Newsroom

Explainers

The Newsroom produces explanatory stories that break through political gamesmanship to address complex issues affecting citizens throughout Illinois.

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Explainer

Reality Check Time for Metra: The Downside of Frugality

A reluctance to spend has led the suburban rail system to cars decades out of date and a bottom line that has never appeared bleaker.
Jun 14, 2018 6:00 AM
Explainer

Illinois’ Population Is Falling, but the Sky Isn’t

Census estimates in recent years point to a shrinking Illinois, but the severity of the drop gets overstated while attempts to blame it on high taxes get overblown.
Jun 7, 2018 6:00 AM
Explainer

Chicago’s New City ID Opens Doors But Stokes Fears

With its CityKey ID card, Chicago follows New York in launching a municipal document aimed at opening access to an array of services for residents who lack identification. But conservatives claim it's a gateway to voter fraud.
May 7, 2018 4:45 PM
Explainer

Pension Crisis: Top Candidates Avoid Talk About Illinois’ Top Problem

The crushing pension debt that is squeezing out resources to pay for other services grew through decades of bipartisan political expediency. The candidates for governor steer clear of the topic as options to fix the crisis without pain narrow.
Apr 13, 2018 6:00 AM
Explainer

Illinois Tax Reform Sideshow Long on Gimmicks, Short on Solutions

Politicians peddle an array of fiscal tonics to cure what ails Illinois. Rarely do they consider the property, income and sales taxes as part of a system that requires a comprehensive overhaul.
Feb 21, 2018 6:00 AM
Explainer

How Much Would You Pay To Avoid Traffic? Illinois and 'Congestion Pricing'

An approach that borrows from Uber’s fluctuating pricing strategy and a theme park express pass is being eyed by experts to finance long-overdue improvements on the Eisenhower and other roads.
Dec 1, 2017 6:00 AM
Explainer

Electric Cars And Fuel Sippers Spell Doom For State Gas Tax

As roads and bridges in Illinois crumble, so too does the primary source of revenue the state relies on to fix them—the gas tax.
Nov 15, 2017 6:00 AM
Explainer

Rauner Administration Stirs Up Uncertainty By Scaling Back Social Service Funding

Following two years of tumult amid Illinois’ historic budget standoff, state funding for human service programs has become so unreliable some providers are now questioning if it might be wiser to forgo it entirely.
Oct 24, 2017 6:00 AM
Explainer

Illinois Circling The Toilet Bowl? This Boom Town Begs To Differ

Tiny Rochelle, 80 miles west of Chicago at the intersection of Interstates 88 and 39, is on an industrial roll, blissfully ignoring a common narrative among political and business elites of an economically maligned Illinois.
Oct 11, 2017 6:00 AM
Explainer

Illinois Is Poised To Dangle Business Incentives To Big Companies — But Is It Worth It?

Despite ever more tenuous state finances, Gov. Bruce Rauner and many lawmakers appear poised to embrace expensive incentive packages once unanimously derided by Springfield.
Oct 6, 2017 6:00 AM

Explainers

Reality Check Time for Metra: The Downside of Frugality

Illinois’ Population Is Falling, but the Sky Isn’t

Chicago’s New City ID Opens Doors But Stokes Fears

Pension Crisis: Top Candidates Avoid Talk About Illinois’ Top Problem

Illinois Tax Reform Sideshow Long on Gimmicks, Short on Solutions

How Much Would You Pay To Avoid Traffic? Illinois and 'Congestion Pricing'

Electric Cars And Fuel Sippers Spell Doom For State Gas Tax

Rauner Administration Stirs Up Uncertainty By Scaling Back Social Service Funding

Illinois Circling The Toilet Bowl? This Boom Town Begs To Differ

Illinois Is Poised To Dangle Business Incentives To Big Companies — But Is It Worth It?