It tastes like chicken, but ‘cultivated’ meat sees growing opposition from U.S. lawmakers
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It tastes like chicken, but ‘cultivated’ meat sees growing opposition from U.S. lawmakers

Cultivated meat – meat grown from animal cells – is touted as a way to meet growing global demand with far fewer climate impacts. Yet two states banned the sale of cultivated meat earlier this year, and there are proposals in several Midwestern states to do the same. The meat sizzling in the pan at…

Michael Frerichs
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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…

Michael McClain
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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…

Mike Madigan
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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…

Donald Trump at NRA event
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The Checkup: What could a second Trump term mean for Medicaid?

A big question for many people on election day will be how a new president could impact health care –– particularly Medicaid, the public health insurance program for low-income adults. Much has been made of Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page blueprint for if former President Donald Trump were to win the upcoming election. It’s authored by the…

Mike Madigan
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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….

Donald Trump at Economic Club of Chicago
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Trump uses interview on economics to promote tariffs and riff on his favorite themes

CHICAGO (AP) — Donald Trump seized Tuesday on an opening to sound his frequent argument that imposing huge tariffs on foreign goods would amount to an economic elixir — one that he claims would raise enormous sums for the government, protect U.S. firms from overseas competition and prod foreign companies to open factories in the United States….

Michael Madigan’s friendship with alleged fixer could be tested during their corruption trial
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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”…

Amid issues with the Champaign County auditor, voters will decide if the office should be eliminated
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Amid issues with the Champaign County auditor, voters will decide if the office should be eliminated

This election, Champaign County residents are voting on whether to eliminate the elected position of county auditor. If the referendum passes, the results of the auditor election will effectively be overridden, and the county will begin the process of hiring for the position, according to local officials.  “Regardless of who wins the election, [if the…

Mike Madigan
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Michael Madigan once controlled much of Illinois politics. Now the ex-House speaker heads to trial

Michael Madigan is charged in a multimillion dollar racketeering and bribery scheme, some involving Illinois’ largest utility. The Chicago Democrat was once considered the most powerful force in Illinois politics.