Category Archives: Homepage
Political will grows for data center regulations as POWER Act remains in committee
By NIKOEL HYTREK CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS nhytrek@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD - Managing data centers has been a growing issue around the U.S. as states balance economic development with communit...
16h ago While the AI race sparked heightened interest in data centers, most of the centers in the state are multi-tenant retail centers — shared by numerous organizations and highly connected with telecommunications, cloud computing and other providers. The Digital Realty center on Chicago’s South loop is an example. (Medill Illinois News Bureau photo by Gabriel Castilho)
Stratton defeats Krishnamoorthi with help from Chicago, downstate voters
By BEN SZALINSKI, BRENDEN MOORE & JENNA SCHWEIKERT Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the hotly contested Democratic primary for U.S. ...
18h ago Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton delivers a victory speech Tuesday night, shortly after 10 p.m., after securing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Maggie Dougherty)
Croke leads Democratic comptroller race as downstate voters dominate GOP primaries
By NIKOEL HYTREK Capitol News Illinois nhytrek@capitolnewsillinois.com This story will be updated as results become final. SPRINGFIELD - As Gov. JB Pritzker's hand-picked candidate cruised to a high-p...
18h ago State Rep. Margaret Croke, pictured on the House floor, held a lead in the race to replace Susana Mendoza as comptroller on Tuesday night. The Associated Press had not called the race as of 10 p.m. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
Madison County judge finds name in Epstein files because of legal representation
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com & JANELLE O'DEA Illinois Answers Project jodea@illinoisanswers.com EDWARDSVILLE - A man wearing a sandwich board prot...
Mar 17, 2026 Madison County Associate Judge Andrew Carruthers found his name in the recently released U.S. Department of Justice files regarding Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender accused of trafficking minors. Carruthers was assigned Epstein’s case in a collection matter in Lake County, Illinois, but said he never met him or communicated with him. Photo: Provided
Pritzker calls for setting new higher education attainment goals
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary In 2025, Illinois fell short of meeting its previous goal of having 60% of its adult population earning either a...
Mar 16, 2026 Gov. JB Pritzker signs legislation at the University of Illinois Springfield in 2021. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
Charges dismissed for 2 of 'Broadview 6' ICE facility protesters
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary A federal judge on Friday granted prosecutors' motion to dismiss charges against two of the "Broadview Six" who w...
Mar 16, 2026 Joselyn Walsh, one of six people charge by federal prosecutors in connection to a September 2025 protest in Broadview, sings outside the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago in November. Conspiracy charges against her and another defendant were officially dropped on Friday, March 13. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Maggie Dougherty)
Sports betting tax becomes battleground between Chicago and state lawmakers
BY ERIKA TULFO Medill Illinois News Bureau news@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary Chicago's new 10.25% tax on sports bets is facing bipartisan pushback in the Illinois General Assembly as lawmak...
Mar 16, 2026 Bettors gather at the DraftKings betting kiosks at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Despite having one of the most aggressive tax structures, Illinois still ranks third in the U.S. in sports betting revenue (Medill Illinois News Bureau photo by Erika Tulfo)
Illinois bill aims to address gender discrepancies in CPR training
By GEORGIA EPIPHANIOU Medill Illinois News Bureau news@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary Women are 27% less likely to receive bystander CPR due to fears of inappropriate touching or sexual assau...
Mar 16, 2026 The Illinois Heart Rescue seasonal training at Cubs CPR Day at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The organization provided female CPR manikins for the program. (Courtesy of Courtney Schwerin O'Reilly / Illinois Heart Rescue)
Illinois regulators say prediction markets are illegal gambling, but bettors - and the Trump family - love them
By Casey Toner, Illinois Answers Project & Hannah Meisel, Capitol News Illinois On a recent Tuesday afternoon, at a small, round table in a spacious apartment in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, ...
Mar 13, 2026 University of Chicago freshman Oliver Wilson analyzes interest rates bets on the Polymarket prediction market platform in his Hyde Park apartment late last year. Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan has pledged $20,000 to kickstart Wilson’s prediction market club at his university. (Credit: Victor Hilitski/For Illinois Answers Project)
'Do what we can': Senate committee passes bill regulating loud commercials on streaming
By NIKOEL HYTREK Capitol News Illinois nhytrek@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary A Senate bill regulating the volume of commercials on streaming services so they can't be noticeably louder than ...
Mar 13, 2026 Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, right, speaks at a news conference Thursday. Turner is working with Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, on a bill that would regulate commercial volume on streaming services. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jenna Schweikert.)
