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July 26 and 27 have long been dates marked by transformative events across the globe, spanning politics, science, culture, and social change. In the realm of civil rights, July 26, 1948, marked a turning point when President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which declared equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services, without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin. This order initiated the process of desegregating the U.S. military, a critical step toward broader civil rights reforms. Truman’s executive order was a bold move at the time and set the stage for future legislation aimed at combating racial discrimination in America. July 26 also holds cultural significance. In 1956, Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries landed in Cuba, marking the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. This event would dramatically alter the political landscape of the Western Hemisphere and influence Cold War dynamics for decades. The revolution’s repercussions

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SPRINGFIELD - Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration: Illinois Finance Authority Timothy Ryan will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Finance Authority.* Ryan has dedicated his career to supporting working families across the Midwest. He currently serves as Midwest Region Tri-Fund Coordinator for the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America. There, Ryan assists with finding sites that are appropriate for new affordable housing projects, and he coordinates safety, training, and labor management funds across 10 states. Ryan received a Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Juris Doctorate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Illinois Workforce Innovation Board William Lo will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board.* Lo is a dedicated and goal-driven business leader with over 20 year

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SPRINGFIELD - On Monday, July 28, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) will convene a roundtable discussion in Springfield focused on improving mail delivery and protecting postal services across Central and Southern Illinois. Local leaders, postal workers, and community stakeholders from across downstate Illinois will join the conversation. The discussion will cover key issues impacting mail service in the region including efforts to improve on-time delivery, protect local postal jobs, oppose privatization, and stop harmful facility consolidations that reduce access in rural and underserved areas. WHAT: Congresswoman Budzinski to Host Roundtable on Strengthening Postal Service in Central and Southern Illinois WHO: U.S. Congresswoman Budzinski, Illinois’ 13th District State Senator Doris Turner State Representative Mike Coffey Springfield Chamber President Mike Murphy Barbara Bridges, Champaign Postal Worker and Activist President Pam Shumard, Illinois

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania, filed an amended lawsuit challenging the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) attempt to gut AmeriCorps by withholding tens of millions of dollars in funding for critical service programs. In June, Raoul and the coalition won a court order that reinstated hundreds of AmeriCorps programs that were unlawfully canceled, and barred AmeriCorps from making similar cuts without formal rulemaking. Despite this order, OMB is withholding funding intended for outstanding service programs, threatening their survival and the well-being of those who depend on their services. Raoul and the coalition filed an amended lawsuit that adds OMB and its director as defendants and brings new legal claims against them. “More than 1 million Americans have participated in AmeriCorps because they wanted to serve veterans and children, protec

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) today led a bipartisan call for maintaining U.S. leadership in aviation safety. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, the Senators led 43 of their Senate colleagues in urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to oppose single-pilot operations at the International Civil Aviation Organization. “Despite ongoing challenges, the U.S. has long represented the gold standard in aviation safety,” wrote the Senators. “The FAA should continue to promote sound safety standards as new technology develops and presents challenges to existing procedures. While technology will play a critical role in shaping the future of aviation innovation, including improved safety measures, policymakers have a duty to ensure that any changes are rigorously evaluated and incorporated into evidence-backed safety frameworks. The presence of two rested, well-trained, and qualified pilots

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CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker, state leaders, and community members from across Chicagoland gathered to officially rename 115 S. La Salle St. the Jesse White State of Illinois Building, honoring Illinois’ longest-serving Secretary of State and a legendary public servant. The event follows unanimous votes in both the Illinois House and Senate last year to rename the building after White, who turned 91 last month. “As the longest serving Secretary of State in our history, Secretary White spent his career doing something good for the people of Illinois every single day,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “He championed good and honest government at a time when our state needed it the most – putting us on a path to progress by rooting out the corruption and insider dealing that had defined our institutions. I cannot think of a more appropriate name than the Jesse White State of Illinois Building, which will serve generations of Illinoisans and stand as a symbol

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced that three of her bills, the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act , the VA Mental Health Outreach and Engagement Act , and the Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act , advanced out of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC). “I’m excited to announce that three of my bipartisan bills to support veterans have passed out of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “Our veterans should be given every tool they need to succeed in civilian life – and these pieces of legislation are designed to do just that by helping veterans advance their skills, get connected with good-paying jobs, access the best quality health care, and navigate mental health resources at the VA. I look forward to continuing to work across the aisle to get these bills signed into law.” The bills now move to the full House

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) led their fellow Senate and House Democratic colleagues in reintroducing legislation to protect Americans’ right to access reproductive health care, regardless of income, insurance or zip code. The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act would end the discriminatory Hyde Amendment and help lift unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans—reaffirming the right to access reproductive health care after Donald Trump signed his Big, Beautiful Betrayal into law that will rip health care away from over 15 million Americans. “Ever since Trump’s far-right Supreme Court majority struck down Roe, Republicans have made it their mission to strip away a woman’s right to reproductive health care—a right they have no place to stand in the way of,” said Senator Duckworth.

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ALTON - The YWCA offers many programs for community members, but their summer camp and before- and after-school programs stand out. In an interview on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello at Centerstone’s recent resource fair , Maddie explained the YWCA’s Child Enrichment Program and how it benefits local kids. She said that the Y is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. to provide childcare, which includes games and lessons on topics like astronomy, STEM and dinosaurs. “It’s great,” Maddie said. “I never imagined working with kids, but once I started working here, being exposed to the kids, I not only got to teach the younger generation, but they were teaching me, too.” Locally, the YWCA of Southwestern Illinois has several locations, most notably their building at 304 E. 3rd Street in Alton. They also have spots in Wood River, Roxana and Godfrey. The childcare and summer camp programs work with kids in kindergarten throug

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Makayla “Mak” Mallon, currently pursuing her graduate degree in African American Literature, has spent this summer as a Servant Leader Intern for the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® hosted on SIUE’s campus . Mallon graduated SIUE with a bachelor’s in history (’24) and also co-founded the student organization Black Literary Analysis Club (BLAC). “I was also privileged enough to work as a graduate assistant in the Redmond Center,” said Mallon. Here she shares her summer 2025 experience working with Freedom School scholars her own words. I am a Servant Leader Intern (SLI). As an SLI, I facilitate Integrated Reading Curriculum, which is rooted in activism and literature. So, we read selected books that follow along with Freedom School’s “I can make a difference” weekly themes. Once we have read with our scholars, we facilitate fun

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ALTON - Senior Services Plus, Inc. (SSP), located at 2603 N. Rodgers Avenue in Alton, IL, will be hosting an I-Cash Event on Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 from 10am-1pm in SSP’s Meeting Room. During this walk-in style clinic, participants can speak with a representative from the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office and receive assistance with unclaimed property searches. What is Unclaimed Property? According to https://icash.illinoistreasurer.gov , “unclaimed property consists of accounts and other financial instruments, usually intangible, being held at corporations, financial institutions, financial intermediaries, courts, and life insurance companies, that have gone dormant for a specified period of time based on property type.” “Common types of unclaimed property include checking and savings accounts, uncashed wage and payroll checks, uncashed stock dividends and stock certificates, insurance payments, utility deposits, customer deposits, accounts

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ALTON – Simmons Hanly Conroy , a national leader in the legal representation of mesothelioma patients and their families, is pleased to announce that firm partner Jo Anna Pollock has played a leading role in the founding and national expansion of education nonprofit Lindenwood Education System (LES), including its recent acquisition of Ancora Education. LES, headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, is the private nonprofit parent entity of a system of independent higher education institutions that offer a variety of certificate, diploma, associate, bachelor and professional-level programs. Each of the institutions under LES operates as a separate corporate entity and maintains its respective name, brand and distinct accreditations. The goal of LES, which now operates in nine states, is to expand access to education, diversify program offerings, and foster innovation that addresses today’s skill gaps and tomorrow’s workforce needs. Pollock, a Lindenwood

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MADISON — The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated Saturday afternoon, July 26, 2025, following the discovery of a deceased male at an intersection in Madison, Illinois. At approximately 1:15 p.m., July 26, 2025, officers from the Madison Police Department responded to reports of shots fired near Washington Avenue and Wayne Lanter Avenue. Upon arrival, they found a male victim lying in the intersection who was pronounced dead at the scene. Chief Jeffrey Bridick of the Madison Police Department requested the involvement of the Major Case Squad, which was activated around 2 p.m. Twelve members of the squad are currently investigating the incident under the direction of Deputy Commander Sergeant Brent Rombach of the Wood River Police Department. Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the shooting to come forward. Tips can be submitted by contacting the Major Case Squad Command Post at 618-876-7182 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS (8477).

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COLLINSVILLE – Recent Madison County court filings shed new light on an attempted murder case involving a Collinsville Walmart employee accused of stabbing his co-worker multiple times in the neck, back, and body. Kelvin F. Fuller, 19, of Collinsville, was charged on July 24, 2025 with one count of attempted first degree murder, a Class X felony, and two counts of aggravated battery, both Class 3 felonies. Fuller allegedly cut the victim’s neck with a knife, causing a severe laceration, and stabbed them multiple times in the back and body. The victim sustained several stab wounds and “internal injuries” which required multiple surgeries and sutures to repair, according to charging documents. The state’s petition to deny Fuller’s pretrial release from custody states the victim was one of his co-workers at the Collinsville Walmart, where customers witnessed the attack and attempted to intervene. “Victim reported that she was working at

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) tomorrow, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led a group of 24 fellow Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution that commemorates the signing of this historic, landmark law and condemns any efforts to cut Medicaid or implement work-reporting requirements that endanger the health of Medicaid recipients. The resolution comes after President Donald Trump signed his Big, Beautiful Bill into law, which makes the biggest cuts to Medicaid in American history and rips health care coverage away from over 15 million Americans. “35 years after the historic ADA was signed into law, it’s unacceptable that Americans with disabilities are still fighting for the same rights and opportunities this landmark bipartisan law promised,” said Duckworth. “By enacting the largest cuts to Medicaid in our nation’s history, Trump’s Big, Beautiful Betrayal is eroding hard-won

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined local leaders in honoring Emmett Till, on what would’ve been his 84th birthday, and celebrating the completion of Phase One restorations at Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. The historic Bronzeville church—the site of Till’s open-casket funeral 70 years ago this summer—was designated as a national monument by President Biden in 2023 after continued efforts and leadership by Duckworth in Congress. Photos from today’s event are available on Senator Duckworth’s website. “In a time when the stories of Black Americans are being erased from history books and government websites—and when the term equity is treated like a slur—Mamie and Emmett’s stories don’t just need to be preserved, they need to be shouted from the rooftops,” Duckworth said. “I was proud to lead the charge in Congress for this national designation and to visit Roberts

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ST. LOUIS – U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs will fund an additional $800 million in infrastructure upgrades this year, including improvements to the Marion VA Medical Center and the John Cochran and Jefferson Barracks facilities in St. Louis. The investments will support renovations and new medical equipment for treating local veterans. “Southern Illinois veterans deserve the highest standard of support,” said Bost. “These upgrades can make a life-changing difference for veterans in need of cutting-edge care. As Chairman of the House Veteran Affairs’ Committee, I’ll continue working closely with the Trump administration to get our local VA facilities the resources they need to serve those who served our country.” “This is another step forward in our efforts to make VA work better for the veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors we are charged with serving,” said V

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CHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Intersect Illinois today announced that quantum company Infleqtion will headquarter its global quantum computing operations in Illinois as a future tenant of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park ( IQMP ). As part of the expected $50 million investment, the company will create dozens of new jobs, accelerating the growth of its hardware and software workforce and cementing a major expansion of its presence in the state’s innovation ecosystem. This announcement comes as hundreds of quantum leaders from business, government, and academia across the globe gather for the inaugural Global Quantum Forum hosted in Chicago. “Just a few short years ago, we laid out a vision for making Illinois a global capital for quantum computing. We have worked with partners from across government, business, research institutions, National Laboratories, and academia to build an ecosyste

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WOOD RIVER - The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southwestern Illinois chapter helps community members take care of their mental health. In an interview on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello at Centerstone’s recent resource fair , Heather shared her lived experience and the resources available through NAMI. An outreach specialist for NAMI, Heather’s entire career path was changed because of her lived experience, and she is proud that she can now help others who need help. “I lived a year of my life recently, within the last five years, completely agoraphobic. I had so many panic attacks that I wouldn’t leave my house,” Heather shared. “Sometimes when I’m talking to people, they’re like, ‘Ooh, that’s uncomfortable. Like, you’re telling your story?’ Yeah, I am, and it is a little uncomfortable, but I’m doing it with a purpose so that other people are like, ‘Hey,

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ALTON - The community is invited to the eighth annual Trinity Festival to enjoy 16 bands in 12 hours and raise money for Trinity’s Way. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in the warehouse at Milton Schoolhouse in Alton, and the event concludes at midnight. With two stages, over ten vendors, and 16 bands on the lineup, members of Trinity’s Way promise a fun day for everyone who comes out. “I think we’re on track to really have a great festival this year,” said April Gray. “Just to have that community support and that sense of love and the good vibes that day, it’s honestly enough to keep us going all year long and all of the other events that we do.” This year’s lineup includes Datura, Modern Pasta, Sometimes It’s Foggy and Sometimes It’s Clear, Hideous Gentlemen, Accidentally on Purpose, The Trophy Mules, Krickett & the Grilled Avocados, The Peacelords, Piasa Canyon, Mellow Trauma, Psychedelic

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