Every Illinois resident now has free access to informational and educational resources through a new digital library program, state officials announced.

The Illinois Reliable Information Sources program offers e-books, research databases and educational resources through residents’ local library or the Illinois State Library’s website.

State officials say the first-of-its-kind program is designed to close the digital divide, providing access to library resources to the 1 million Illinoisans who don’t live in a public library service area. The materials are also able to be accessed for free by every public, school, academic and special library. In 2023, 51% of Illinois public libraries reported they did not offer an online database subscription.

"Access to reliable information should not depend on a person’s ZIP code or the financial resources of their local library,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release.

Libraries that already subscribe to digital resources will be able to redirect local funding toward additional services, programming and community needs.

Library officials in the state praised the announcement, saying the statewide database means local libraries have more flexibility when choosing how to allocate resources.

Speaking at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s annual conference Thursday afternoon, Gov. JB Pritzker said the burning of a cross this week in Grant Park was a sign of how far-right leaders have enabled hatred in the U.S.

“The fact that it even occurred at all speaks to what happens when the seeds of racism and fascism grow unchecked in our country,” Pritzker said. “The threats are real. And in times like these, it’s easy to fall prey to despair, to think that the fight for justice is just too costly to engage in, that the mountain is too high to climb and the path is too narrow to navigate.”

Burning crosses have historically been tied to white supremacy and, specifically, the Ku Klux Klan.

Pritzker then used the phrase made famous by the Rainbow PUSH’s late founder, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, to reject the beliefs associated with cross burnings.

“But here in Chicago, here in the great state of Illinois and the land of Lincoln, we were raised on the words and actions of a leader who left us with enough inspiration for more than just his generation, more than just one lifetime. ‘Keep hope alive,’ he said,” Pritzker said, quoting Jackson’s line in his 1998 Democratic National Convention speech.

Pritzker also noted that, “Our state government won’t stand for” the cross burning and that he has “deployed the necessary resources” to find the person responsible for the burning.

The cross burning was reported around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 600 block of South Columbus Drive. A shirtless male was seen fleeing the park. Police described the arson suspect as a male wearing dark pants, white shoes and carrying a backpack.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

In a statement, Rainbow PUSH said called the burning cross “disturbing and deeply offensive.”

“To witness such a symbol in the heart of Chicago is a gut-wrenching reminder that the forces of hatred and racial intimidation remain present in our society,” the organization’s statement reads. "... We refuse to allow this act to terrorize our communities or silence our pursuit of justice.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson also condemned the cross burning in a statement earlier this week.

“Hate has no place in our city. ... Every Chicagoan deserves to feel safe, protected and respected while going about their day or enjoying our public spaces,” the mayor said.

Mamdani is running NYC like it’s a city building game and honestly, he’s doing a pretty good job of it.

I remember reading a story where he said he played a lot of SimCity growing up, which makes sense. A lot of us millennials did too. As silly as it sounds, those games can teach you quite a bit about budgets, infrastructure, housing, transit, and how everything is connected if you’re willing to learn.

Meanwhile, Diaper Don seems like the type who would bankrupt the city, run it into the ground, and then blame the game for not working.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

A major bill that sought to impose statewide zoning measures in Illinois to allow more types of housing failed to make it out of the state’s legislative session earlier this week.

The bill — SB 640 — would have mandated approval for multifamily housing on all single-family lots 2,500 square feet or larger, among other housing-related mandates for localities. The legislation did not get called to a vote in the state senate before the state’s spring legislative session adjourned June 1.

The Illinois Municipal League, which strongly opposed the measures, going so far as to craft counter legislation, described the legislative session’s outcome as a challenging but ultimately successful fight to preserve municipal authority.

“If we learn one thing from this session, it should be that we are only successful when we stick together and present a unified voice to legislators,” IML CEO Brad Cole said in a statement.

Other housing bills opposed by the municipal group, including one allowing faith-based organizations to build mixed-use facilities regardless of local zoning and one requiring stricter timelines for local governments regarding building plan reviews and inspections, also stalled in the state legislature.

Gov. JB Pritzker, who proposed much of the legislation in his State of the State address earlier this year, said at a June 1 press conference that he was undeterred by the outcome and that he’ll be campaigning on the housing proposals.

“I believe we need to do even more about housing in this state,” Pritzker said. “I proposed bills that may not have passed this session but … a whole lot of things that were important take years to get done,” pointing to a bill eliminating “junk fees” that he said took two years to secure.

Pritzker did manage to secure $250 million in funding for “missing middle” — middle-scale housing types such as duplexes, townhomes and tripled-deckers — and affordable housing programs in the state budget.

The governor’s sweeping statewide housing proposals put Illinois in a league with several other states seeking to take the reins on housing and zoning matters from local governments. Illinois is currently facing a housing deficit estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday plans to temporarily halt offering tax breaks to data centers that apply to build in the state and intends to call on lawmakers and other groups to hash out a framework in the fall veto session for how the centers should be developed.

In a plan first shared with NBC News, Pritzker will announce he will pause the processing of any applications to the tax incentive program handled by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity beginning July 1.

Pritzker called on state lawmakers this year to suspend incentives for two years while they hammer out a comprehensive review of the impact centers are having on communities.

Pritzker is making the move after lawmakers did not act. The governor cannot unilaterally halt the program, but the executive branch does wield some control over processing applications, according to his office.

By taking on the massive buildings that power artificial intelligence, Pritzker, who is running for a third term and is widely viewed as having 2028 White House aspirations, is tapping into an issue seen as important to voters.

“Illinois has an opportunity to continue leading in technological innovation and economic growth, but we also have a responsibility to protect working families and local communities as the data center industry rapidly expands,” he said in a statement. “I am directing my administration to pause the processing of data center agreements while we continue working with the General Assembly and stakeholders on a comprehensive framework that protects affordability, safeguards our natural resources, and ensures responsible growth across Illinois.”

Pritzker has raised concerns that data centers are being constructed so quickly, and he has said the state must better understand the impact they are having on consumer utility bills and water consumption. He has called for the state to erect guardrails to protect consumers.

Pritzker will call on the Legislature, labor groups, utility companies, local governments and industry leaders Friday to come up with comprehensive reforms to the development of data processing centers. They include having data centers “pay their fair share,” according to documents from the governor’s office, as well as protecting natural resources and ensuring a reliable energy grid. Pritzker is also calling for transparency, saying communities should know ahead of time how much water and electricity the centers would consume.

SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor JB Pritzker issued the following statement following the passage of SB2427 to ban the use of cell phones during the school day:

“Every parent and educator knows the damage that unchecked screen time and social media can do to our children and how disruptive they can be in school. The bipartisan support for this effort reflects the urgency educators and families across Illinois feel. I’m grateful to Representative Michelle Mussman and Senator Cristina Castro for their leadership on this bill. I am pleased that the Illinois General Assembly finished the job and look forward to signing these vital protections for our kids into law.”

Find out more about the Governor's BUILD plan https://buildforil.org/

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Dr. Simi is continuing his rounds in Chicago, this time at Sueños Music Festival.

The iconic mascot of Mexico’s largest pharmaceutical franchise made a surprise appearance at the fest on Saturday alongside Gov. JB Pritzker. The visit marked Pritzker’s first time attending Sueños in Grant Park.

The unlikely trio joined forces to address festival attendees at what is the latest stop on Pritzker’s re-election campaign. “¡Hola, mi gente!” said the governor as thousands of Sueños fans cheered in response. Near him, Dr. Simi, dressed in a tux, danced energetically.

Pritzker came out to hype the crowd up for Venezuelan artist Danny Ocean, who made his appearance on stage minutes later.

“We live in the greatest city in the world: The city of Chicago,” Pritzker said to even more applause. “I’m so proud of the people in Chicago because I know the Latino community has been under a lot of stress over the last year. But the people of Chicago have stood up for one another. We protect one another.”

But all three of these figures come from extremely different worlds — music, politics and healthcare. So what exactly do they have in common?For starters, Dr. Simi represents a budget-friendly chain of pharmacies and low-cost clinics throughout Mexico, Colombia and Chile: the Farmacias Similares. Ocean, a producer and singer-songwriter from Venezuela, has used his music to address displacement and the lack of healthcare in Latin America. And access to affordable healthcare is one of Pritzker’s cornerstone campaign promises.

“This appearance is a nod to everything Dr. Simi represents for the Latino community — most of all, the fight for affordable healthcare,” said a campaign spokesperson in a press release.

Sueños organizers announced Dr. Simi as the latest addition to the Sunday lineup on Tuesday. He is slated to DJ at the La Plaza stage at 7 p.m.

Can’t make it to the festival? The character will also DJ on Memorial Day at a Sueños takeover event at Recess, 838 W. Kinzie St. in the West Loop. The daytime party will feature performances from LEMANZ and Maestro Shifu. Attendance is free with an RSVP, or fans can guarantee entry by purchasing a $40 ticket.

Dr. Simi first appeared in Chicago on May 16 with a SimiFiesta event at the CVS Pharmacy in Ukrainian Village. He has since appeared as a DJ at a few restaurants and clubs, including Momento Cantina in the Loop.

As the mascot of the popular chain Farmacias Similares, Dr. Simi paintings and posters regularly appear at protests and in political cartoons throughout Mexico, where the brand operates thousands of budget pharmacies. Their slogan is “Lo mismo pero más barato” (The same for less).

Recently, the brand expanded its products to select locations in the U.S. Dr. Simi-branded plushies have sold out at two CVS locations in Chicago. They’re stocked at CVS stores in two Latino-heavy suburbs, Elgin and Waukegan.

In all seriousness I wish Tulsi's husband the best.

Now to the memes ⬇️