Economy
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US retail sales bounce around in a whipsaw trade environment
Jul 17, 2025 9:22 am - After an earlier pullback, consumers picked up their spending in June showing resilience despite anxiety high over tariffs and the U.S. economy. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in June, the Commerce Department said Thursday, after two consecutive months of spending declines, a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May.
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The tariff-driven inflation that economists feared begins to emerge
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Trump plans to hike tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%
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Federal food assistance changes threaten benefits for thousands of Illinoisans
Jul 09, 2025 8:39 am - The domestic policy law signed by President Donald Trump last week creates new work requirements that could jeopardize food assistance benefits for 360,000 Illinoisans. Illinois will be required to cover a greater portion of the administrative costs and benefits of SNAP, which could cost several hundred million dollars.
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Trump’s trade blitz produces few deals but lots of uncertainty
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Amazon extends Prime Day discounts to 4 days as retailers weigh tariff-related price increases
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Pritzker wants 3rd term, but he’s already made Illinois much more expensiveJul 05, 2025 1:33 pm - Gov. JB Pritzker recently announced his intention to seek a third term, the first time for an Illinois governor in more than 40 years. Pritzker’s tenure has been marked by record-setting spending and tax, fee hikes that have punished working families and Illinois businesses.
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Why some fear government data on the U.S. economy is losing integrity
Jul 03, 2025 10:51 am - U.S. policymakers are increasingly anxious about the integrity of certain government benchmarks, the crucial data points that help the Federal Reserve assess the economy’...
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Powell stands by ‘wait and see’ stance with Trump ramping up attacks on the Federal Reserve
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Illinois is short 142,000 homes. Here’s how to fix that.Jun 27, 2025 9:45 am - Illinois faces a critical housing shortage that has increased home prices and rents, leaving many families unable to find or afford housing.