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WESTMONT, IL – Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued the following statement in response to President Trump's announcement that he is excluding undocumented children from Head Start programs. “Let’s call this what it is: racism directed at children. The Trump administration’s decision to exclude undocumented children from Head Start programs is a cruel and calculated act rooted in xenophobia. This policy targets the most vulnerable kids in our country, who deserve care, stability, and the chance to learn. Instead, the Trump administration is punishing them for their immigration status and using early childhood education as a weapon to advance a racist, anti-immigrant agenda. "Numerous studies have shown that Head Start enhances learning and improves futures for children, particularly those who need it most. Without this program, many more kids are likely to need additional supports and services as they continue through school and ente

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced national settlements worth approximately $720 million with eight pharmaceutical manufacturers whose opioids worsened the nationwide opioid crisis. The companies have agreed to proceed with a sign-on period for local governments. Once the settlements are finalized, Illinois could receive more than $23 million. “As long as Illinois families continue to experience the devastating impacts of opioid addiction, my office will continue to work with other attorneys general to hold companies responsible for fueling the opioid crisis,” Raoul said. “I am proud of the resources we have obtained to help families and communities mitigate the impacts of opioid use disorder, which are not limited to any one state, community or socioeconomic group.” Attorney General Raoul and a coalition of state attorneys general negotiated settlements with the following manufacturers that will pay to address the opioid crisis: My

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of both the U.S. Senate Committees on Armed Services (SASC) and Veterans’ Affairs (SVAC)—along with U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL-07) reintroduced legislation that would improve access to prenatal care for military families. Specifically, the Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act would create a Department of Defense (DoD) pilot program to designate pregnancy as a Qualifying Life Event under the TRICARE program, empowering servicemembers and their spouses to choose a health care plan that meets their needs during pregnancy. “After all the sacrifices they make for our nation each and every day, our military families should never have to face arbitrary, needless barriers to access prenatal care,” said Senator Duckworth. “Our commonsense legislation would help make it easier for our brave servicemembers

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CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker laid out the ongoing impact of Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget bill, which defunds crucial support for working families in favor of tax cuts for Trump’s wealthy friends – including substantial programming cuts that eliminate education opportunities in America. The bill targets program funding, hurts working families with school-age children, and holds back student loan borrowers of all ages. “Since my first day as Governor, I’ve worked to make education across our state more affordable, more accessible, and more equitable—providing Illinois students with the opportunities needed to become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This destructive bill is a major setback for students across the nation and will create further barriers to success for students at all levels—from kindergarten to grad school. Here in Illinois, we’ll do everything in our power to protect

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, Dr. Anjani Sinha, at his confirmation hearing today, exposing how deeply unqualified he is for this critically important role. During the Senator’s line of questioning, Dr. Sinha failed to answer several basic, important questions, proving he doesn’t know the first thing about maintaining not only the U.S.-Singapore partnership, but any of our relationships with ASEAN nations. Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube . “Dr. Sinha is deeply unprepared to effectively lead our nation’s mission in Singapore,” said Duckworth. “This is not a role you can pick up on a whim or because you might think it will be glamorous. Singapore is too important to the United States, ASEAN and the entire Indo-Pacific region for someone as unqualified as Dr. Sinha. His lack of understanding and preparedness

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ROXANA – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent lane closures will take place on Illinois 143 between Illinois 255 and Bender Road in Roxana beginning, weather permitting, Wednesday, July 16, 2025 for resurfacing work. Flaggers will maintain two-way traffic. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The closures are expected to continue through mid-October. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com .

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The shop, at 2027 Edwards Street, was started by Stefano Gambaro, who emigrated from Genoa, Italy, to Missouri in the early 1900s.

WOOD RIVER - The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) will open an office in Wood River at Riverbend Family Ministries. Located at 144 E. Ferguson Avenue in Wood River, Riverbend Family Ministries houses several nonprofits. NAMI SWI will be their newest nonprofit, with plans to move into the building on July 21, 2025. “That connection, that community — this is amplifying that,” said Kaleigh Peery with NAMI SWI. “Actually, it’s a huge deal.” NAMI SWI offers resources and support to community members who are experiencing mental health challenges. They host several support groups, give presentations, and offer peer counseling services out of their current location in Granite City. Peery expressed her excitement to move into Riverbend Family Ministries (RFM) and collaborate with the other organizations within the building. She said RFM has donated the space to NAMI SWI, and she looks forward to working with th

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is taking action to prevent the national spread of measles in Illinois. A total of eight measles cases, all linked to one another, were identified in Southern Illinois in April and May. In addition to the eight Southern Illinois cases, two additional, unrelated cases were identified in Cook County around the same time. Those did not constitute an outbreak, and there was no further indication of any additional spread beyond those two individuals. No new Illinois cases have been diagnosed since May 22nd; two full incubation periods (42 days) have elapsed since the last confirmed case, allowing the Department to declare the outbreak over. The Illinois measles cases came as the nation is facing the largest number of cases nationwide since measles was officially eliminated from the U.S. in 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported the highest number of annual cases across the nation

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COLLINSVILLE - The Collinsville Police Department hosted a Motorcycle Reconstruction course this week, providing advanced training to law enforcement officers and private sector investigators from Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin. The course, offered by the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, focused on enhancing skills for investigating serious and fatal motorcycle crashes. The training took place at Fairmount Park Casino & Racing, whose facility was used for the sessions. Participants learned advanced concepts and materials aimed at improving the effectiveness of crash investigations, which require specialized knowledge and resources. Collinsville Police Department expressed gratitude to the course instructor, Andrew Thomas, as well as to Sgt. Jerrod Leckrone of the Illinois State Police Motorcycle Division for their support. The Collinsville Police also acknowledged the students who attended, emphasizing the value of such training in benefiting

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EDWARDSVILLE – Last weekend marked an exciting milestone for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as some of the newest Cougars move onto campus for the 2025 Summer Success Program (SSP) . “The five-week residential initiative is designed to help incoming first-year students make a smooth transition from high school to college,” said SSP Director Kelly Atkins, EdD. “Through academic enrichment, community building, and intentional mentoring, the program is one of SIUE’s key efforts to promote student success and retention.” The program runs July 5-Aug. 8. “The Summer Success Program not only prepares students for the rigors of college coursework, but it also introduces them to the core values that shape the SIUE experience,” added Atkins. “From hands-on workshops in time management and writing skills to service projects in the Metro East community, participants are immersed in the University’s commitment to Civic

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WICHITA, KAN.- More than 1,950 students completed a total of 2,122 degrees and certificates at Wichita State University in spring 2025. Jerseyville's Jessi L Ruyle received a Bachelor of Science, Dental Hygiene-Completion. The breakdown of degrees and certificates granted includes: Undergraduate: 1,430 degrees and certificates for 1,340 undergraduate students Graduate: 692 degrees and certificates for 611 graduate students About Wichita State University Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

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Under the new plan the board's decision would require a supermajority of six of the board's nine members to ban a book.

On the hottest day this year, behind-the-meter solar panels and a growing network of batteries helped prevent blackouts and saved consumers millions of dollars.

Far beyond building their home into the side of a hill, the residence has a remarkable number of energy-efficient features.

The St. Louis Fire Department is battling a fire in a vacant two-story building near Maffitt and Vandeventer. Fire crews reported that flames were visible shooting from the structure, but the cause of the blaze remains under investigation. As the investigation continues, the extent of the damage and any potential risks to nearby areas remain [...]

More cloud cover Sunday will help to keep temperatures in the mid 80s but humidity remains high. Shower and thunderstorm activity will increase this afternoon and taper off through the evening hours. Storms that develop will be capable of producing locally heavy rain and thus there is an isolated flash flooding threat. Storms will be moving [...]