FILE — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul pauses during an interview with The Associated Press, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Grubhub Inc., an online food ordering and delivery platform, will pay $25 million to settle a dispute over alleged deceptive business practices with the Illinois attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission, officials said Tuesday.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he launched an investigation into the 20-year-old operation after receiving “dozens” of consumer complaints and engaged the FTC on the nationwide settlement.

“Grubhub tricked its customers, deceived its drivers and unfairly damaged the reputation and revenues of restaurants that did not partner with Grubhub — all in order to drive scale and accelerate growth,” FTC chairperson Lina M. Khan said.

Chicago-based Grubhub, which allows consumers to order delivery from nearby restaurants via drivers contracted with the company, will pay $24.8 million in restitution, while $200,000 will fund the attorney general’s consumer education and enforcement operations.

Raoul and Khan said the investigation found that Grubhub engaged in illegal practices by misleading customers about the cost of delivery and the benefits of a Grubhub subscription, deceived drivers about the amount of money they could make, and listed restaurants on its app without their knowledge or consent — and in some cases over their objections.

In a statement, Grubhub denied wrongdoing. It said the company is committed to openness in its practices and said it cooperated with the FTC in its multiyear review.

“While we categorically deny the allegations made by the FTC, many of which are wrong, misleading or no longer applicable to our business, we believe settling this matter is in the best interest of Grubhub and allows us to move forward,” the statement said.

In addition to the settlement payment, Grubhub said it will make changes to its platform to make it easier for diners to understand fees and to better explain what delivery drivers could earn.

The settlement also requires Grubhub to immediately remove from its listing any unaffiliated restaurants, Raoul said.

The FTC said it doesn’t yet know how many consumers may benefit from the payout. After court approval of the agreement, the agency will put together a remediation plan.

(25News Now) – The minimum wage throughout Illinois will rise to $15 per hour on the first of the year.

This marks the seventh and final increase after legislation signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2019 that established a schedule of increases.

The minimum wage for tipped workers goes up to $9 per hour and workers under 18 working less than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $13 per hour.

“Since day one of my administration, I’ve made it my mission to build an economy that works for everyone and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour fulfills that promise to our working families,” Pritzker said. “This increase honors the workers who power our state and ensures they can better support their families, bringing us closer to a stronger, more equitable economy for all.”

Minimum-wage workers are encouraged to review their paystubs in the new year to ensure they are being correctly paid.

Those with a minimum wage complaint can file with the Illinois Department of Labor by calling the Minimum Wage Toll Free Hotline at (800) 478-3998.Toll-Free

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A recent study from financial techology company SmartAsset aggregated the 10 wealthiest counties in Illinois, ranking them state and nationwide.

The study compared median income, property value and investment income to give each county a “wealth index score,” ranking each accordingly.

Woodford County came in at 13th statewide, with other nearby counties falling lower on the list. Take a look at SmartAsset’s findings about wealth in Illinois and local counties.

What are the top 10 wealthiest counties in IL?

SmartAsset data is based on median income, investment income, median home value and wealth index. The top 10 counties in Illinois are:

1. Lake County ($104,553)($144,643)($353,559)(35.31)
2. DuPage County ($107,035)($72,712)($401,641)(34.06)
3. Kendall County ($106,358)($26,804)($360,529)(31.64)
4. Will County ($103,678)($35,444)($339,705)(31.00)
5. McHenry County ($100,101)($61,544)($333,572)(30.99)
6. Kane County ($96,400)($49,121)($343,964)(29.82)
7. Monroe County ($100,685)($34,250)($296,096)(29.59)
8. Cook County ($78,304)($116,986)($306,108)($27.38)
9. Grundy County ($89,993)($39,720)($290,793)(27.17)
10. Boone County ($80,502)($44,572)($250,642)(24.48)

Illinois’ median income is $62,930. The average investment income is $29,748, and the median home value is $151,016.

More: WalletHub released its list of best universities for 2025. Here’s how Illinois schools rank

Where do local counties rank on the list?

Woodford County earned the highest spot in the Peoria area, coming in at No. 13 in the statewide rank. SmartAsset lists the median income as $80,093, the median home value at $198,874 and the investment income as $33,976. Woodford is the No. 712 wealthiest county nationwide.

McLean County ranked just below at 15th in the state with a median income of $75,356. The county reported a median home value of $75,356 with an investment income of $34,164. McLean’s national rank is 786.

Tazewell County took the No. 22 spot on the list. The county reported a median income of $74,606, a median home value of $167,019 and an investment income of 31,594. Tazewell County ranks No. 1,014 nationally.

Peoria County ranked No. 28 on the list, with a median income of $63,409. Peoria reported its median home value as $143,026, and an investment income of $82,322. Peoria falls at No. 1,262 nationally.

What lllinois county has the highest median income?

DuPage County, which holds the No. 2 spot for overall wealth, was reported to have the highest median income at $107,035.

Kendall County, beating its No. 3 spot in overall wealth, had the second highest median income at $106,358. While Lake County ranked as the wealthiest county overall, it had the third-highest median income of $104,553.

Spanning all counties, the overall median income is $62,930.

Million dollar homes: Peoria property listed at $1.3 million includes modest home, sprawling horse farm

What Illinois county has the highest investment income?

Lake County was the IL county with the highest investment income, sitting at $144,643.

Cook County, eighth in overall wealth, was second on the list with an investment income of $116,986.

Despite charting at No. 28 in the list for overall wealth, Peoria County had the third highest investment income at $82,322.

What Illinois county has the highest median home value?

DuPage County scored first on the list, with a median home value of $401,641. Coming in second was Kendall County, with a median home value of $360,529, and in third Lake County with a value of $353,559.

What Illinois county had the lowest ranking in wealth?

With a median income of $40,365, Alexander County ranked last out of Illinois’ 102 counties. Alexander County’s median home value is $40,082, with an average investment income of $15,656. The county ranked No. 3,034 nationally.