2024 homicide rankings: Chicago, St. Louis lead nation yet again – A Wirepoints survey of America’s 75 largest cities
Chicago was once again the nation’s homicide capital in 2024 with 573 murders – the 13th year in a row that the Windy City has suffered more murders than anywhere else in the country. St. Louis was the nation’s other murder capital when based on homicides per capita, marking the third year in a row St. Louis has held that title.
Chicago: the nation’s homicide capital 13 years running – A Wirepoints survey of America’s 75 largest cities
When the DNC delegates come to Chicago, they’ll be visiting the city that is on track to have the most murders in the nation for 13 years in a row. That’s just one of the findings from Wirepoints’ analysis of publicly-available 2023 homicide data from the nation’s 75 largest U.S. cities.
The evidence so far on Illinois’ ‘Evidence-Based Funding’ for K-12 schools: It’s a flop – Wirepoints Special Report
In 2017, Illinois politicians passed a new education funding formula that they said would “transform” Illinois K-12 education. Seven years and $8.5 billion in dedicated funding later, the only evidence so far is that Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) has been a flop. Despite all the money Illinoisans have poured into education in the name of EBF, it hasn’t enhanced student outcomes at all.
The big myth that needs debunking: Illinois needs more money for education – Wirepoints Special Report
Illinoisans spend all-in $44 billion, or $24,000 per student, on PK-12 schools. They’ve doubled their per student spend over the past 15 years – the nation’s 3rd-biggest increase. They’ve done their job in funding the state’s education system, and their highest-in-the-nation property tax bills are proof. Despite all that, the system continues to fail Illinois children.
Big red states gain, big blue states drain when it comes to 2023 population growth – A Wirepoints 50-state survey
The multi-year pattern of population growth among the nation’s big red states – and shrinkage among the big blue – continued in 2023. Texas and Florida remain a magnet for both Americans and foreigners alike. Deep-blue New York, California and Illinois, meanwhile, only drive more Americans away.
Red states, blue cities: Who’s to blame for America’s homicide crisis – Wirepoints Special Report
There’s a debate raging over who’s responsible for the surge in homicides and violent crime across the country, with some politicians and media blaming “red state” policies. But the problem with homicides is that it’s not a red vs. blue state debate, but rather a red vs. blue city one. And when you look at America’s homicide hotspots, the vast majority are run by blue leadership and have been for decades.
Chicago Public Schools fails its Hispanic students: Only 17 of every 100 read at grade level. – Wirepoints Special Report
Chicago’s future depends in large part upon the success of today’s Hispanic students. But the city’s school system is failing them. Only 17 of every 100 Hispanic students can read at grade level. And just 12 of every 100 are proficient in math.
CPS falla a sus estudiantes hispanos: Solo 17 de cada 100 pueden leer al nivel de su grado. – Informe Especial de Wirepoints
El futuro de Chicago depende en gran parte del éxito de los estudiantes hispanos de hoy. Pero el sistema escolar de la ciudad les está fallando. Sólo 17 de cada 100 estudiantes hispanos pueden leer al nivel de su grado. Y sólo 12 de cada 100 son competentes en matemáticas.
New IRS migration data: New York, California, Illinois are the nation’s big losers of people and their wealth, Florida, Texas the big winners – A Wirepoints 50-state survey
Illinois, New York and California continued their streak as the nation’s biggest losers of residents and their wealth to other states, according to a Wirepoints analysis of newly-released Internal Revenue Service migration data. Texas and Florida continued to be the nation’s big winners.
Chicago, New Orleans were the nation’s murder capitals in 2022 – A Wirepoints survey of America’s 75 largest cities
Chicago and New Orleans were the nation’s murder capitals in 2022. They’re just two of the local governments in America’s homicide hot-spots that continue to falter in their role as protectors of public safety more than two years removed from George Floyd’s murder and the covid pandemic. Chicago led the nation in total homicides with 697. New Orleans led the nation with a homicide rate of 74.3 murders per every 100,000 residents.
Illinois’ 2021 student outcomes collapsed during school shutdowns, Covid mitigations – Wirepoints Special Report
A Wirepoints analysis of ISBE data comparing pre-Covid 2019 student outcomes versus those in 2021 shows reading proficiency for white students fell by 20% compared to 2019, while proficiency for Hispanic and black students fell by 29% and 36%, respectively.
Poor student achievement and near-zero accountability: An indictment of Illinois’ public education system – Wirepoints Special Report
The data Wirepoints presents in this report represents an absolute dereliction of duty by those who run Illinois’ public schools. Just 7% of Rockford’s black, 16% of Decatur’s white, and 11% of Elgin’s Hispanic 3rd-graders can read at grade level.
Thirty years of pain: Illinoisans suffer as property tax bills grow far faster than household incomes, home values – Wirepoints Special Report
Any way you cut them, the residential property taxes Illinoisans pay are punitive. As a share of household incomes, they’re up more than 60 percent compared to three decades ago. As a percentage of home values, Illinois property taxes are now the highest in the country. And as for their impact on house prices, property taxes have contributed to Illinois suffering the nation’s third-worst growth in home values over the last 20 years.
Illinois pension shortfall surpasses $500 billion, average debt burden now $110,000 per household – Wirepoints Special Report
Illinois just reached an alarming milestone: each Illinois household is now on the hook for, on average, $110,000 in government-worker retirement debts.
New U.S. Census data: Illinois education spending soars while outcomes flatline – Wirepoints Special Report
Illinois’ per student education spending grew 70 percent between 2007 and 2019, the most in the nation. All that additional funding hasn’t translated into better outcomes for Illinois students.
Communities in crisis: More than half of Illinois cities get “F” grades for local pensions – Wirepoints Special Report
Illinoisans are suffering from more than just the nation’s worst state-level pension mess. For most residents, another problem hits much closer to home: Illinois’ local pension crisis. Wirepoints has quantified the negative impact of local pension costs by examining the finances of Illinois municipalities from 2003 to 2019. While just seven of the 175 measured cities received an F grade in 2003, that number had grown to 102 cities by 2019.
The states’ 2020 financials are in: Biden’s billions in new federal aid aren’t needed – Wirepoints Special Report
President Biden is pushing for $350 billion in state and local aid as part of his $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, but an analysis of state financials across the country shows he should scrap his plan. The money simply isn’t needed.
Will COVID-19 lead to “pension intercepts” and cuts to core city services across Illinois? – Wirepoints Special Report
Wirepoints found that 351 of Illinois’ 643 downstate public safety pension funds did not receive their full contributions in FY 2019. Without pension reform, local funds will either end up closer to insolvency, or city services will go unfunded in an attempt to keep failing public safety pensions afloat.
New poll details Chicagoans’ opinions about policing, race and Mayor Lightfoot’s performance – Wirepoints Special Report
While Chicagoans share many concerns over the city’s policing practices, 79% want the police to spend the same amount of time or more in their neighborhoods. That’s one of the key findings of a new Wirepoints/Real Clear Opinion Research poll that looked at a range of attitudes in Chicago on policing, race and Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s performance.
20 facts every Illinoisan should know about the progressive tax amendment – Wirepoints Special Report
The airwaves are being bombarded with emotionally charged ads for and against the progressive tax. Still confused? Here are the 20 facts you should know about the progressive tax amendment.
Solving Illinois’ Pension Problem: Why It’s Legal, Why It’s Necessary, and What It Looks Like – Wirepoints Special Report
Stopping the growth in accrued pension promises is the only way Illinois can guarantee an end to its public retirement crisis. Wirepoints’ reform plan protects state workers’ retirement security and ensures Illinois’ most vulnerable citizens no longer suffer from ever-higher taxes and a lack of core services.