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Can you imagine Halloween without candy corn, Snickers bars, or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? To put it mildly, our modern American All-Hallows’ Eve celebrations have a sugary, candied core. But what would the holiday be like if there were no sugar? We can look back to World War II for an answer. During wartime, natural …

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Amanda loves the music songs KSHE plays and the DJs. She things she should be in RRA because “I grew up listening with my parents.” Amanda’s a full-time mom, that...

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City leaders are under increasing pressure to provide housing for thousands of tornado victims as winter approaches.

It’s sort of funny in a way to see how ownership culture has specifically invaded the realm of the culinary arts. If ever there was a place for cultural fusion and an openness culture, it surely should be in cooking. And, yet, we have seen many instances of businesses and/or people attempting to trademark generic […]

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressional Postal Service Caucus Co-Chairs Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-01), Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) sent a letter to the newly appointed Postmaster General, David Steiner, outlining their top priorities for improving the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and addressing concerns with previous reform plans. In their letter, the Co-Chairs express concern over aspects of the Delivering for America (DFA) and Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plans, urging a careful reassessment to ensure postal operations continue to meet the needs of Americans nationwide. The Members wrote, “While we fully support modernization efforts within the Postal Service, these changes must not come at the expense of postal employees or the millions of Americans who rely on reliable, on-time delivery every day...We respectfully urge you to temporarily pause any implementation of the

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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that rehabilitation of a crossing by Norfolk Southern railroad on Illinois 163 between Bond Avenue and Lakewood Place in St. Clair County will require a full closure beginning, weather permitting, Monday, Nov. 3. A posted detour will be in place to safely guide motorists around the closure, which is expected to conclude Friday, Nov. 7. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to detour signs in work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com .

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor praising the hundreds of high school students in Little Village who walked out of class yesterday to protest the Trump Administration’s cruel “Operation Midway Blitz” in the Chicagoland area. Durbin has continuously gone to the Senate floor and made clear that the increased presence and enforcement actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents in Illinois are not about public safety, but instead are part of the President’s political theater. “ICE the Department of Homeland Security creating a reign of terror in the city of Chicago. I do not exaggerate. Why are they in force in Chicago? Because the President said over and over again that immigrants are the problem in America. You’ve heard the

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You’re just a commodity in Trump’s marketplace of horrific ideas. Sure, criminal informants are seldom the trustworthiest of people, what with their stay-out-of-jail free cards being reliant on their steady production of evidence against other people. But the government does make promises to criminal informants that it’s expected to keep, not only to fulfill its […]

CHICAGO – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 22 state attorneys general, filed two amicus briefs supporting the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) in two lawsuits challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s recent decisions to cut off funding for long-standing federal TRIO programs that increase access to higher education for low-income, first-generation, disabled and underrepresented students. “Ensuring students from all backgrounds have a chance to achieve success through higher education benefits our communities and our state’s economy,” Raoul said. “Unlawfully discontinuing these grants would harm our institutions of higher education and make it more difficult for students to reach their full potential.” The amicus briefs, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, support the COE’s lawsuits seeking to stop the discontinuation of many active TRIO grants and the denial o

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today delivered a speech on the Senate floor demanding that congressional Republicans work with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which allow tens of millions of Americans nationwide to afford their health insurance premiums. Instead of meeting with Democrats to address this health care crisis, Republicans have shut down the federal government. If these enhanced tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, more than four million Americans are expected to lose their health care coverage, including more than 140,000 people in Illinois. Durbin began his speech by stressing that the government shutdown is driven by the fact that Congressional Republicans would rather keep the government closed than negotiate to extend the enhanced premium tax credits. “We have a problem we face that we need to correct and need to correct it now because the decision

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation, along with the Illinois State Police and law enforcement agencies across the state, is reminding the public that becoming an impaired driving monster this Halloween – whether due to alcohol, cannabis or other drugs – can result in needless horrors. The message is clear: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” and “Drive High, Get a DUI.” Remember: “It’s Not a Game.” “Stay safe this Halloween by planning ahead,” said Stephane B. Seck-Birhame, IDOT’s bureau chief of Safety Programs and Engineering. “Choosing a sober driver or ride is the best way to avoid a costly DUI, the loss of your driving privileges and the criminal, employment and insurance consequences that can follow alcohol- or cannabis-impaired driving. Most importantly, it saves lives.” This year’s Halloween enforcement and awareness safety campaign began Oct. 24 and extends into

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SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB), overseen by Illinois Secretary of State and State Archivist Alexi Giannoulias, has awarded grants to enable 11 historical records repositories across the state to digitize, preserve and expand access to archival materials that document Illinois’ cultural heritage. The grants support projects that make historically significant records – from rare photographs and correspondence to community bulletins, board proceedings and film collections – more accessible to the public through online platforms. “History lives in our communities, not just in museums or textbooks. These grants help ensure that our shared story is preserved and available for everyone to access, regardless of where they live,” Giannoulias said. “By supporting historical archives across Illinois, we’re opening new windows into the local culture, industry and civic life. The work these organizations

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered a speech on the Senate floor to again denounce the Trump Administration’s cruel so-called “Operation Midway Blitz” in the Chicago area, which has sown fear among communities in the city. In his remarks, Durbin made clear that the increased presence and enforcement actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents in Chicago are not about public safety, but instead are part of the President’s political theater. “For the last two months, the people of Illinois have been living under President Trump’s so-called ‘Operation Midway Blitz.’ I’ve watched it up close. I’ve seen its victims. I’ve seen its methods, and I want to tell you that this ‘Operation Midway Blitz’ is trampling over

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing that examined political violence—following the recent assassinations of Charlie Kirk, Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the attempted assassination of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. During his opening, Durbin recognized the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol on January 6—including fallen officer Brian Sicknick, whose brother was in the Committee room today—condemned far-right extremists for their hate-fueled massacres targeting ethnic and religious minority communities, and debunked a Senate Judiciary Committee Republican’s claim that political violence only stems from the left. Key Quotes: “This hearing examines a critical issue: political violence in America… to seriously address

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PEORIA — Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) joined local officials, transportation stakeholders, and labor leaders today to celebrate another historic round of investments in Peoria area infrastructure. As part of $400 million specifically identified to support 223 local projects, Gov. Pritzker announced a $10 million commitment to Peoria County to reconstruct and modernize Peoria’s Sheridan Road, as well as other projects across the region. The investment is part of the largest infrastructure program in state history , totaling $50.6 billion over six years. “Sheridan Road is a critical access point that connects residents to vital community institutions, but for too long, it’s been run down, congested, and unsafe for drivers and pedestrians alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With a $10 million investment, we’re converting it into a modernized, urban three-lane road with sidewalks and a multi-use path.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—author of the historic, bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act that was signed into law in 2023—led her colleagues in denouncing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr’s decision to block Duckworth’s law from going into effect, a critical reform that will help end egregious prison phone rates and make it easier for innocent family members to regularly communicate with their incarcerated loved ones while reducing recidivism rates. In the letter, the Senators urge Chairman Carr to follow the law and withdraw his efforts to delay the implementation of this bipartisan, commonsense law—concluding the letter with a simple directive: “We do not require, nor desire, a response to our letter. We simply want you to enforce the law.” Along with Duckworth, the letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA),

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