Demand for abortion pills spiked in Illinois, countrywide after Trump reelection
Calls to Planned Parenthood Illinois surged 15% in the days immediately after the election, with wait times doubling to as much as 20 minutes.
Eric Sorensen defeats Joe McGraw in Illinois’ crucial 17th Congressional District election
Incumbent Sorensen of Moline claimed victory over a former Rockford judge for a seat that extends west to the Quad Cities and then downstate to Peoria and Bloomington. Eric Sorensen, a Democrat from Moline, retained his seat in Illinois’ most-watched congressional race — a battle with former judge Joe McGraw for the 17th District…
Illinois faces a $3 billion shortfall in 2026, a new report shows
If the projections hold true, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker could face difficult financial decisions, from increasing taxes to cutting spending. The relative financial calm that has marked Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s six years in office may soon be coming to a close as his administration Friday forecast a more than $3 billion budget shortfall for the…
Nearly 140,000 Illinois residents sent checks for unclaimed property: ‘It is not a scam,’ treasurer says
Thousands of Illinois residents may have a check from the state waiting for them in their mailboxes. The Illinois State Treasurer’s office recently sent unclaimed property checks to 138,561 people in Illinois, totaling a record $13.2 million. Treasurer Michael Frerichs held a news conference Tuesday to remind Illinois residents to cash these checks. “We have…
FBI ‘turned over heaven and earth’ for evidence against Madigan but found only ‘legal favors,’ defense says
The FBI “turned over heaven and earth” to find incriminating evidence against former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan but ultimately found nothing more than “legal favors,” an attorney for Madigan’s longtime friend and confidant told jurors Tuesday. That won’t be enough to convict Michael McClain, the former lawmaker and lobbyist now on trial alongside Madigan, defense attorney John…
Illinois launches push to combat distracted driving
Brenda Protz lost her 14-year-old daughter in November 2019 in a distracted-driving crash. Jenna and a friend were riding home from a football game with Jenna’s paternal grandparents when their car was struck by a distracted driver. Jenna and the others in her car died; the other driver survived. “Jenna’s life was cut short,” said…
Grayson, Massey family await court decision that could allow for his release from jail
Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson remains behind bars for the death of Sonya Massey. But a court is being asked to release him while he awaits his murder trial. Grayson, 30, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct. He has pleaded not guilty. Grayson is being held…
Michael Madigan racketeering trial gets underway: ‘The corruption of public office for private gain’
The opening statements kick off the trial of the longest-serving state House speaker in the country, and one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history. The FBI has pursued Madigan for more than a decade, and the probe forced him from power in 2021. A federal prosecutor accused former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan of…
Michael Madigan’s 12 jurors have finally been chosen — alternates still needed before openings begin
The 12 primary jurors include a nurse who enjoys Marvel movies, a woman who works for Aramark and another woman who has worked in catering, including for an event tied to the recent Democratic National Convention. It took seven days and dozens of interviews, but 12 jurors have finally been chosen to decide whether Michael J….
Community marks a year since Palestinian American boy’s slaying: ‘We were all killed that day’
When 6-year-old Palestinian American boy Wadee Alfayoumi was stabbed to death in October of 2023 in suburban Plainfield Township in an alleged hate crime, it was as though the Muslim community itself had been stabbed. That’s how Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, described the effect of…
Michael Madigan’s friendship with alleged fixer could be tested during their corruption trial
Danny Solis had been making secret recordings for the FBI for more than a year when he met with Michael McClain in 2017 and asked a question that would eventually go to the heart of one of the biggest federal corruption cases in Chicago history. “What’s your relationship … with Mike, with the speaker?” Solis asked. The “Mike”…
In the wake of Sonya Massey’s death, Springfield will test a new way to handle mental health calls
Massey’s death at the hands of police has prompted calls for change, but would those changes have been enough to prevent her killing? Sonya Massey, 36, was seeking mental health treatment up until the day she was shot and killed by former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson. County records show 911 calls from Sonya…
American Water temporarily pauses billing after suffering cyberattack
The parent company of Illinois American Water is pausing billing after its computer systems were breached by hackers last week. American Water said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday that unauthorized activity was discovered in its network and computer systems on Oct. 3. The exact nature or origins of that incident…
Whooping cough cases in Illinois nearly five times higher than last year, CDC reports
As of Sept. 21, 1,058 cases of the highly contagious respiratory disease have been reported in the state this year, nearly five times higher than the 230 cases reported in 2023. Cases of whooping cough spike in the fall, alongside RSV and COVID-19, experts say. Whooping cough cases are up in Illinois and across…
Madigan judge refuses to toss counts after Supreme Court ruling limited bribery law
U.S. District Judge John Blakey handed down his ruling less than a week before the former Illinois House Speaker is set for trial. The judge also denied a request from Madigan’s longtime friend and confidante to be tried separately. A federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss criminal charges leveled against former Illinois House…