Yearly Archives: 2015

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Al Franken (D-MN) today called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set strong Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) required under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that provides long-needed certainty to farmers and workers in the biodiesel industry while helping domestic producers grow. They also pressed the EPA to live up to its legal obligation of ending its years-long delay of setting RVOs.

As summer approaches and rental leases begin to expire, May is regarded as the unofficial start of renting and moving season in Chicago. The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) urges renters to know their fair housing rights and to report any signs of discrimination to IDHR or local agencies.

In a city as large as Chicago, it can be difficult for communities to find the economic support they need. A lack of access to financial services and limited community development can inhibit the growth of these neighborhoods, but one organization has dedicated itself to ensuring that communities can thrive. The Resurrection Project (TRP) stands as a pillar of support for Chicago’s Southwest Side, including Pilsen Back of the Yards and Little Village

While every home should have a disaster preparedness kit and family communications plan, emergency preparedness is particularly important for households with members who have disabilities, functional needs or may need assistance during an emergency.

Agent Publishing, the country’s dominant hyper-local B2B real estate media company, has announced John Thomas, 50, has joined the firm as editor-in-chief and vice president of content strategy.

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today met with veterans who work at Rags of Honor, a silk-screening business that works to get homeless veterans off the streets, and talked with leadership and veterans about S. 1004, the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act, which was introduced earlier this year with five bipartisan cosponsors. The bill requires the President to issue a proclamation each year that calls on United States citizens to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout history

The House of Representatives quickly began its FY2016 appropriations process this week, agreeing to a balanced budget resolution and passing two of twelve annual spending bills. Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) voted in support of the House-Senate budget agreement and Military Construction - Veterans Affairs (VA) funding on Thursday, as well as the Energy and Water appropriations bill on Friday.

Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Jared Polis (CO-02) offered an amendment to the FY2016 Energy & Water (E&W) Appropriations Bill that would have saved taxpayers $167 million by maintaining the FY2015 acquisition schedule for the nuclear-armed cruise missile warhead (W80-4).

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced today that listening sessions being held throughout Illinois to discuss the state’s infrastructure needs and priorities will be in 12 communities next week.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to include several Illinois priorities in their Passenger Rail Reauthorization legislation. Durbin also raised several significant concerns regarding related legislation passed by the House of Representatives earlier this year that would have a significant impact on Illinois’ passenger rail system

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-8) and Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-2) joined together to introduce the Make It At Home Act, a common sense bill that would help increase workload at our nation’s arsenals, including the Rock Island Arsenal. The bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to submit to Congress a report on sole-sourced equipment that is currently purchased from foreign companies that could be manufactured in arsenals or depots in the U.S.

Luxury homes sold at a faster pace during the first quarter of 2015, January through March, than they did a year earlier in the seven-county metropolitan Chicago real estate market. Transaction activity was 16 percent higher for the period, with luxury home sales totaling 378 units. Luxury properties sold during the quarter were also finding buyers more quickly, requiring an average of just 144 days, compared to 158 days during the same period last year, according to the RE/MAX Luxury Report on Metro Chicago Real Estate

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that the City of Quincy, Illinois has received a $1,100,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration for infrastructure improvements and upgrades at Quincy Regional-Baldwin Field Airport. This grant will be used to construct a new taxiway, assisting the airport in meeting new design and safety standards, and improving access to the airfield for employers and economic drivers in the region

Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today questioning this month’s Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) planning resource auction that resulted in significantly higher electricity capacity prices for central and southern Illinois. Congressmen Mike Bost (R, Illinois-12) and Rodney Davis (R, Illinois-13) joined Shimkus on the letter

One year after the unveiling of the new International Terminal 5 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (a $26 million transformation by Westfield that features a reconfigured environment, a more-efficient TSA checkpoint and 24 sophisticated dining and retail destinations), sales are reaching record highs. They are up by roughly 70 percent since redevelopment began in 2011, according to city data. Last year total sales exceeded $43 million, generating approximately $6.5 million in revenue for Chicago, more than double the 2010 revenue. The terminal was built in 1993.