The Normal Town Council narrowly voted Monday night to add a pair of Rivian electric vehicles to the town’s fleet — but not before spending an hour debating the matter. “As the only location of where these cars are built, to have an example of their truck and the SUV is something that I think…
It was the second and final debate between the two gubernatorial hopefuls Tuesday night, and both came prepared for combat, ready to dish it out — and not take any of the other’s jabs lying down. CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker blasted his Republican challenger as an “extremist” and a “threat to democracy” who “shouldn’t…
CHICAGO — As states around the country adopt stricter restrictions on abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more than half of Illinois voters say abortion should remain legal here, according to a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll. About 52% of likely voters polled said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, with…
GRANITE CITY — On a Friday morning in June, Dr. Erin King was working with patients at the Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized the right to an abortion nationwide. She and her staff immediately knew they had to tell…
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker stirred political intrigue this summer with signals he was mulling a run for president in 2024, but Illinois voters appear to have some free, blunt advice for him: Don’t do it. That’s the unmistakable takeaway from a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll that asked if the first-term billionaire chief executive ought to consider…
CHICAGO — Democrats appear in little danger of losing control of statewide offices three weeks from now, with the party’s candidates for Illinois secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller and treasurer all holding sizable leads over their Republican rivals in a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll. In two of those races, Democrats hold double-digit advantages over…
NORTHBROOK — On a Saturday a few weeks before next month’s election, almost all of the biggest names in Illinois politics went to a hotel ballroom in Northbrook for a luncheon organized by the Northfield Township Democrats. Among the top-of-the-ticket candidates at that event in the northern suburbs of Chicago were Cook County Board President…
CHICAGO — Democratic incumbents Gov. JB Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth are leading their opponents by double digits, with the governor also faring better than Republican candidate Darren Bailey on his own turf in downstate Illinois, a WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times poll found. The findings ahead of the Nov. 8 election — and less than a…
The utility has also entered into a so-called deferred-prosecution agreement with U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s office, similar to the deal cut by ComEd when the feds charged it with bribery more than two years ago. CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has leveled an additional criminal charge against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as…
CHICAGO — The attorney general’s race rarely grabs front-page headlines — but experts and advocates across the political spectrum say the position is one of the most essential in the state. In addition to the hot-button issues of crime and criminal justice reform, Illinois’ next attorney general could play a key role in everything from…
SPRINGFIELD — For the first time in a quarter century, Illinois voters won’t be seeing the name Jesse White on the ballot for secretary of state this November. Instead, voters will choose from Chicago Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, and Libertarian Jon Stewart from Deerfield. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s402/audio/2022/10/ipr-sos-feature-mi.wav Listen to this story here. Despite…
Mario McMinn’s eyes start to burn by hour five of staring at screens. He’s a high school sophomore who isn’t blind but has a visual impairment. When he and everyone else were forced to learn from home in 2020, it meant his whole day was looking at his iPad and computer. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s528/audio/2022/10/1004stuf.mp3 Listen to this…
Illinois voters will be asked on the Nov. 8 ballot whether they want to amend the state constitution to enshrine the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain as a constitutional right. The proposed amendment would codify the rights of private and public sector workers to negotiate wages, working conditions and more. Proponents say…
NORMAL – The frenetic first televised face-to-face debate between Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey Thursday devolved into a battle over who of the two is Illinois’ biggest liar and threat to the state. The high-stakes showdown at Illinois State University — roughly a month ahead of the election — covered abortion, guns…
PEORIA — The two candidates vying for the opening seat representing the 17th U.S. Congressional District had widely differing opinions on a variety of topics during a debate Monday night at Bradley University’s Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. Republican Esther Joy King and Democratic nominee Eric Sorensen are seeking to follow retiring U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline,…