It is unfathomable that the federal minimum wage has not been increased in more than a decade, since 2007. That the wage, at $7.25 per hour, has remained flat through recession and recovery, through extremely high unemployment rates and much ...

Medicare faces numerous threats in 2019. It's time for lawmakers and healthcare to attack these challenges head-on. One threat stem from the Trump administration, which has suggested weakening the so-called protected classes provision in Medicare "Part D." Medicare's Part D ...

The latest report from the U.S. Labor Department has provided still another answer to the infamous question of “What the hell do [African Americans] have to lose?” That question, of course, was posed by Donald Trump during his successful run ...

The City of Joliet Environmental Commission (the water commission) continues to trudge on towards a decision regarding the future source of drinking water for Joliet residents and perhaps other residents beyond its borders. In fact, that is one of the ...

As various House committees gear up for a season of investigations and hearings on President Trump and his administration, a lot of people are worried that progress on the nation’s challenges will grind to a halt. I would argue just ...

The Consolidated Election is almost upon us. On April 2 voters in Will County will choose people to represent them on school boards, park districts and municipal boards, in most cases, for the next four years. It seems as if ...

The mainstream news has been covering an interesting story. People who were expecting significant tax refunds are, in very large numbers, either getting a minimal refund, no refund or having to pay the IRS. This, after Donald Trump—promised a massive ...

One of the best skits that ever appeared on comedian Dave Chappelle’s hit television show, the Chappelle Show, was one called “When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong. ”Each skit would highlight the outcome of what would happen to individuals who ...

An increase in the minimum wage paid to workers always sparks debate among those who see it as the demise of small business and the loss of profit for big corporations. Generally, the debate centers on those who depend on ...

Think Big Illinois Executive Director Quentin Fulks released the following statement after Governor JB Pritzker signed SB1, which increases Illinois’ minimum wage, into law: “More than 40% of our workers just received a well-deserved and long-overdue raise, which is why ...

Students across the country are putting final touches on their applications for some of our country’s most prestigious public institutions. Higher education officials and policymakers alike need to ensure that these universities are not underserving Black students. Unfortunately, there’s a ...

Nicor natural gas customers in Joliet and the surrounding area are subsidizing utility expansion elsewhere in Illinois, and paying higher rates as a result. What’s more, they will be paying these higher rates for decades – all without understanding the ...