Criminal convictions of actor Jussie Smollett will be dismissed, and a defamation lawsuit against the Chicago Sun-Times will be allowed to continue, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in a slate of opinions Thursday.… MORE
Category Archives: Top Stories
New federal lawsuit from conservative legal group challenges Illinois abortion protections
A conservative Catholic legal group is suing Illinois over a landmark state law enshrining a “fundamental right” to abortion care and requiring insurance companies to cover abortion and other reproductive health care.… MORE
Madigan ally testifies he was rewarded with no-work contracts as ‘good soldier’ for speaker
The first time Ed Moody ever took a vacation with his wife was a decade ago, marking their 25th wedding anniversary.
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Tazewell County Board candidates plead guilty to election fraud charges
By WMBD-TV PEKIN – “I believe in truth and I believe in facts,” said Roy Paget, the now resigned candidate for Tazewell County Board Chairman, as he stood with his attorney. Paget, along with central Illinois Realtor Vivian Hagaman who was running for the county board, appeared in Tazewell County Circuit Court on the single…… MORE
Wiretap: In pushing for Madigan-backed appointment, ex-ComEd CEO sought to ‘take good care’ of ‘our friend’
Chicago businessman Juan Ochoa had heard little more than crickets in the six months since then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan asked for his resume in November 2017.… MORE
State-funded electric vehicle chargers open in Joliet, thousands more to come
With nearly half a million dollars of state funding, a new electric vehicle charging station opened in Joliet on Monday. It is the first of hundreds of charging stations set to be installed over the next 18 months as part of a state-funded grant program. … MORE
Madigan jury sees ‘Magic Lobbyist List’ seized from co-defendant during FBI search
It was a sunny and mild spring afternoon in May 2019 when roughly 100 FBI agents were dispatched to the homes – and one office – of eight allies to then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.… MORE
How to prevent cooking fires this Thanksgiving
By WMBD-TV PEORIA – The American Red Cross is releasing information on how to avoid cooking fires this Thanksgiving. Jayce Eustice, a Communications Manager for the American Red Cross, said that the day before and the day of Thanksgiving have the highest chance of a cooking fire. Cooking fires happen in 158,000 homes every year,…… MORE
In wake of Massey shooting, Sangamon County target of DOJ Investigation
The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office is under investigation by the U. S. Department of Justice for civil rights violations, but the probe may go beyond the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. … MORE
Former Illinois Gov. takes victory lap after-tax referendum passes
Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is ready to build on an election victory.… 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…