In this file photo, restaurant patrons wear masks while dining indoors. (WTTW News)
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Masking will be universally required in Illinois schools, and some state employees must get vaccinated for the coronavirus, according to mandates handed down Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker — a move that immediately drew rebuke from friends and foes alike.

(Don Harder / Flickr)

Active shooter drills are as common as reading, writing and arithmetic in American schools. But a new report says they are traumatizing students.

Betsy DeVos (Keithalmli / Wikimedia Commons)
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President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday tabbed billionaire donor and school choice activist Betsy DeVos as the next federal Secretary of Education, a move the head of the Illinois Federation of Teachers immediately called “hugely troubling.”

Big labor could take a huge hit in a case brought to the Supreme Court by 10 California teachers arguing that they shouldn't be forced to pay union dues. We take a look at the implications for Illinois, where Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has made labor reform a top priority.

Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield this week to vote on pension reform. Carol Marin and her guests discuss the deal, and what it would mean for employees. Read the full Conference Committee Report on Senate Bill 1 and details of the proposal.