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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a court blocked the Trump administration’s illegal decision to freeze critical federal funding to states. It is the second of two preliminary injunctions courts granted this week in two separate lawsuits challenging unlawful funding policies put in place by the Trump administration. The first came yesterday, when a separate court blocked the administration from cutting billions of dollars to universities and research institutions for medical and public health research. Raoul led multistate coalitions in filing both lawsuits. “States and research institutions rely on federal funding to provide services our residents rely on. These two preliminary injunctions will prevent the Trump administration’s ludicrous and unlawful policies from being enacted,” Raoul said. “My office relies on federal funds to protect children from online predators through our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, an

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus, and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met with Lithuanian Minister of Defense, Dovile Šakaliene, to discuss an increase in Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and the need to maintain allied support for Ukraine and NATO. The meeting comes after President Trump’s shameful outburst toward Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last Friday. “My mother’s family originally came from Lithuania—a country that knows Russian tyranny too well,” said Durbin. “As I said to Minister Šakaliene, I was saddened, shocked, and stunned at what happened in the Oval Office last week with President Zelenskyy. During today’s meeting, we agreed that now, more than ever, the U.S. must reaffirm our support for our NATO partners in upholding democratic

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today shared the story of an Illinoisan, Jeannie Klein-Gordon, who was fired from her position as a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of President Trump and Elon Musk’s mission to gut the federal workforce. In his speech, Durbin emphasized that laying off researchers and agricultural experts will have long-term consequences for Illinois’ economy and agricultural sector. Durbin began his remarks by reading excerpts from an NPR Illinois article that detailed Ms. Klein-Gordon’s story in which she worked and studied for more than 11 years to earn a position at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois. At the research lab, she focused on treatments for Red Crown Rot, a disease that poses a serious threat to Illinois’ multibillion-dollar soybean industry. “I want to tell a story about a young

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ST. LOUIS - Officers report that they have found a vehicle belonging to missing 28-year-old Jason McKay. They say the vehicle was found on the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge without him. Officers say McKay was last seen on February 24th at his apartment on Olive Street. They say they don’t know when he left, [...]

WENTZVILLE, Mo. – Wentzville Police have issued an Endangered Person Advisory. Police are asking for the public’s help to locate 38-year-old Chikondi Hickman. Hickman is 5’6” tall, 130 pounds, has black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a bright green T-shirt, purple leather jacket, and bright green yoga pants. Hickman is believed [...]

ST. LOUIS -- An early morning police chase in North St. Louis ended in gunfire, leaving one man in stable but critical condition. The incident occurred after police pursued a vehicle linked to a felony stealing case.The chase began shortly after 1 a.m. when St. Louis police received an alert from a license plate reader [...]

JERSEYVILLE — The Medford family is returning to the Amoco brand at their three gas station locations in Jerseyville and Grafton, Illinois. The family, which has a long-standing association with the Amoco brand dating back to 1949, will transition from BP branding, which they adopted following BP's merger with Amoco in 1998. Jake Medford, a representative of the Medford family, announced the branding change, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a local ownership presence. "We want customers to know we are still owned by a local family," he said. The three locations include the Medford Food Mart and Medford Oil Company in Jerseyville, as well as the Grafton Amoco. Medford noted that the Amoco gasoline, now featuring the Invigorate formula, exceeds the “Top Tier” detergent requirements, ensuring quality for customers. Additionally, BP credit cards will continue to offer the same rewards and price discounts under the Amoco branding. The rebranding effort will also

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ST. LOUIS - March is National Nutrition Month, prompting me to wonder how often this column focuses on the links between what we eat and our health and well-being. The short answer is: a lot. Over the years, it’s been fairly rare that we don’t address eating in one way or another. What we eat may play a small role in one condition or a bigger role in another, but the overall message has been that choosing healthier foods and drinks is one of the best things we can do for our health. This not only can help us live longer, it also can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, dementia and cancer — among other serious conditions. Healthy eating can also help us keep weight gain in control, which brings many additional benefits. Admittedly, though, in a time of nonstop news and social media influencers, it can be hard to know what “healthy eating” exactly means. The good news is, when we take a step back, the basics of a healthy

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EAST ST. LOUIS - In recognition of National School Social Workers Appreciation Week, the Gordon Bush Alternative Center in East St. Louis celebrated the contributions of its School Social Worker, Catrice Johnson. The event featured cake and ice cream, bringing together students and staff to honor Johnson's vital role within the school community. Mrs. Johnson has been acknowledged for her significant impact on the lives of students and staff. "Mrs. Johnson is vital to the Bush Alternative Center School family and greatly appreciated for all that she does for the students and staff!" East St. Louis District 189 said in a statement about her efforts. The celebration highlighted the importance of social work in schools, particularly in fostering a supportive environment for students facing various challenges. The event serves as a reminder of the essential services provided by school social workers, who play a crucial role in addressing the social and emotional needs of students.

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Metro-East Lutheran High School scholar bowl team continues to dominate EDWARDSVILLE – Metro-East Lutheran High School’s scholar bowl team made school history last year by winning the IHSA Class 1A state championship, but after three of the championship team’s five starters graduated, Coach Shanna Covarrubias wasn’t sure what to expect for the 2024-2025 season. Turns out, the MELHS team has picked back up right where they left off. Led by outstanding performances from sophomore Dean Hemmer and junior Peter Curtis, the Knights Scholar Bowl team is heading into regional play with a record of 71 wins and two losses. “That number feels unreal,” Covarrubias said. “I really did not know what to expect coming into this year, but clearly the team has been pushing themselves hard to prepare during the off-season and continues to push themselves.” The Knights already have accumulated a list of tournament titles this season. They recently wo

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SPRINGFIELD - The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) reminds Illinoisans to test, inspect, and replace broken or expired smoke/CO alarms in their homes with new 10-year sealed battery alarms while they change the clocks this weekend as Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 AM Sunday, March 9. "Early warnings from smoke alarms are crucial, as on average, a person has less than three minutes to escape a home fire today,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. “Taking just a few minutes each month to test, inspect, and replace broken or expired alarms is simple, but working smoke alarms save lives. It’s also important to review and practice your fire escape plan, identify two ways out of every room, and designate a meeting place outside the home.” The time change serves as a bi-annual reminder to test all smoke and CO alarms in your home. If you find an alarm that is not working or is expired, replace the alarm immediately with a new 10-year

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ALTON - Dr. Tayna Patton works hard from the heart. Patton, one of the YWCA’s ten 2025 Women of Distinction, will be honored at the Y’s annual gala for her commitment to the community. As the superintendent of a St. Louis school district and a volunteer with her church and other community organizations, she believes in creating a better future for youth by building them up in the present. “I always tell my parents that we will love and nurture our students first and then we will educate them,” she said. “I don’t believe that children learn in environments where they are not valued, and so my focus has consistently been to build those environments where children feel welcomed, they feel nurtured and loved, and then I go about educating them.” At age 25, Patton went to school to obtain a degree in education. She started as a teacher’s assistant, then eventually became a teacher while getting her master’s degree. She soon took

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The hospital has failed to submit information to meet licensing requirements by the March 17 reopening deadline, state officials say.

The man faces numerous rape charges, according to court records.

With egg prices at a record high, the price of a chicken is about the same as the price of dozen eggs, but how long would it take the savings from not buying eggs to offset the cost of keeping chickens?

A medical examiner confirmed Friday that Betsy Arakawa, a concert pianist and wife of Gene Hackman, died of illness caused by hantavirus.

The new paths are the latest extensions of the Centennial Greenway, a path planned from Forest Park to Creve Coeur Lake Park and the Katy Trail in St. Charles County.

“My mom wanted us out of that school,” says a young woman named Kayla from the St. Louis area. “But the Normandy district was fighting to keep us there.” Kayla and her mom were bumping up against a hard reality that many Missouri families have faced: The state has one of the strictest systems of […]