CME Group Beats Class Action by Commodities Traders
Concluding a legal battle which has stretched more than a decade, a Chicago jury recently returned a verdict in favor of CME Group Inc., and against a group of commodities traders claiming wrongful denial of access to an Aurora data center specifically built by the exchange for high-speed algorithmic trading in 2012. After only four
Chicago Dead Last Among Major U.S. Metros on Building New Homes
According to data released by Construction Coverage, an analytics service for building and real estate professionals, Chicago has ranked last among the top metro areas in the county for the number of new homes built in 2024. Last year, the Chicagoland municipalities authorized 4.5 new homes for every 1,000 existing residential units. That’s less than
What the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Means for Your Taxes
On July 4, 2025, the federal government passed a major new bill known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB). This legislation extends many parts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and introduces several new tax rules that could impact individuals, families, and business owners for years to come. Temporary Tax Cuts Are
20 States, including Illinois, granted preliminary injunction against the USDOT from withholding Federal Funds.
Recently, US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy released a letter titled, “Follow the Law”, which threatened to withhold federal funding from sanctuary states. 20 states, including Illinois, filed a lawsuit against the USDOT stating that withholding federal funds undermines the states authority and creates undue burdens when it comes to managing local resources
Tip Credit Op-Ed Newsletter
Since July of 2024, Chicago has been phasing out the tip credit which allows employers to pay their employees the minimum cash wage if they receive tips sufficient to cover the difference between the minimum wage. The State of Illinois currently has a minimum wage of $15 per hour, however, for tipped workers this can
Trump Administration Faces Growing Litigation in Illinois Over Immigration
Amidst the Trump administration’s efforts to increase immigration enforcement, Illinois courts have received an influx of actions from both private and public attorneys seeking to curb federal law enforcement’s ability to carry out the President’s mass deportation campaign. Following the lead of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who reiterated his strong support for protections for undocumented
New Illinois Laws in Effect July 1, 2025
Illinois’ new budget took effect at the start of Fiscal Year 2026, which fell on Tuesday July 1, 2025. Along with the new budget also comes new law and tax changes. The gas tax is set to increase by a rate of 1.3 cents per gallon, raising the tax to $0.483 per gallon. Tax on
Supreme Court Denies Right to Challenge Medicaid’s Planned Parenthood Exclusion
On June 26th, 2025, the Supreme Court decided against Medicaid recipients’ right to challenge the exclusion of Planned Parenthood as a covered provider. Under the direction of its governor, Henry McMaster, South Carolina began excluding Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program in 2018. The exclusion came because of the organization’s offering of abortion services, which
Pritzker Signs 2026 Illinois State Budget into Law
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed six bills comprising the state’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget into law Monday, June 16th, the earliest provisions of which will take effect in roughly two weeks on July 1st. Whereas state budgets historically were passed in the form of a single omnibus bill, the budget for next year was passed
City Council Members Could Soon Have Blanket Power to Ban Airbnb from their Wards
Alderman Anthony Napolitano, 41st, introduced an ordinance that would give the local alderman the ability to ban short-term rentals on a precinct level in their own ward. The ordinance was approved in committee on June 11, 2024, and just this week, on June 18, 2024, the final vote was delayed at the City Council. The