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Another one of the sand dunes near sunset at the Cadiz Dunes Wilderness in the Mojave Desert.

CHICAGO - Yesterday, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved Commonwealth Edison’s refiled multi-year grid plan (2024-2027) with modifications. The Commission approved $1.5 billion in investments and system improvements needed to strengthen power grid reliability and support the ongoing electrification of the state’s power system. The decision cut the utility’s proposed $2.0 billion in spending by approximately 25 percent. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) required the state’s largest investor-owned electric utilities to file grid plans designed to accelerate progress toward Illinois’ clean energy goals and hold electric companies accountable for their performance. “After extensive review, the Commission is confident that both ComEd and Ameren have the tools necessary to make needed investments to drive the clean energy transition and continue modernizing Illinois’ electric grid. These plans are a key component to meeting

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee—met yesterday with Filipino Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez. In their meeting, the two discussed their shared ongoing priorities as well as some of the ways Senator Duckworth is working to strengthen the alliance between the U.S. and the Philippines while bolstering security in the Indo-Pacific region through the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) , which passed the Senate yesterday and now heads to the President’s desk for his signature. Photos of the meeting can be found on the Senator’s website . “I was glad to meet with Ambassador Romualdez to discuss the different ways we can keep working together to further strengthen the U.S.-Philippine Alliance,” said Senator Duckworth. “During our conversation, I’m glad I had a chance to share

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Interviews with artists including Paul Simon, Mick Jagger and Elvis Costello are featured in an upcoming documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live.The film, titled Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music, will…

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A U.S. District Judge sentenced a man from Jennings to 21 years in prison for robbing three U.S. Postal Service carriers at gunpoint.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after setting fire to a church in 2021. According to a press release from the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), 48-year-old Christopher Scott Pritchard pleaded guilty to two counts of arson for setting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [...]

CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul, in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced a $20 million proposed settlement agreement with Leader Automotive Group (Leader) and its parent company, AutoCanada, to resolve allegations Leader defrauded consumers trying to buy vehicles. In addition to paying $20 million, which will be used to refund harmed consumers, the proposed settlement would require all Leader dealerships in Illinois to make clear disclosures of a car’s offering price, which is the actual price any consumer can pay to buy the car, excluding only required government charges. The settlement also requires the companies to receive consent from buyers for add-on product charges. “This dealership network engaged in bait-and-switch tactics by luring consumers into their dealerships with lower prices only to either require consumers to purchase allegedly pre-installed add-on products or charge consumers for those products without their knowledge

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From TIME Magazine:  This year, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Interior Business Center moved into a new office space in Denver. Building 48 is part of a sprawling complex of government service buildings, the largest concentration of federal agencies outside of Washington D.C. The building has been repurposed several times; it was previously a […]

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that nonfarm payrolls were down -3,400 while the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent in November, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The October monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,400 to +8,400, while the revised unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the preliminary October unemployment rate. The November payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. In November, the industry sectors with the largest over-the-month job losses included: Construction (-2,700), Professional and Business Services (-2,400), Manufacturing (-1,400) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,400). The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll job increases included: Leisure and Hospitality (+2,000), Other Services (+1,100), and Privat

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SPRINGFIELD - An early holiday gift to The Salvation Army will help people in need. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs on Wednesday returned $27,100 in I-CASH missing money to The Salvation Army, the charitable organization widely known for its iconic Red Kettle Christmas fundraising campaign. The Salvation Army is the largest non-governmental provider of social services in the world. “We make an extra effort at this time of year to return money to nonprofits and groups that helps others in need,” said Frerichs, who returned the money at The Salvation Army Central Territory headquarters in Hoffman Estates. “I am grateful we found this money for an organization that provides people life-saving services throughout the year. The Salvation Army makes the holiday season brighter for people who might be going through a challenging time.” According to The Salvation Army Central Territorial Commander, Commissioner Evie Diaz, “We’re very thankful

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TikTok is famous for its short attention span theater aspect of just watching some very short videos, without often having the time to go all that deep. The Supreme Court, however, is more known for being slow and methodical. However, the Supreme Court surprised many people yesterday by embracing its inner vertical screen dance moves, […]

GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College’s Adult Education program presented certificates to 16 students who completed the Solar Workforce Training program, which is among the workforce and economic development programs outlined by the state’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). It is the goal of the CEJA to put Illinois on track to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. According to Solar Photovoltaic Instructor Kyle Barber, the legislation creates an automatic demand for trained workers statewide. “Students will be trained to work in the sale, design and installation of solar energy systems,” he said. “The training will help them find employment anywhere renewable energy is being built.” Both Alton Mayor David Goins and 111th District Representative Amy Elik were on hand to offer their congratulations. Graduate Brooke Bennett of Alton learned about the program through other family members attending class at L&C’s

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Here Nirvana's Nevermind is now, entertaining us on the Billboard 200 for a historic amount of time.The landmark 1991 record has spent its 700th week on the chart, making it only the ninth album…

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Today on TAP: Trump is offering the deal of a lifetime.

ALTON - An 18-year-old female was seriously injured in a single-car accident that occurred on the North Broadway Extension near Alton on Thursday morning, Dec. 19, 2024. The incident occurred when her vehicle missed a guard rail, left the roadway and traveled through weeds before going down a levee, ultimately coming to rest on its wheels, authorities who were at the scene said. Emergency services responded promptly, with Alton Police, Fire Department, and East Alton Police Department and Fire units on the scene. The severity of the female's injuries necessitated the use of an ARCH Helicopter for transport to St. Louis University Hospital. The call to Alton first responders occurred at 10:49 a.m. on Thursday. Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom House reported significant damage to the vehicle, which required extrication efforts to remove the driver. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation, and authorities have not released further details about the crash

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CoreCivic inquired with federal officials in June about turning its shuttered Leavenworth jail into an immigration detention center, according to documents recently obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union. The facility, the ACLU warns, could be used as a hub for mass deportation efforts under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. CoreCivic Inc., the nation’s largest private […]

SPRINGFIELD - As we get ready to say goodbye to 2024, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is looking back at some of the highlights in her office over the past year. “We’ve made such incredible strides in Illinois, and I enjoy reflecting each year on some of our top moments,” says Comptroller Mendoza. “I’m so proud of the work my office does to help the state maintain financial stability and serve the taxpayers.” We’ll be counting down to New Year’s Eve with some of the Illinois Office of Comptroller’s highlights: #10 Giving back: For the 8th straight year, Comptroller Mendoza and staff partnered with local human service agencies and laborers in the deep southern Illinois community of Cairo to give away 150 turkeys and other Thanksgiving fixings. “I always enjoy this event and want the people of Cairo to know we love them and want to help,” said Comptroller Mendoza. “The fight local residents have for their cit

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The Washington Post says people are "scrambling" to buy cars, appliances and other big-ticket imports before Donald Trump takes office and puts tariffs on everything. These kinds of stories are usually based on super thin anecdotal data, but maybe there's something to this one: There's no telling what's really driving this, but auto sales started ...continue reading "Tariff fears are (supposedly) driving car sales"

BELLEVILLE - Next spring, Belleville is saying goodbye to a locally beloved bar as the owners behind Big Daddy’s 618 prepare to retire after 20 years in business. The closure marks a new chapter for the building itself, as the City Council recently approved an agreement to remodel it before a new business moves in. The owners of Big Daddy’s 618 announced last May that after two successful decades, their doors at 313 E. Main St. will officially close on March 31, 2025. “After two decades of business in Downtown Belleville, the owners of Big Daddy’s 618 are announcing retirement plans, with a year-long celebration,” they announced on May 13, 2024. “Big Daddy’s 618 will remain open for one more year, and plan to shut the doors on March 31, 2025.” They noted that the region’s other Big Daddy’s locations, including the original in Soulard and the Edwardsville location - will “continue to crank without interruption.”

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