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Court Blocks DOGE’s Treasury Access, Adding Credence To CFAA Claims

7 months ago
Early Saturday morning a judge imposed an emergency temporary restraining order in response to the State of New York v. Trump litigation. This particular lawsuit was brought by several (blue) state attorney generals against Trump, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and the Treasury department itself. The order, in short, tells DOGE to get out […]
Cathy Gellis

Architecture Critic Robert Duffy Dies

7 months ago
From Gateway Journalism Review:  Robert “Bob” Duffy, one of St. Louis’s best-known and best-loved journalists for decades, died Friday, Feb. 7, at Barnes Hospital of complications from cancer. He was 79. His husband, Marty Kaplan, and several close friends were at his bedside. Duffy was known for his breadth of learning, whimsical and searing wit, […]
Dede Hance

Attorney General Leads Coalition Defending Funding For Medical and Public Health Research

7 months ago
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a coalition of 22 attorneys general today to stop the Trump administration from unlawfully cutting Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding that supports cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. The coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to unilaterally cut “indirect cost” reimbursements at every research institution throughout the country. These reimbursements cover necessary expenses to facilitate biomedical research, including lab, faculty, safety protocol, data processing and utility costs. “The funds the Trump administration is proposing to cut support lifesaving medical research,” Raoul said. “The impact of these illegal cuts would be enormous in Illinois, harming the ability of our universities and research institutions to achieve breakthrough

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Senator Harriss Offers Free Pass to Illinois Parks and Museums

7 months ago
EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) is inviting residents across the 56th District to register for her Free Constituent Resource Card as a way to explore more than a dozen Illinois Museums and Parks in the greater Chicagoland area. “This is one of the many benefits my office can help provide to the residents we serve,” said Senator Harriss. “While Chicago may seem far away to some, this free museum pass is a great way to explore our state’s parks and museums with complimentary admission.” The Illinois Museums and Parks for 2025 include: Adler Planetarium The Art Institute of Chicago Brookfield Zoo Chicago Chicago Botanic Garden Chicago Children’s Museum Chicago History Museum DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center The Field Museum Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center Lincoln Park Zoo Museum of Contemporary Art National Museum of Mexican Art

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Gov. Pritzker Signs Karina's Law

7 months ago
CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed House Bill 4144, also known as Karina’s Law, a measure to improve protections for victims of domestic violence. The law allows local law enforcement agencies to promptly confiscate firearms from any individual whose Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card has been revoked due to restraining orders (often put in place to protect victims after law enforcement is made aware of abuse). Karina’s Law is named for Karina Gonzalez, a mother who was granted an order of protection against her husband, Jose Alvarez, weeks before he shot both her and their teenage daughter, Daniela, in July 2023. During the incident, Alvarez also shot their son, who survived and lobbied for the General Assembly to pass the law in his mother’s name. “Protecting victims of domestic violence is a cause that’s taking a giant leap forward today,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Karina’s law will protect survivors of domestic

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Duckworth, Pritzker Underscore How Trump Funding Freeze Jeopardizes Head Start Programs and Hurts Illinois Families Who Rely on This Lifeline

7 months ago
ELGIN, IL – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker—alongside parents, teachers and staff at Two Rivers Head Start agency—underscored how President Donald Trump’s illegal funding freeze is continuing to inflict needless chaos, confusion and financial pain on Head Start programs and the middle-class families they serve throughout Illinois. As a result of the financial setbacks triggered by Trump’s funding freeze, many Head Start programs in Illinois are unsure how they’ll be able to provide food and resources to the kids in their care or whether they’ll have to shut down altogether. Photos from today’s press conference are available on the Senator’s website . “Despite running on the promise that he would lower costs for middle-class Americans, Donald Trump’s illegal funding freeze is hurting the same families he swore he’d protect by jeopardizing the Head Start programs so

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Duckworth, Durbin Join Kaine, Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Expand Congressional Oversight of Foreign Assistance

7 months ago
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 16 of their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to expand congressional oversight of foreign assistance decision-making. The Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act would require the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and for all foreign assistance funding provided to the State Department or U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to be used as directed within 90 days of its appropriation by Congress. The Director of Foreign Assistance is currently not confirmed by the Senate, and the Trump Administration has refused to publicly identify the individual currently occupying this powerful position. “Donald Trump and Elon Musk illegally dismantling

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