Aggregator

As of Dec. 15, the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented 32 detainments or charges against journalists in the U.S. — 28 of those at immigration-related protests — according to a new report released by the Freedom of Press Foundation (FPF) project this week.

The report notes how, unlike most years, the majority of journalists were released without charges or had them soon dropped, with law enforcement instead focusing on deterring news gathering rather than pursuing charges.

• Read the Tracker's 2025 arrest report

Tracker Senior Reporter Stephanie Sugars, who authored the report, said it was “shocking” to see the sharp increase in the number of journalists released without being charged.

“While perhaps a sign that officers know the journalists cannot be charged as protesters, each detention pulls eyes and ears from often chaotic protest scenes, and that may well be the point,” Sugars said.

For journalist Dave Decker, being arrested at an anti-deportation demonstration in Miami last month and held in custody for more than 30 hours was a way to “put the brakes on press freedom,” he told the Tracker.

“News is only news for a couple of hours, when it’s breaking like that,” Decker said. “I would say that there were no wires out there, there were no local people, there were no stand-ups, no TV, no helicopter. There was none of that there. So I was literally the only journalist out there. They effectively stopped the news from getting out.”

In 2025, more than 30 journalists were detained or charged for doing their jobs.

The Collinsville Fire Department is in line to get $348,000, and the Wood River Fire Department is set to receive $64,000 from a federal grant program

BETHALTO — Civic Memorial's Glenn Collins is preparing for a standout track and field season in 2026 after a notable cross country campaign in 2025 with the Eagles. Collins has earned recognition as the Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Male Athlete of the Month following his consistent improvement throughout the cross country season. Collins finished 121st at the IHSA Class 2A state meet with a personal record time of 15 minutes, 47.7 seconds for three miles. He posted times of 16:23.4 at th

George Harrison’s classic tune “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” is getting an official video.Harrison's official Instagram page gave fans a preview of the animated clip, which has been directed…

Source

ALTON - Allie Weiner, a senior at Marquette Catholic High School, has been recognized for her achievements in basketball, highlighting a successful high school sports career marked by leadership and dedication. Weiner, who has played basketball since kindergarten, credits her early love for the sport to shooting hoops with her older brother. Over the years, she has developed into a key player for Marquette Catholic, earning several honors, including a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Carrollton

MADISON COUNTY — The Madison County Sheriff’s Office hosted its 2025 "Shop with a Sheriff" event, providing children from the local community with a holiday shopping experience. The event at Target was funded by members of the PBPA Unit 118. Employees of the sheriff’s office accompanied the children on the shopping spree, creating a memorable morning for all involved. The event aimed to support families in the community during the holiday season and foster positive relationships

CARROLLTON – Principal Ronda Smith is pleased to announce that four students from Carrollton High School’s graduating class of 2026 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the state’s college access and financial aid agency, presents this annual recognition of academic achievement to exceptional Illinois high school students who rank in the top ten percent of graduates from Illinois high schools. This year, nearly

The post Amid Trump’s Proposed Pipeline Safety Rollbacks, Senator Questions Regulators’ Industry Ties appeared first on ProPublica.

Frontier Schools Inc. wants to expand its Kansas City network to add an elementary school in Columbia as soon as fall 2026.

The switch-up adds Ladue to a list of nine local school districts that have seen leadership turnovers in the past two years.

Organizations were chosen based on their projects' support of economic and community development projects in St. Louis County, officials said.

SPRINGFIELD — Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, a new law named after Sonya Massey will require law enforcement agencies in Illinois to conduct more comprehensive background checks on prospective officers before hiring, State Senator Doris Turner announced. The legislation, Senate Bill 1953, was introduced in response to the July 2024 fatal shooting of Massey by Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson during a police encounter at Massey’s home on Hoover Avenue. Grayson was

Signs advertising the boutique’s impending launch wrap around a storefront on the first floor of Plaza Frontenac.

EDWARDSVILLE — Officials are touting expanded eligibility for the senior freeze exemption after legislation signed Friday opened the door to property tax relief for thousands of Madison County seniors. The new law, Illinois Senate Bill 64, amends the Illinois Property Tax Code to raise income limits for the exemption commonly known as the “Senior Freeze.” Chief County Assessment Officer Jessica L. Dudley welcomed the change, saying the updated income limits strengthen

SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Office to Prevent and End Homelessness announced $2 million in new investments for several community organizations in Springfield and the surrounding area to support local efforts to address and combat homelessness in Central Illinois. These investments from the Home Illinois grant exemplify the State’s commitment to reaching functional zero homelessness – a goal where the state prevents homelessness whenever possible an

The Trump Administration’s murder-in-international-waters program debuted far ahead of its legal rationale. Many people inside the administration were blindsided by this sudden escalation. Those expected to stay on top of these things — military oversight, congressional committees, etc. — found they were even further behind the curve than the late-arriving “justification” for extrajudicial killings of […]