Biden says debt deal ‘very close’ with default deadline now set at June 5
An upbeat President Joe Biden says a deal to resolve the government’s debt ceiling crisis seems “very close.”
Supreme Court lets Illinois keep ban on sale of some semiautomatic guns for now
The high court denied an emergency request from people challenging the law, which bans so-called assault weapons. The law’s opponents had asked the court to put the law on hold while a court challenge continues.
Illinois moves toward gender inclusivity as others move away
Illinois lawmakers passed a trio of bills that would update existing laws to be more gender inclusive and add protections for LGBTQ marriages. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said he will sign them.
Newton Minow, ex-FCC chief who dubbed TV ‘wasteland,’ dies
Former Federal Communications Commission head Newton Minow, who famously described network TV as a “vast wasteland,” has died. Minow’s daughter, Nell Minow, confirmed that her father died Saturday at home in Chicago, surrounded by loved ones.
Police: 8 killed in Texas mall shooting, gunman also dead
A gunman killed eight people and wounded seven others – three critically – in a shooting at a Dallas-area mall before being fatally shot by a police officer who happened to be nearby.
Update: I-55 south of Springfield reopens after dust storm crashes kill 6
Police say an interstate highway in Illinois has reopened following a windstorm that kicked up blinding dust from fields and caused crashes that killed at least six people and injured dozens more.
Champaign man gets 40-year sentence for killing teenage boy
A judge sentenced 57-year-old Daryl Vandyke on Wednesday after the Champaign man admitted that he used an ax or other sharp-edged garden tool to kill Steven Butler III, in July 2021.
Biden announces 2024 reelection bid: ‘Let’s finish this job’
The Democratic president is asking voters to give him more time to “finish the job” he began when he was sworn into office and set aside their concerns about extending the run of America’s oldest president for another four years.
Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill for now
The Supreme Court has preserved women’s access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues. The justices on Friday granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug mifepristone.
Ralph Yarl shedding ‘buckets of tears,’ shooter out on bond
s 16-year-old Ralph Yarl struggles to come to grips with being shot for going to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers, the white Kansas City, Missouri homeowner who shot the Black teenager is facing his day in court.
Fox, Dominion reach $787M settlement over election claims
Fox and Dominion Voting Systems have reached a $787 million settlement in the voting machine company’s defamation lawsuit. The agreement averts a trial in a case that exposed how the top-rated network chased viewers by promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election.
U of I’s Scaroni takes Boston Marathon women’s wheelchair title
In the women’s race, American Susannah Scaroni won her first wheelchair Boston Marathon title, crossing in 1:41.45.
Limits on transgender care for Missouri youths begin shortly
Missouri minors will soon be required to go through 18 months of therapy before receiving any gender-affirming health care.
Access to abortion pill in limbo after competing rulings
Access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty Friday following conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone that has been widely available for more than 20 years.
Johnson elected Chicago mayor in victory for progressives
Former teacher and union organizer Brandon Johnson has been elected Chicago mayor. Tuesday’s win is a major victory for the party’s progressive wing as the nation’s third-largest city grapples with high crime and financial challenges.