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Ctrl-Alt-Speech: Look What The Chat Dragged In

1 year 1 month ago
Ctrl-Alt-Speech is a weekly podcast about the latest news in online speech, from Mike Masnick and Everything in Moderation‘s Ben Whitelaw. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Pocket Casts, YouTube, or your podcast app of choice — or go straight to the RSS feed. In this week’s round-up of the latest news in online […]
Mike Masnick

Relay For Life of Riverbend Unveils New Format in 2025  

1 year 1 month ago
ROXANA - The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Riverbend, presented by OSF HealthCare, is proud to announce an exciting new format for its 2025 signature event. Taking place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at the RoxArena in Roxana Community Park, this year’s event will be a Relay For Life Survivor and Team Dinner with the theme —“Re-Lei for a Cure!”. In a shift from the traditional Relay format featuring fundraising tents and continuous walking, this year’s Relay For Life of Riverbend will focus on a special Survivor & Team Dinner Event, followed by a Luminaria Remembrance Ceremony. The new event format invites the community to come together in a refreshed and inspiring way to honor cancer Survivors, support Caregivers, and celebrate the commitment of Relay teams and participants. “We’re excited to launch a new format that keeps the heart of Relay alive while offering a more connected and meaningful experience,”

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Durbin Shares The Story Of The Dream Act At Hispanic Association Of Colleges And Universities Forum

1 year 1 month ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and author of the Dream Act , today delivered remarks at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) forum. In his remarks, Durbin spoke about meeting Tereza Lee, the daughter of South Korean parents who fled to Brazil following the Korean War. Born in Brazil, Ms. Lee and her family moved to the United States when she was just two years old in 1985. While applying to colleges, Ms. Lee’s status as an undocumented immigrant created complications. She contacted Durbin’s office in hopes of remaining in the United States and attending college in the country. Her story inspired Durbin to immediately begin drafting the Dream Act . “Twenty-four years ago, Senator Hatch and I first introduced the Dream Act after I met Tereza Lee, a musical prodigy who immigrated to the United States at just two years old. She, like so many other Dreamers,

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When Teddy Couldn’t Play: The Special Playgrounds Changing Lives

1 year 1 month ago
From KSDK:  When Teddy Gooch and his mother, Erin, would visit traditional playgrounds, what should have been joyful afternoons often ended in frustration and tears. “We would both leave the playground in tears and sweat,” Erin Gooch said. “It was a lot of work. I wasn’t able to talk to any other moms during it […]
Rachel Finan

Durbin Statement On Senate Republican Support Of Social Security Administration Nominee Who Will Gut Agency, Prevent Americans From Accessing Benefits

1 year 1 month ago
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after he voted against moving forward with the nomination of Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA): “As if it wasn’t enough to tank the economy and decimate Americans’ retirement accounts, President Trump has put forth a nominee to lead the Social Security Administration that would be complicit in closing SSA offices, limiting SSA phone services, and perpetuating delays in Americans receiving their hard-earned retirement benefits. “In casting their vote to move forward with Frank Bisignano’s nomination, Senate Republicans greenlit President Trump and unelected billionaire Elon Musk’s grand plan to destroy Social Security.”

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May Is National Foster Care Month

1 year 1 month ago
CHICAGO – May is National Foster Care Month, a time to recognize the important role child welfare professionals, community social service agencies, caregivers and the public play in supporting children and families. This year’s theme, “Engaging Youth. Building Supports. Strengthening Opportunities,” aims to raise awareness about the importance of involving youth in the decisions being made about their welfare, the significance of maintaining connections to important people in their lives and how to best support youth as they transition out of foster care. “Every child and youth in our care deserves to feel safe and loved” said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. “It is because of our incredible foster parents across the state that children, youth and siblings can have a home and foster parent who has opened their heart, home and even their family so that a child can have the love and stability they need during a very difficult time.”

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Adventure Awaits At IDNR's New Off-highway Vehicle Park In Saline County

1 year 1 month ago
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ long-awaited off-highway vehicle park in southern Illinois will officially open to riders on Friday, May 2, 2025. Sahara Woods State Recreation Area near Carrier Mills in Saline County features Illinois’ first state-managed off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail system in Illinois. The nearly 30 miles of two-way trails are designed to meet a growing demand for motorized recreation. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday. Vehicle permits are $20 per day or $65 for a four-day pass. Riders can go online to purchase permits and complete the registration form and liability waiver. OHVs cannot be wider than 64 inches, consistent with the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code. Riders also must abide by safety rules. Visit Sahara Woods online for details. The Sahara Woods trails were funded in part by federal grants and IDNR capital funds. The land at Sahara Woods was the site of an active coal mine

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St. Louis Halts Building Rehab Program Amid Alleged Fraud Complaints

1 year 1 month ago
From ENR Midwest:  A day after St. Louis shut down a program to repair dilapidated and vacant buildings, a lawsuit was filed seeking to learn how the program operated, selected contractors and managed recordkeeping and quality controls—as well as to uncover any alleged money trail that plaintiffs believe will show kickbacks paid for approval of […]
Rachel Finan

Kinetic Park Is Now Open

1 year 1 month ago
From Spectrum Local News:  Longly anticipated upgrades to Kinetic Park in Saint Charles opened up on Monday, April 14, 2025, after over a year of renovations and construction. Builders put the finishing touches on the new 40,000 square-foot, “universally designed,” adventure playground when Spectrum News visited the park on April 9, 2025. Onsite St. Charles County […]
Rachel Finan