Parents from Newtown Tragedy Join Calls for Gun Control in Illinois

(CHICAGO) -- Parents whose children were victims in last December's deadly school shooting in Connecticut, have joined forces with Illinois lawmakers in a call for gun control measures to be put in place in Illinois.

On Sunday, the parents from Newtown, Conn. joined Gov. Pat Quinn in Illinois, and urged lawmakers to ban the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines in Illinois.

"No family should go through what the families of Newtown have endured," Gov. Quinn said in a statement. "While there are no words in the English language to comfort their loss, as elected officials, we are in a position to do something about it to help save lives in the future. Banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines is common-sense public safety policy that will have no impact on hunting or sport."

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Illinois' Unemployment Rate Drops

(CHICAGO) -- Illinois saw a decrease in its unemployment rate between March and April, according to a report released by the state's Department of Employment Security on Thursday.

The report stated that Illinois' unemployment rate fell from 9.5 percent in March to 9.3 percent in April.

"April data reflects the unevenness of this recovery," IDES Director Jay Rowell said in a statement. "The up-and-down movement in the monthly figures masks the 216,000 jobs that have been added during this part of the economic cycle. This uneven path forward likely will continue until consumer and business confidence can be sustained at the national level."

The national unemployment rate for April was 7.5 percent, down from 7.6 percent in March.

Economists had expected that figure to remain unchanged.

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Chicago Among Top Cities for Dog Attacks on Mail Carriers

(WASHINGTON) -- Chicago has gone to the dogs, as the U.S. Postal Service has ranked the city among the top places in the country for dog attacks on letter carriers.

On Wednesday, the Postal Service released the list of cities where its employees were most frequently attacked last year.

Chicago was ranked third with 41 reported dog attacks on letter carriers.

Los Angeles recorded the most attacks with 69 last year.

"If our letter carriers deem your loose dog to be a threat, you'll be asked to pick up your mail at the Post Office until it's safe to deliver," Ken Snavely, acting postmaster of Los Angeles, said in a statement.

The Postal Service says 5,879 postal employees were attacked last year.

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Seven Charged in Chicago in Medicare Fraud Crackdown

(WASHINGTON) -- Seven people in Chicago have been charged as part of a nationwide crackdown on Medicare fraud.

The Department of Justice says a total of 89 people in eight cities across of the U.S. have been charged, stemming from their alleged involvement in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $223 million in false billings.

Two Chicago doctors are among those charged with being involved in a variety of health care fraud schemes, according to the Department.

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FBI Seeks Suspect in String of Bank Robberies

(CHICAGO) -- The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in a recent string of bank robberies in the Chicago suburbs.

The FBI's Chicago office says Joseph Anderson, 32, is wanted on a bank robbery charge in connection with a robbery at a Bank of America branch, located on West Lawrence Avenue in Norridge, on April 29.

Investigators also suspect that Anderson was behind two other robberies at other Bank of America branches. One of which occurred on April 19 at a branch on  Roberts Road in Palos Hills, and the latest occurring on Monday at a branch on Kingery Highway in Willowbrook.

Anyone with information on Anderson's whereabouts is asked to contact the Chicago FBI office at (312) 421-6700.

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