Grab your girls and get ready for the 2nd Annual Ladies Night Out on Friday, June 27th!… MORE
After 150 years, Mary Lincoln’s ‘madness’ still haunts American psyche
On May 19, 1875, a Cook County jury handed down a verdict in a case concerning the health and welfare of Mary Lincoln, widow of the former president who had been assassinated a decade earlier.… MORE
Lawmakers seek to reverse Illinois law penalizing companies that boycott Israel
A growing number of state lawmakers are moving to repeal a 2015 Illinois law penalizing companies that boycott Israel to protest its policies toward Palestinians.… MORE
Plan to limit scope of ‘crime-free housing’ ordinances clears Illinois Senate committee
A Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a measure aiming to limit the circumstances under which tenants can be evicted due to local “crime-free housing” ordinances. … MORE
Safety reforms could be coming for Chicagoland transit, but funding still up in the air
With just over two weeks to go before their spring adjournment, lawmakers in Springfield are facing a tight deadline to pass major reforms to Chicagoland’s transit system — but officials have released few concrete details of the plan they say is taking shape.… MORE
Speaker removes Democratic Rep. Fred Crespo from committee chairmanship for ‘not communicating’
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch made the extraordinary move of removing an appropriations committee chair on Wednesday with two weeks left in the legislative session and a tightening fiscal landscape. … MORE
Explosive materials found in Pekin home; two arrested
Several pounds of a material consistent with being explosive materials along with suspected detonation devices were allegedly found inside of a Pekin home after a brief standoff Wednesday.… MORE
Citizen groups challenge $134M Ameren Illinois rate increase
Citizen advocacy groups, on Wednesday, argued that a proposed $134 million rate hike for natural gas use is beyond what is needed.… MORE
Peoria mother remains in jail for alleged child abuse and murder
Nothing a judge could do would keep a 21-month-old girl safe from her mother, especially after she left the child with a convicted sex offender.… MORE
Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments over Sean Grayson’s pretrial status
The Illinois Supreme Court is now weighing whether or not to let former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson be released with special conditions ahead of his October trial.… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…