Afternoon Briefing: Advocates press funding for college test prep support program
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Supporters of a state program providing free test preparation to students at public universities and some community colleges said the effort has saved students over $8 million in just two months, but needs $10 million in state funding to remain in operation.
Illinois launched the program in late February, becoming the first state to offer free comprehensive test preparation for college students and already serving more than 200,000 students statewide. The program, a collaboration between the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and the educational service company Kaplan, allows students free access to more than 40 prep courses including graduate-level admissions exams such as the LSAT for law school, as well as courses in data analytics, cybersecurity and real estate.
Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
May Day rally underway in Union Park with march planned to Grant Park later in the day
Hundreds of marchers and demonstrators gathered at Union Park in the West Loop Thursday morning for a rally on May Day, a celebration commemorating the labor movement. Read more here.
What to know about May Day, including its Chicago origins and how it has grown over the years
Bilingual science teacher at East Leyden High School named Illinois Teacher of the Year
Hollywood Casino food courts in Joliet, Aurora to get Stephanie Izard's Goat, Antique Taco
The new land-based Hollywood casinos coming to Joliet and Aurora are betting that the way to a gambler's heart is through their stomach. Read more here.
More top business stories:
Hailey Van Lith credits LSU for strengthening her resilience ahead of Baton Rouge return with the Chicago Sky
The guard will play her first preseason minutes with the Chicago Sky tomorrow in an exhibition game against Brazil in a familiar setting — the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where she spent the toughest year of her collegiate career with LSU. Read more here.
Chicago baseball report: Division play heats up for 18-13 Cubs and 7-23 White Sox
Man who fell from 21-foot Clemente Wall at PNC Park during Cubs-Pirates game in critical condition
2025 Tony Award nominations: Steppenwolf's 'Purpose' and 'Death Becomes Her' both score big
Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company woke up this morning to boffo Tony Award news as plaudits landed on its world premiere production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' drama, 'Purpose,' a bold play very loosely based on the family of political activist Jesse Jackson Jr. and now playing on Broadway. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
From Tokyo to Turin to LA, President Donald Trump's policies loom over May Day marches
Across continents, tens of thousands turned out for today's rallies marking International Workers' Day, many citing President Donald Trump's agenda — from aggressive tariffs spurring fears of global economic turmoil to immigration crackdowns — as a central concern. Read more here.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
10 Car Brands That Should Be Affected the Least by Trump's Tariffs
Since even American-made cars contain foreign-made parts, all vehicle prices are expected to be impacted by the tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump. A new analysis conducted by Jerry found that auto tariffs could add an average estimated 13.7% — or $5,009 — to the price of nonluxury vehicles. Find Out: Read Next: However, some brands could be more impacted than others — and it's not necessarily foreign cars that might see the largest price increases. 'Rather than favoring domestic brands, the new tariff policy favors localizers,' the Jerry report states. 'This means the Toyota Corolla gets roughly the same treatment as domestic brands, because it is primarily assembled in the U.S. Even so, imported components leave a residual charge on every vehicle, driving prices up for consumers.' According to Jerry, these car brands could be impacted by tariffs the least. Average tariff rate: 0% Be Aware: Average tariff rate: 0% Average tariff rate: 1% Average tariff rate: 3% Average tariff rate: 5% Average tariff rate: 6% Average tariff rate: 7% Average tariff rate: 10% Average tariff rate: 11% Average tariff rate: 12% More From GOBankingRates Surprising Items People Are Stocking Up On Before Tariff Pains Hit: Is It Smart? Are You Rich or Middle Class? 8 Ways To Tell That Go Beyond Your Paycheck This article originally appeared on 10 Car Brands That Should Be Affected the Least by Trump's Tariffs Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
The Black hair industry imports products from China. Here's what tariffs mean for braids and wigs
ATLANTA (AP) — Before the oppressive summer heat descends on Atlanta, therapist Brittanee Sims usually gets her thick, curly hair braided at a salon to preserve her healthy mane. But it's more expensive this year. So she'll only pay for her teenage daughter and son to get their summer hairdos. Not having braided hair 'creates more of a hassle for everything,' said Sims, who counts herself among the tens of millions of women that regularly spend on the Black hair care industry. Now, she said, she has to 'go home and figure out what I'm gonna do to my hair in the morning, after I went to the gym and it's messed up with sweating and frizz.' President Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up prices for products many Black women consider essential, squeezing shoppers and stylists even more as they grapple with inflation and higher rents. Much of the synthetic braiding hair, human hair for extensions, wigs and weaves, styling tools, braiding gel and other products is imported from or has packaging from China, which was subject to a combined 145% tariff in April. Many Black women have hair types and workplace-favored styles that require careful attention, and they can spend hundreds of dollars at salons each month on extensions, weaves, wigs and braids. The Associated Press spoke with several Black hair industry experts, beauty supply store owners, and wholesale companies, as well as nearly two dozen Black stylists and braiders, some of whom may have to raise prices even as business has slowed. On Thursday, a federal appeals court reinstated most of Trump's tariffs on imported goods after they were blocked the day before by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade. Earlier this month, the United States agreed to drop the 145% tax on goods imported from China to 30% while the two economic superpowers negotiate new trade agreements. Imports from most other countries face baseline tariff rates at 10%. Regardless, the next few months 'are already shot' for many items, said Marty Parker, a University of Georgia business professor and supply chain expert who worked in the hair care industry. The costs companies have been facing at ports are making their way down to consumers, supply shortages are getting worse, and it's unclear what will happen if negotiations break down. 'Prices go up very fast and come down very slow,' Parker said. Costs go up for Atlanta stylists Some stylists said they're seeing fewer clients because prices are going up for virtually everything. Atlanta stylists are paying more for hair from China. Atlanta stylist Yana Ellis, who also sells products like wigs, paid an extra $245 in shipping for 52 bundles of hair in March compared to 40 bundles in December. AaNiyah Butler said her shipping costs for human hair more than doubled from February to May. And Dajiah Blackshear found in early May that a beauty supply store raised the cost of the kind of hair she's used for years by $100. The store owner said he may have to stop selling that brand of hair because it went up so much. Similarly, some wholesale hair stores have seen higher costs or are expecting them in the coming weeks. Even the typical $6 to $10 cost of a pack of synthetic hair has crept up. Blackshear doesn't want clients to bring hair because she likes to vet the quality. But if expenses continue to mount, she may have to raise her prices. 'It's going to be extremely difficult,' she said, especially for clients who are 'having to make those hard decisions, between 'do I get my hair done or do I pay my bills?'' Janice Lowe, who runs 5 Starr Salon in a lower-income neighborhood southeast of Atlanta, has started asking clients to bring hair and is unable to purchase certain products. 'I'm falling behind on my obligations,' she said. The industry braces for uncertainty Consultants vary on how much prices will rise, when they'll go up and for how long — and the full harm to stylists and consumers could be months away. The global Black hair care industry was worth about $3.2 billion in 2023, according to and Black women spend six times more on hair care than other ethnicities. Stylists often purchase some harder-to-get professional products from door-to-door distributors that buy from wholesale companies or larger distributors that purchase directly from other countries. Lowe has seen some of her distributors vanish altogether, making it harder to get professional lines such as Black-owned leading professional hair care brand Design Essentials, manufactured in Atlanta at McBride Research Laboratories. Design Essentials is trying to delay big price increases until 2026 or 2027, and may turn to layoffs or pause promotions to save money, said president Cornell McBride Jr. Most packaging plastics come from China, but ingredients can come from many places. 'Nobody wants to put it to the consumer but the person who pays is the consumer in the end,' McBride Jr. said. Hawa Keita and her mother usually charge customers between $160 and $250 for braiding at their shop, Eve's African Hair Braiding in College Park southwest of Atlanta. Keita is determined to take losses because their customers 'can't afford the Atlanta prices,' Keita said. The cost of a box of 100 packs of braiding hair from China went up for the first time in two years, from $250 to $300, Keita said. They order weekly, often multiple boxes. Some companies say they'll soon raise prices or run out of stock. Making customers happy is ultimately what will keep the business afloat, Keita said. She smiled as she recounted braiding a young woman's hair for her birthday with a style she suggested. 'When we finished, she gave me the biggest hug, and she was in here screaming and just yelling because she just really loved her hair,' Keita said. Priced-out consumers face unfair beauty standards For many Black Americans, especially women, affording their hair care also means confronting unfavorable beauty standards. Georgia State University law professor Tanya Washington said recent discoveries about dangerous chemicals in synthetic hair and hair straightening products have sparked conversations among Black women looking for hairstyles that don't require as much imported products. But embracing natural hairdos can be daunting for women like the soon-to-be lawyers and clerks Washington advises who face pressure to straighten their hair. 'That puts everyone who does not have organically, naturally derived straight hair at a disadvantage in these spaces,' she said. 'I think that a definition of professionalism that favors one phenotype — European phenotype — over all others, is inappropriate.' Longstanding income disparities between Black and white American women can also make higher hair care prices untenable. According to the U.S. Census, as of 2023, the median household income in Atlanta is $131,319 for white households and $47,937 for Black households. It's an inequality issue that professional hairstylists are aware of nationwide. Stylist Mitzi Mitchell, owner of PIC ONE Beauty Services in Pennsylvania, said she has stocked up on certain products and tools for another year in anticipation of price increases. She wants to avoid 'bootleg' products, which are made illegally and often aren't as safe, but became much more prevalent in the marketplace during economic downturns. 'I'm really conscientious about my Black minority clients because we make a heck of a lot less than other nationalities,' said Mitchell, who is Black. 'I try to keep prices low so we can continue to have the same services, but I know I will have to raise it.' ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Trump's Approval Rating Hits Second-Term Low With Most Accurate Pollster
President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to a new low, according to the nation's most accurate pollster. The latest AtlasIntel survey, conducted between May 21-27 among 3,469 adults, shows that Trump's approval rating has fallen to 45 percent, while 54 percent disapprove. That is the lowest rating of his second term so far. In previous AtlasIntel polls, his approval ranged between 46 and 50 percent, while his disapproval ranged between 49 and 52 percent. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points. AtlasIntel was ranked the most accurate polling company of the 2024 election by survey veteran Nate Silver and was previously named the most accurate pollster of the 2020 election by 538. Recent surveys had shown Trump's approval rating creeping back up after a period of decline following the introduction of his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April, which saw the stock market fall. But polls published in recent days show a more complicated picture of Trump's support. Trump's declining approval rating comes as the number of Americans who rate his overall performance as "Excellent" or "Good" has dropped from 46 percent in February to just 39 percent in May, according to AtlasIntel. Over the same period, those who rate his performance as "Poor" or "Very Poor" has climbed from 47 percent to 54 percent, indicating a clear erosion of support as the year has progressed. The decline in overall approval is mirrored in public assessments of Trump's handling of major national issues. On immigration—long one of Trump's hallmark concerns—53 percent of respondents now say his performance is poor, compared to just 47 percent who view it positively. Similarly, in the realm of the U.S. economy, once a strength for Trump, only 42 percent now give him positive marks, while 54 percent rate his performance as poor or terrible. This marks a notable decline from April, when economic approval briefly ticked up. Trump fares even worse on issues like health care and the national debt. Only 38 percent of Americans believe he is handling health care well, while 53 percent disapprove. On the national debt, a significant gap remains, with just 42 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving. His approach to safeguarding democracy has also drawn criticism, with a 6-point deficit between positive (47 percent) and negative (53 percent) ratings, though this reflects a slight improvement from April. Even in areas like China–U.S. competition, where Trump previously maintained relatively balanced support, sentiment has tilted more negatively. As of May, 53 percent disapprove of his handling of the issue, compared to 45 percent who approve. But The AtlasIntel survey breaks from other recent polls, which have shown Trump's approval ratings ticking up in recent weeks after a period of decline following the introduction of his "Liberation Day" tariffs in April. The policy move rattled markets, prompting a sharp sell-off before an eventual recovery and a pause on the tariffs by the administration. Since then, economic anxiety has died down. Consumer confidence saw a surprising increase in May. The Conference Board reported a rise to 98, much higher than both the expected 87.1 and April's 86 reading. It was the biggest one-month jump in more than a year. At the same time, Trump's general approval ratings are on the rebound. Newsweek's tracker currently shows that 47 percent approve of Trump's job performance, while 50 percent disapprove. Earlier this month, his approval rating stood at 44 percent, while his disapproval rate was firmly in the 50s. Others have shown the same trend. The latest Insider Advantage poll, conducted May 17-19 among 1,000 likely voters, gave Trump a net approval rating of +11 points, with 55 percent approving and 44 percent disapproving. That was up from a net approval rating of +2 points in early May, when 46 percent approved and 44 percent disapproved. And in the latest McLaughlin and Associates poll, conducted between May 21-26 among 1,000 voters, Trump's approval rating stood at 51 percent, up from 48 percent in an April poll, while hid disapproval stood at 44 percent, down from 52 percent previously. However, the overarching trend in the polls is one of stability, with some showing that his ratings have not substantially changed beyond a 1- or 2-point dip—within the margin of error—or have not changed at all. That includes the most recent Quantus Insights poll, conducted May 18-20, which showed Trump's approval rating at 48 percent, while 48 percent disapproved. That is unchanged from a poll conducted earlier in May, and an April poll also showed his approval rating stood at 48 percent, while his disapproval rating at 50 percent. Meanwhile, an American Research Group poll, conducted March 17-20 among 1,100 adults, put Trump's approval rating at 41 percent, down just 2 points from April. His disapproval grew from 53 percent to 55 percent. And the latest Civiqs poll, conducted May 17-20 among 1,018 registered voters, put Trump's approval up by 1 point, and his disapproval down by 1 point. The same trend occurred in the latest YouGov/Economist poll, conducted May 23-26 among 1,660 adults, which put his approval at 44 percent and disapproval at 52 percent. The latest YouGov/Yahoo poll, conducted May 22-27 among 1,560 adults, put Trump's approval down 1 point to 41 percent and his disapproval up 1 point to 54 percent. In Morning Consult's latest survey, conducted May 23-25 among 2,237 registered voters, Trump's approval rating was unchanged at 48 percent while his disapproval was up 1 point to 51 percent. And in the latest RMG Research/Napolitan News survey, conducted May 20-19 among 3,000 registered voters, Trump's approval was up 1 point to 49 percent, while his disapproval was unchanged at 50 percent. The RealClearPolitics tracker shows that on May 31, 2017, Trump's approval rating was 40 percent, while his disapproval rating was 54 percent. This gave him a net approval rating of -14 points, making Trump more popular now than at the same point in his first stint in the Oval Office. Trump's 47 percent approval rating is lower than that of former President Joe Biden at the same point in his presidency. On May 31, 2021, Biden stood at 54 percent, with a disapproval rating of 42 percent, according to RealClearPolitics. While Trump began his second term with his highest approval rating, according to Gallup's first poll of Trump's second term, conducted between January 21 and 27, he was still less popular than any president since 1953 at the start of a term and the only one to begin with a sub-50 percent approval rating. Gallup said Biden started his first term with a 57 percent approval rating. According to data compiled from Gallup by The American Presidency Project, Trump ranks far below other modern-day presidents after 100 days, dating to Dwight Eisenhower, who had an approval rating of 73 percent. Others with higher approval ratings at the 100-day mark include John F. Kennedy, 83 percent; Richard Nixon, 62 percent; Jimmy Carter, 63 percent; Ronald Reagan, 68 percent; George H.W. Bush, 56 percent; Bill Clinton, 55 percent; George W. Bush, 62 percent; and Barack Obama, 65 percent. Trump's approval rating could fluctuate in the coming weeks, depending on the outcome of key events, including critical negotiations in the Russia-Ukraine war, the evolving tariff situation and concerns about a recession. Related Articles Kamala Harris' 2028 Chances Drop in New PollDonald Trump's Approval Rating Surges Among MillennialsDemocrats' Chances of Winning Arizona Governor RaceHow Charlie Kirk Reshaped Arizona's Gubernatorial Race: Pollster 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
