A month ago, I wrote that the Supreme Court’s six conservative Justices have exactly one consistent rule on whose votes count: Black people’s votes shouldn’t count. The pattern was simple. If a ruling would help Black votes count, the Court — led by Justice Samuel Alito — found a reason to block it. If it […]
CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and lieutenant governor candidate Christian Mitchell walked in the Chicago Pride Parade to celebrate Illinois’ LGBTQ+ community. They greeted attendees and joined in the festivities alongside Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community. “As we celebrate Pride Month, I am honored to stand with Illinois’ LGBTQ+ community, as we work together to ensure Illinois remains a state where everyone is welcomed and protected. I’m thrilled to be back at
SPRINGFIELD – With peak roadside mowing season underway, the Illinois Department of Transportation is reminding the public to slow down, proceed with caution and pay extra attention when encountering equipment and personnel. In keeping with the recent practice of timing operations to preserve and promote pollinator habitat, the heaviest mowing period will continue until Aug. 15, 2026. “You’ll see our mowing crews throughout the entire state so please remember to give them roo
ST. LOUIS — A 19-year-old father, Ca’Marion Pawnell, has been charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment after a 7-month-old girl was fatally shot Friday afternoon, June 26, 2026, inside a north St. Louis home, according to St. Louis Metropolitan Police. The infant, identified by St. Louis Police as Kiyomi Parker, was shot around 4 p.m. Friday inside a home in the 8400 block of North Broadway in the city’s Baden neighborhood. Police said Kiyomi later died at
PONTOON BEACH – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent daytime lane closures will take place at the Interstate 270/Illinois 111 interchange in Madison County beginning, weather permitting, at 7 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, 2026, for additional pavement marking installation. The work is expected to be completed by 3 p.m. Thursday, July 2. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce
VIRDEN, Ill. - North Mac High School will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 722 N. Springfield, inside Fellowship Hall. What: North Mac High School Community Blood Drive When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Where: Sacred Heart Catholic Church Fellowship Hall, 722 N. Springfield, Virden, Ill. Appointments:
JERSEYVILLE - Nashville recording artist and Jerseyville native Mattie Schell will bring some fun to her hometown on the Fourth of July. From 6–9 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026, community members can enjoy a “Rock the Block” performance by Schell in downtown Jerseyville under the water tower. The Independence Day fun starts with an ice cream social at 4 p.m. at the Jersey County Courthouse and concludes with fireworks at the Jersey County fairgrounds at 9:30 p.m. Schell i
CHICAGO– Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 23 attorneys general, urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reverse a dangerous new policy ending investigations and public reporting of deaths that occur shortly after people are released from ICE custody. In a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, Attorney General Raoul and the coalition condemn the new policy
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings issued the following statement commending Governor JB Pritzker for signing House Bill 5070 into law: “Longstanding environmental protections have repeatedly come under attack by the Trump administration, necessitating action at the state level to ensure Illinois’ environmental regulations remain intact and Illinois residents are protected. I am especially grateful to Representative
SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed the child care licensing redesign legislation (HB 3595) into law. This bill streamlines the license exemption structure and application requirements to provide consistent licensing decisions and reduce delays. It also helps the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) reach another efficiency milestone by updating outdated industry terms in the Act and allowing IDEC to tie background checks to the individual instead of the provider.
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today recognized Pride Month and highlighted his office’s continued work to defend the rights of all LGBTQ+ Illinoisans against unlawful attacks by the federal government. “As we mark Pride Month, I want to be clear that in Illinois, we protect all individuals’ rights to live as their authentic selves and be free from discrimination each day, no matter who they are or who they love,” Raoul said. “The Trump administration
CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe. “The Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe is disturbing on several levels. As a Haitian-American, for me it is deeply personal and painful. The majority’s opinion concludes that the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is not subject to judicial review,
SPRINGFIELD – Legislation spearheaded by Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza to strengthen regulatory oversight of crematories was signed into law by the Governor today. The measure responds to horrific cases in which crematories mishandled and improperly stored remains, delayed cremations, and failed to maintain accurate records of the deceased—causing unnecessary anguish for families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. HB 4695 , sponsored by Representative
CHICAGO — Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined legislators and community members ahead of the Chicago Pride Parade to sign into law three bills that will empower more Illinoisans to live authentically and freely, without the fear that their private information will be weaponized against them. These measures prevent out-of-state parties from using medical records stored in Illinois’ prescription monitoring database to punish individuals for receiving lawful, gender-affirming care
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