Free Republic

CHICAGO – Employers in Illinois can no longer access criminal background checks on potential hires until after an interview is conducted. Gov. Quinn signed into law this week a bill that prohibits private employers from asking applicants about their criminal history prior to determining if they are qualified for the job. “Everyone deserves a second chance when it comes to getting a job,” Governor Quinn said in a press release. “This law will help ensure that people across Illinois get a fair shot to reach their full potential through their skills and qualifications, rather than past history. It will also...

Illinois Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn is in some hot water with the Jewish community after his campaign tweeted—and then quietly deleted—several messages urging backers to read an article comparing black Republican voters to Jews who collaborated with the Nazis. Chicago Sun Times readers were stunned last week to find that writer Neil Steinberg has penned a column comparing black supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner to Jews who collaborated with the Nazis against their brethren. “As a general rule, individuals will sell out the interests of their groups in return for personal benefit,” Steinberg wrote in his column, which...

Some are beginning to question just how much longer Rahm Emanuel will be occupying the office of Chief of Staff for President Obama. Which, of course, leads to a couple other questions - who gets the seat next, and what would Rahmbo do afterwards? He's already expressed an interest in taking the mayor's office, he's long desired to be Speaker of the House and the head of the Democratic National Convention, and then there are those pesky "placeholder" rumors about his initial appointment to his current position. Couple all this with the growing drumbeats about the unnamed "administration official" who...

Documents show that unqualified student would have been allowed to transfer ### University of Illinois College of Medicine officials acknowledged Friday that an unqualified applicant pushed by Trustee Lawrence Eppley received an unfair advantage. An initial review of nearly 500 pages of documents released late Friday found no other examples of clout affecting medical school admissions decisions. *snip* Some of the records, however, were so heavily redacted that it was impossible to interpret them. But in the 2003 Eppley case, the student seeking to transfer to the Chicago-based medical school had "very poor grades" in the beginning of his college...

Current Information * April 29 (2:00pm) - 9 probable cases of Swine Flu in Illinois - Five cases in Cook County (all within the Chicago city limits), one in DuPage County, two in Kane County and one in Lake County. * Gubernatorial Proclamation issued by Governor - Governor Pat Quinn Tuesday issued a Proclamation that allows for the mobilization of state assets, as the Governor deems necessary, to aid in the distribution of medical supplies and other actions needed to protect public's health and safety. * Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Swine Influenza Web Site - For the...

Sellers Will Be Required To Provide Thumbprint Before Deal Is Approved ### Real estate certainly has its risks and fraud is a growing problem, but now there's a new law that's supposed to protect buyers. As CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports the new law will also place an unusual burden on the seller. Fingerprinting is something we often associate with crime. So the fact that Cook County home sellers--and homeowners across the state--will soon have to provide a thumb print left some people shocked. "I wouldn't like that at all. I don't think that's necessary," said Chicagoan Donald Hayes. "I...