Your next package might be delivered in an electric vehicle made right here in Illinois. Rivian, an automotive company based in Normal, has partnered with Amazon to bring green transportation to your front door.

One of three prototype vehicles Rivian has been working on was showcased this past week—the high-tech delivery van includes exterior cameras with a 360-degree view, hands-free navigation guidance, smart shelving units for easy package retrieval and clearly indicated break lights to warn other drivers of frequent stops.

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Google recently announced plans to hire 10,000 workers in Chicago and other cities over the next five years, with a focus on recruiting Black talent as part of the company’s racial equity commitment announced in June.

Currently, Google has more than 1,300 employees in its Chicago office, which is located in the city’s Fulton Market district. The Chicago office has been ramping up its technology team in search, hardware and cloud computing.

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Do you crave apple fritters all year round? Buritt Bulloch, the owner and doughnut maker at Old Fashioned Donuts in Roseland on the South Side of Chicago, claims it’s always apple fritter season there!

Bulloch opened the shop in 1972 with his wife, and today his daughters and granddaughter work there.

The apple fritters are beloved by the neighborhood, but he didn’t start making them until about 10 or 12 years ago in an attempt to use up leftover dough.

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Illinois ranks No. 13 on the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation’s 2020 State New Economy Index, jumping three spots from the last Index in 2017 and achieving its highest ranking yet.

ITIF has released state rankings about every three years since 1999. The rankings are based on 25 indicators that are divided into five categories: knowledge jobs, globalization, economic dynamism, the digital economy and innovation capacity. The survey ranks states on multiple factors—from “knowledge” jobs and exports to venture capital and broadband access—with an eye toward the structure of the economy related to innovation and technology.

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Kanata Blanket, one of America’s leading manufacturer of premium blankets and promotional products, has announced they will move their North American and U.S. operations to Vandalia, Ill.

The new facility is planned to create 40-50 new jobs in the area in the coming year.

Vandalia and Central Illinois are hubs of automotive, agricultural and industrial manufacturing. Over 70,000 Central Illinois residents work in the industry, and thousands of others rely on the products local manufacturers make and the economic development they generate.

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