Illinois
Pritzker to lead Illinois delegation on trade mission to Mexico
CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker will lead a trade mission to Mexico next week aiming to strengthen economic ties between Illinois and one of its largest trading partners.
Illinois trade mission to Mexico
The backstory:
The trip will run from Sunday through Wednesday with a delegation that includes state officials and business leaders. It will focus on expanding partnerships in agriculture, manufacturing and finance.
“Our state’s forward-thinking policies, coupled with our rich natural resources, skilled workforce, and world-class infrastructure, make it an ideal place for companies to thrive,” Pritzker said in a statement. “As we embark on this trade mission to Mexico, we are excited to further strengthen our economic ties and showcase the many advantages that Illinois offers to businesses in North America and around the world.”
By the numbers:
Mexico is Illinois’ second-largest export market, with trade between the two surpassing $32 billion in 2024. Illinois also imports over $19 billion in goods from Mexico, making it the state’s third-largest import market.
Dig deeper:
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and Intersect Illinois are among the agencies participating in the mission. Delegates will engage in discussions with Mexican officials and business leaders to foster new trade opportunities and investment.
Illinois has had a trade office in Mexico City since 1989. The state has also participated in initiatives like the Illinois State Trade and Export Promotion program, which facilitates annual trade missions to Mexico.
The delegation includes members of the Illinois General Assembly, state economic development leaders, and executives from various industries. Among the notable attendees are First Lady MK Pritzker, State Sens. Celina Villanueva and Cristina Castro, and executives from United Airlines, Northern Trust, ComEd, and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association.
What they’re saying:
“As a Mexican American founder of an investment firm, it is an honor to be part of Governor Pritzker’s timely trade mission to Mexico,” said Martin Cabrera, CEO of Cabrera Capital. “Trade supports over 800,000 jobs in Illinois, and our firm values businesses that support international cooperation and investments that benefit working families at home.”
The delegation’s visit will include meetings with key stakeholders in Mexico’s government and business sectors to explore opportunities for collaboration and investment.
The Source: The information in this report came from the Governor’s Office.
CENTRALIA, Ill. – An investigation is underway after multiple people were shot Sunday in Centralia, Illinois, according to a report from WFCN News in southern Illinois.
FOX 2 has confirmed the Illinois State Police is investigating a shooting and taking over the investigation, but ISP could not confirm many further details as of 9 p.m. Sunday.
“The investigation is in its infancy and to protect the integrity of the investigation, no additional details will be released at this time,” ISP said in a statement to FOX 2.
According to WFCN News, the shooting happened around 5 p.m. near the 900 block of East Kell Street in Centralia. Multiple law enforcement agencies have since responded to scene and multiple victims are hospitalized, according to the report.
It’s unclear how many people may have been injured and what led up to the shooting.
Centralia, Illinois is about 70 miles, or just over an hour, east of St. Louis.
This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.
The National Weather Service has teams of storm surveryors in the field April 18 investigating several reports of severe storms and tornado touch downs across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri.
According to the weather service’s website, windgusts of up to 60 to 70 mph along with teacup-sized hail and several tornadoes were reported April 17.
Many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees were uprooted and power lines were downed in Lena, Illinois, where the most significant damage occurred, the site pointed out.
Very strong winds also were reported near Washington, Iowa, and Colmar, Illinois, where several outbuildings and grain bins were destroyed.
The weather service received reports of confirmed and possible tornadoes in the areas of Lena, Pecatonica, Shirland, Rockton, Roscoe and Capron.
The teams will be assessing damage this weekend into next week along with county emergency management teams to determine what types of storms occurred and their paths.
Dozens of power outages were reported, as well.
As of the afternoon of April 18, ComEd was reporting 85 active power outages across northern Illinois, down from 241 on April 17, and 6,751 customers affected, down from more than 18,000.
The bulk of those outages and the most customers impacted are concentrated in Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties.
Freeze Watch
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