pandemic

African American Businesses Received the Fewest COVID-19 Relief loans, and Grants, as Program Deadline Looms (Niles, IL) - Today, the Illinois Coalition of African American Business Organizations announces that research reports issued by the Center for Public Integrity, and the Brookings Institution reveal that African American businesses were awarded less than 2% of the loans, and grants available through the $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 relief program  for small businesses, administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, that is scheduled to end on May 31, 2021.

Gov. Pritzker Confirms Illinois will Enter Bridge Phase of Reopening Plan on May 14th (Chicago, IL) - Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) confirmed today the entire state will move into the Bridge Phase of the Restore Illinois reopening plan tomorrow, Friday, May 14th. The Bridge Phase is the final step before the full reopening of Phase 5.

Stoller pushing to pass S.A.L.T. bill 'on behalf of Illinois small businesses' - Sen. Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills) is working to pass Senate Bill 2531 through the Illinois General Assembly to help small businesses with a State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.

Barickman: Emergency housing assistance bill does not prioritize 'renters who have been impacted by COVID' - As House Bill 2877, the COVID-19 Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program Act, is headed to Gov. Pritzker's desk, many Republicans, including Sen. Jason Barickman, expressed objections that it won't really benefit the right people needing help.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Commissioners Alma Anaya (7th District) and Brandon Johnson (1st District), and the Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance program network, today announced its “Together We Thrive” initiative and the official launch of Small Business Week in Cook County.

Charlotte Lane was a top lobbyist for utility companies. Now she regulates them. A little-known law she previously pushed has allowed them to charge West Virginians for expensive pipeline projects with little oversight and few consumer protections.

New York City Kills COVID Rule That Led to Repeated School Closings Despite No Evidence of Outbreaks (New York, NY) - New York City announced on Thursday an end to its rule that had led to thousands of public school closures despite little evidence of COVID-19 outbreaks. Schools will now only be closed if testing shows there is viral spread within a school.

COOK COUNTY, IL — The Cook County COVID-19 Recovery Small Business Assistance Program is offering a financial webinar from 9-10:30 a.m. April 14 to provide small business owners with finance tools as well as insight to the funds available through the American Rescue Plan.

False Barriers: These Things Should Not Prevent You From Getting a COVID Vaccine - As the United States seeks to end its coronavirus crisis and outrun variants, public health officials recognize it is essential for as many people as possible to get vaccinated. Making that easy is a major part of the plan.

The Small Business Administration refuses to give pandemic relief loans to people who have filed for bankruptcy, even if their businesses can survive.