Illinois Quick Hits: AG, Chicago Law Department hail Massachusetts ruling

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says he is pleased with a U.S. District Court of Massachusetts decision to vacate a U.S. Department of Education rule that restricted eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Raoul, 21 other state attorneys general, Chicago and other cities, and a group of nonprofits and labor unions challenged the rule allowing government and nonprofit employees to have their federal student loans forgiven after 10 years of qualifying public service.

Raoul said the rule would have given the federal government the power to deem state governments, hospitals, schools and nonprofit organizations ineligible for the loan forgiveness program based on their support for immigrants, gender-affirming health care or diversity programs.

The decision announced on Tuesday came one day before the rule was set to take effect.

PUBLIC INVITED TO ILLINOIS VOICES 250 RECORDINGS

Illinoisans are invited to chronicle their stories, memories and reflections in audio recordings that will be archived at the U.S. Library of Congress.

Illinois Voices 250, an initiative led by the Illinois America 250 Commission in partnership with Illinois Humanities and StoryCorps Studios, scheduled free community recording days, including Wednesday at the Peoria Riverfront Museum.

Sessions are also scheduled at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield from Aug. 13 to Aug. 22.

A do-it-yourself option is available online.

REPORT: BBQ PRICES HOLD STEADY

A new report says a typical July 4th barbecue in 2026 takes the same bite out of an average American’s paycheck as it did a decade ago.

Oxylabs used Federal Reserve Economic Data database to track inflation-adjusted prices and found that beef is up 32% and soft drinks are up 30%, but burger buns, cheese, tomato prices are all down when adjusted for inflation.

Hot dogs also cost less in purchasing power terms than they did a decade ago.

IL: ZERO TOLERANCE FOR IMPAIRED DRIVERS DURING HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police say there will be zero tolerance for those driving impaired during the 4th of July weekend.

Provisional IDOT data indicates there were 17 fatal crashes resulting in 18 deaths during the 2025 Independence Day holiday, from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. on Monday.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is funded with federal highway safety tax dollars administered by IDOT and runs through the early morning hours of Monday.