Dozens of U of I students gather Tuesday night for VP debate watch party
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Dozens of U of I students gather Tuesday night for VP debate watch party

Nearly 50 students gathered at the Illini Union Tuesday night to watch the Vice Presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. NPR reports the candidates discussed issues including the economy, immigration and health care, keeping a tone that was largely collegial. The event was hosted by the Office of Civic Life at…

Mike Madigan
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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…

Chibu Asonye
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U of I grad running as write-in candidate for congress

URBANA – A candidate for Illinois’ 13th congressional district is now running as a third-party write-in candidate. Chibu Asonye, 27 grew up in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois in 2018. She currently serves as a residence director at the university. Hi @AOC @briebriejoy, I'm Chibu Asonye! I am a down-ballot candidate for…

Vice Presidential debate
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Vance and Walz keep it civil in a policy-heavy discussion: VP debate takeaways

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice presidential hopefuls Tim Walz and JD Vance focused their criticism on the top of the ticket on Tuesday as they engaged in a policy-heavy discussion that may be the last debate of the 2024 presidential campaign. It was the first encounter between Minnesota’s Democratic governor and Ohio’s Republican senator, following last month’s debate between Vice President Kamala…

Tim Walz and JD Vance
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What to watch as JD Vance and Tim Walz meet for a vice presidential debate

ATLANTA (AP) — Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz will meet Tuesday in the lone vice presidential debate of the 2024 election, bringing together undercards who have spent two months going after each other and the opposing nominees who top the major-party tickets. The matchup, hosted by CBS News in New York, might not carry the same stakes as…

Voice of the Voter: U of I students consider many crucial issues following Presidential debate
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Voice of the Voter: U of I students consider many crucial issues following Presidential debate

Some University of Illinois students are doubling down on their ballot picks following the Presidential debate held on September 10 between Vice President Kamala Harris, and Former President Donald Trump. IPM’s David Pierce uncovered how each candidates’ responses to questions regarding immigration, reproductive rights, and foreign affairs are impacting voting decisions.  Over 80 students gathered…

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson,
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Congress passes temporary bill to avoid shutdown as lawmakers punt spending decisions to December

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress on Wednesday passed a temporary measure that keeps government agencies funded into December, avoiding a shutdown for now while punting final spending decisions until after the Nov. 5 election. The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 78-18 shortly after the House easily approved it. The bill generally funds agencies…

Braver Angels’ mission: To bridge the partisan divide and promote active listening
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Braver Angels’ mission: To bridge the partisan divide and promote active listening

With the 2024 election approaching, Braver Angels, a non-profit organization, is working to bridge the partisan divide and bring Americans together by teaching them how to listen.  Political polarization has always been part of American politics, but not enough effort has been made to ease that tension, says Chuck Stone, a blue-leaning state coordinator for…

Sen. James DeLeo

Court records show two Springfield insiders profited from a controversial state government program

Two longtime Springfield political insiders — a retired Democratic lawmaker and a Republican lobbyist — were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars each through an Illinois government program, according to court records in a civil case. Ex-Illinois state Sen. James DeLeo, D-Chicago, and prominent Republican lobbyist Nancy Kimme each got 1% of the profits from…

r Deborah Frank Feinen
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Champaign mayor to serve as head of Illinois Municipal League

CHAMPAIGN – The mayor of Champaign has been elected to serve as President of the Illinois Municipal League for a one-year term. Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen has served on the IML Board of Directors as a Vice President since 2020, and was elected president during the 111th IML Annual Conference held last weekend in Chicago,…

Dick Durbin
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‘This type of rhetoric can have deadly consequences’: Durbin warns about speech that could incite violence during Senate hearing on hate crimes

  WASHINGTON – Senator Dick Durbin participated in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this week focused on combating the rise of hate crimes in the U.S. The hearing examined threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. …