president — and first lady. All of these are due to Illinois’ bumper crop of political figures and politicians, who represent a diverse range of viewpoints and contributions throughout history. Here, in alphabetical order, are some of the leaders who came from our state: Jane Addams A social worker and a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, Addams was the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She ran Hull House, a settlement house for poor immigrants in Chicago, … Read More