CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general today opposing the U.S. Department of Education’s proposal to remove certain reporting requirements related to racial and ethnic disparities in special education, including in disability identification and in suspension and expulsion rates for children with disabilities. In a comment letter , Raoul and the attorneys general urge the department to maintain opportunities for oversight and collaboration,
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded the General Assembly’s passage of his legislation, Protecting Access to Higher Education for Illinois Servicemembers and their Families, which would ensure Illinois servicemembers and their families are not academically penalized when military duty interrupts their higher education. Senate Bill (SB) 3737 unanimously passed the Illinois Senate April 29 and the Illinois House of Representatives today. Illinois Sen. Mike Porfirio and
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 15 attorneys general, urged several large donor-advised charitable fund sponsors to carefully evaluate their decisions to stop payments to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) following the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) highly controversial indictment of the SPLC. In a letter to the donor-advised fund sponsors, the coalition warns of the harm that could result from penalizing nonprofit organizations being targeted
CHICAGO – As warm summer days approach and families gear up for backyard pool parties and trips to the beach, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Safe Kids Illinois and Lurie Children’s Hospital are teaming up to promote a simple life-saving strategy everyone can use to keep children safe when they are in or near water: designate a Water Watcher. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , drowning is the leading cause of death
SPRINGFIELD – Comptroller Susana Mendoza and former Chicago Planning Department official David Doig are championing a bill barring municipal officials from raiding neighborhood development funds to plug budget holes. They offered testimony before the House Revenue and Finance Committee this morning on HB 4712 , sponsored by Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island). Video is available here . Tax Increment Financing or “TIF” funds raise money in neighborhoods that is meant to stay i
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings today announced another round of annual funding to provide grants to units of local government for the collection and proper disposal of household sharps from their residents. Sharps, including needles, syringes, and lancets, collected from private citizens are a household waste. Through the grant program, Illinois EPA reimburses grantees that operate a sharps collection station as defined
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and 13 of her Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration to prioritize American workers during the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) and push back against China. The lawmakers laid out a comprehensive plan and called on the Trump Administration to address the offshoring of American jobs, stop China from undermining U.S. businesses and consumers, hold Mexico
GODFREY – An Illinois man who allegedly hijacked someone’s vehicle while attempting to outrun police after being seen on video stealing from the Godfrey Walmart faces several criminal charges. Troy E. Chappell, 30, of Dorsey, Ill., was charged on May 21, 2026 with one count each of vehicular hijacking (a Class 1 felony), felon in possession of a weapon (a Class 3 felony), possession of a controlled substance, and retail theft under $300 (both Class 4 felonies). He was also charged
SPRINGFIELD, IL. - With demand for physicians rising nationwide, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine added a new cohort of doctors to the health care workforce on Saturday, May 16, as fourth-year medical students received their medical degrees and prepared to begin residency training. The commencement ceremony at the BOS Center in Springfield celebrated the achievements of 72 graduates (70 MDs and 2 PhDs) and featured remarks from faculty members, alumni and honorees. SIU School of
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded the Illinois Senate’s passage of his legislation to support his office’s efforts to combat workplace rights violations. House Bill 4725, sponsored by Sen. Omar Aquino, was approved with bipartisan support and will now go to the governor for approval. “The Workplace Rights Bureau in the Attorney General’s office has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of Illinois workers. This measure will enhance our ability
CHARLESTON - Sophie Shapiro of Edwardsville returned Saturday, May 23, 2026, from the IHSA Class 3A State Girls Track and Field Meet with four medals, including a state title in the 300-meter hurdles. She said sharing the team championship with Homewood-Flossmoor was what made her most proud of the entire weekend. Shapiro finished first in the 300 hurdles in 41.29, took second in the 100 hurdles in 13.79 behind Conant’s Daisha Brunson, who won in 13.67, and ran on Edwardsville’s
By throwing a wrench in the state’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan, advocates say Hawaiian Electric Co. can sidestep rules years in the making.
The High Low Gallery presents a new exhibition, Night Comfort, featuring works by St. Louis artist Jeremy Rabus, opening Friday, March 27 and running through Sunday, June 14. Night Comfort explores nostalgia through […]
ST. LOUIS - We have spotty showers slowly pushing east that will continue through the morning. Some of our eastern communities may deal with showers through about midday. A weak front will slowly move southeast across the region today, ushering in drier air. We could see a spotty shower redevelop later today in southeast Missouri [...]
Begin Again: Wak'a Garden is the second installment in Laumeier’s Begin Again series, honoring the Park’s 50-year history of collaborating with artists and supporting new commissions and exhibitions. The organic, amphitheater-shaped sculpture, built […]
Begin Again: 50 Years and Counting marks Laumeier’s 50th anniversary by celebrating five decades of artist commissions and exhibitions. Featuring hundreds of artists and rarely seen works from Laumeier’s collection, […]
ST. LOUIS - A woman is dead after a stabbing in north St. Louis late Saturday night. Police say officers responded around 11:20 p.m. to a home on Lexington Avenue, between Vandeventer and Warne, in the Greater Ville neighborhood. At this time, police have not released the victim’s identity and have not said whether anyone [...]
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