Payday Lenders Lose Initial Bid to Block Illinois Law

Payday Lenders won't submit to regulation without a fight. Last Friday, Payday Lender Illinois Lending Corp sued in Cook County Court for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Illinois’ new and modified payday loan laws, the Consumer Installment Loan Act and the Payday Loan Reform Act (CILA /...
March 24, 2011

An Introduction to Illinois Redistricting

The 2010 Census results are in, and the big news is that Illinois has grown a mere 3% in the last decade, while Chicago has shrunk by nearly 7%, or 200,000 people. The data indicates that black and Hispanic Chicagoans are migrating from the city to the suburbs, taking up residence in Chicago’s so-ca...
February 17, 2011

Chicago Appleseed Promotes Community Schools in “Same Starting Line” Report

Today, Appleseed, Chicago Appleseed's national affiliate, released a major report that reveals significant resource disparities between high poverty schools and their middle and upper class counterparts. Entitled "The Same Starting Line: How School Boards Can Erase the Opportunity Gap Between Poor a...
February 3, 2011

Parents, Communities, and Chicago Public Schools: A Promising Partnership

Long-struggling Chicago Public Schools may find promise in the prospect of partnering with parents and community organizations. Research has shown that parental and community involvement yields tremendous benefits for under-resourced schools, students, parents, and communities. And the concept has l...
January 12, 2011