Cook County Board Approves Proposed Sugary Beverages Tax
A penny-an-ounce tax on sugary and artificially sweetened drinks has been adopted by the Cook County Board of Commissioners in Chicago.
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A penny-an-ounce tax on sugary and artificially sweetened drinks has been adopted by the Cook County Board of Commissioners in Chicago.
County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the sugary beverage tax would help close a $174 million budget gap and avoid layoffs.
The most controversial issue at the moment in Cook County politics is not even something on which you can vote Tuesday.
The price of a pop could go up next summer in Cook County. Board President Toni Preckwinkle has proposed a new tax on sweetened drinks in her budget address on Thursday.
Retailers were speaking out Wednesday amid published reports Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is considering a new tax on sugary soft drinks, up to a penny an ounce.
Cook County has made a major upgrade to its official government website, and officials said it's truly user-friendly now.
Cook County government and healthcare officials on Tuesday applauded the American Medical Association's decision to declare gun violence is a public health crisis that requires federally funded research.
Dr. Stephen Cina took over in 2012 after the previous medical examiner resigned amid criticism that bodies were stacking up in the morgue. Preckwinkle says Cina took the office from "crisis to full accreditation."
It has sat vacant for nearly 15 years, and become a popular target for graffiti artists, but the old Cook County Hospital building could get new life as a hotel and apartment building, with stores at ground level.
A CBS 2 and Better Government Association investigation found that Cook County has failed to collect up to $20 million in fines for the tax violations.
When the office lost accreditation in 2011, there was a shortage of staff, and overcrowding that led to bodies being stacked on top of each other.
Members of the Cook County Board spoke to county department heads on Tuesday about how the state's budget impasse is affecting local services.
Cook County has launched a two-year program to try to better identify people who have trouble putting food on the table for their families and getting them help.
Civic leaders and representatives of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities came together today to denounce the anti-Muslim, anti-refugee sentiment that has been picking up steam around the country.
Ousted Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy appeared Friday at a public event with his former boss, Mayor Emanuel, and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.
The continued tension over the Laquan McDonald case was a hot topic Friday morning at an annual prayer breakfast attended by some of the state's leading politicians, business leaders, and clergy.
The head of the Chicago's official tourism agency has warned a planned Cook County hotel tax could hurt the city's convention industry, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel seemed less concerned.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has said she has enough votes to approve a new countywide tax on ammunition for handguns and rifles.
There had been a lot of opposition to the amusement tax hike, which would have hit cable-television customers, bowlers, golfers and others involved with for-profit sports activities.
Three months after pushing through a plan to raise sales taxes by a penny on the dollar, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is seeking some more new taxes to balance the budget next year.
The Inspector General's 15-page report also refers to Cook County's animal control unit as "efficiently operated," but says there is an "over-reliance on euthanasia."
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle met with a group of anti-violence activists on the South Side on Wednesday, and announced the county would spend $500,000 on so-called "restorative justice" programs in an effort to help prevent ex-cons from going back to court or jail, and to curb violent crime.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was making her final pitch for a sales tax hike, as the Cook County Board met Wednesday to debate a tax increase she railed against five years ago.
Board President Toni Preckwinkle is seeking to reinstate the tax -- first enacted during the administration of predecessor Todd Stroger -- primarily to cover the county's pension shortfall.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Tuesday she will present a preliminary budget plan that includes a proposal to increase the county sales tax she spent years rolling back.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said 29 of the 56 bodies taken from a shuttered Far South Side funeral home have been identified, while a group of attorneys will offer legal advice to affected families.
A bat found in Oak Lawn, Illinois, tested positive for rabies, according to Cook County officials.
Gov. JB Pritzker said he believes the Chicago Bears would like to stay in Illinois, but said they haven't yet come to the legislature with a bill they want passed to address building a new stadium in Arlington Heights or elsewhere.
Fan Expo Chicago 2026 is back in Rosemont through Sunday, featuring all things fandom in comics, science fiction, horror, anime, gaming, and cosplay.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill Friday authorizing local home equity assurance programs to provide financial relief to homeowners who have suffered flood damage.
Senate Democrats are demanding answers about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during the aircraft carrier's record-setting deployment.
President Trump said Karoline Leavitt will be leaving her role to focus on her young family.
Chicago mayoral candidate John Kelly on Wednesday said the city has had enough of career politicians, and took some of his opponents to task for running for two offices at once.
David Crowley unexpectedly beat a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor, and will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany on the ballot in November.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks that are intended to gain compliance from combative individuals.
Illinois is one of 46 states that have reached a $15.5 million settlement with a Pennsylvania-based mortgage servicer for improperly imposing new insurance policies on homeowners who already had insurance.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In a wide-ranging interview with the CBS News partner BBC News, Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father's condition, describing it as very sad to watch.
With the cyclosporiasis linked to iceberg lettuce growing and consumers wary of the products on grocery shelves, many in Chicago are turning to local farmers market for fresh and safe greens.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
The Original Rainbow Cone celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special event at its Beverly location.
The Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile announced plans Thursday for a multimillion-dollar renovation project.
While the building that housed the flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue has been torn down, the renowned Chicago restaurant chain is now set to open a new Lakeview location.
Nationally, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023 — a figure projected to reach 72.6 billion gallons by 2028, raising concerns about states' water supplies.
Chicago's Wishbone Restaurant will soon be closing after 36 years in business.
Crews need about a week and a half to tear down the festival site before the city can begin its own inspection — and past cleanup costs have topped $1 million.
Vincent Pastore played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on all six seasons of "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007.
If weather forces an evacuation, shelter sites are located at Grant Park North, Grant Park South, and Millennium Lakeside Garages, accessible through the vehicle entrance on Michigan Avenue.
Grant Park was filled with tens of thousands of people Thursday for the start of Lollapalooza, as warm weather greeted festivalgoers on day one of the four-day music festival.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
Luigi Mangione took a plea deal for federal charges for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brain Thompson in a New York courtroom Friday, entering a guilty plea.
A bat found in Oak Lawn, Illinois, tested positive for rabies, according to Cook County officials.
A popular love story is back in Chicago. "The Notebook" is back, and audiences remain captivated.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the extended forecast.
Gov. JB Pritzker said he believes the Chicago Bears would like to stay in Illinois, but said they haven’t yet come to the legislature with a bill they want passed to address building a new stadium here.
Four people were injured in a shooting in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood on Friday morning.
Gov. JB Pritzker said he believes the Chicago Bears would like to stay in Illinois, but said they haven't yet come to the legislature with a bill they want passed to address building a new stadium in Arlington Heights or elsewhere.
Heavy rain and flooding continue into the weekend as communities across Illinois and Northwest Indiana deal with power outages and storm damage.
High-flying pilots are practicing for the 2026 Chicago Air & Water Show but a continued weather threat hangs over the weekend.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said 29 of the 56 bodies taken from a shuttered Far South Side funeral home have been identified, while a group of attorneys will offer legal advice to affected families.
More violations at Chicago's Bohemian National Cemetery and Crematorium have surfaced, which is now under investigation for its role in mishandling bodies connected to the family that ran South Chicago Chapel.
Many unanswered questions remain after 56 decomposing bodies were found inside a Chicago funeral home last week.
A lawsuit on behalf of a man who was shot and killed by police in Humboldt Park in March claims a CPD officer fired deadly shots just after arriving at a controlled scene instead of de-escalating.
Neighbors of a South Side animal feed plant have complained about the noxious smell and air quality for years. Now the city of Chicago and state of Illinois are suing Pullman Innovations to clean up the air, as well as for alleged illegal work and permit violations.
The owners of a Far South Side funeral home where dozens of decomposing bodies were found earlier this week have run into trouble with state regulators before over their handling of bodies at a crematory in the south suburbs.
Gov. JB Pritzker said he believes the Chicago Bears would like to stay in Illinois, but said they haven't yet come to the legislature with a bill they want passed to address building a new stadium in Arlington Heights or elsewhere.
Cade Cavalli took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago Cubs 7-0 to avoid a three-game sweep.
Sal Stewart, Eugenio Suárez and Tyler Stephenson homered and the Cincinnati Reds held off the Chicago White Sox for a 9-8 victory.
The Chicago White Sox announced they're moving their Thursday game at Rate Field against the Cincinnati Reds to an earlier time due to the weather.
Chicago Bears chief executive officer Kevin Warren said Thursday that while team representatives have still been meeting with Illinois officials, the team's "sole focus" is now building a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana.
Luigi Mangione entered a guilty plea in his federal case at a court appearance in Manhattan Friday morning.
A year-long investigation has led to an arrest in a fatal shooting in northwest suburban Des Plaines.
A man was due in court Thursday on charges of stabbing a woman to death in Chicago's Avondale community this week.
A man was set for a detention hearing Thursday in a shootout on Chicago's Near North Side.
Police released a video showing the packages spilling out from the truck's false bottom, with the stickers of Norway's soccer star Erling Haaland.
