Illinois Governor JB Pritzker met with southern Illinois healthcare leaders on this week to address the impact of federal budget cuts on rural hospitals. He warned that nine facilities across the state face closure risks that could eliminate over 500 hospital beds and 2,500 jobs. The roundtable discussion, held at […]
Author: Dani Tietz
Top 10 Things to Currently Know About the Epstein/Maxwell files
In a departure from standard prosecutorial practice, where cooperation discussions under limited immunity agreements are typically kept confidential, the Department of Justice has released transcripts and audio from a two-day interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former partner and convicted accomplice. Conducted under a “queen for a day” proffer agreement, […]
Duncan Road Bridge Over I-74 in Champaign to Close for Repairs Starting Monday
Drivers in Champaign should prepare for detours beginning next week as the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) closes the Duncan Road bridge over Interstate 74 for emergency repairs. The closure, set to begin Monday, is expected to last about three weeks. The work is necessary to repair damage to the […]
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration from Denying Diversity Visas Based on Travel Ban
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ruled that the State Department cannot use the president’s travel ban to deny visa applications to diversity lottery winners. U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan issued a preliminary injunction on August 21, in the case Aye Aye Thein v. Trump, granting partial relief to over 100 […]
Federal Judge Orders Partial Shutdown of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Immigration Detention Facility in Florida Everglades
A federal judge in Miami has ordered the partial shutdown of the controversial immigration detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams issued an 82-page ruling late Thursday evening, granting a preliminary injunction that prohibits Florida and federal officials from bringing any new detainees to the […]
USCIS Announces New “Anti-Americanism” Screening for Immigration Benefits
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will now consider evidence of “anti-American” ideologies and activities as an “overwhelmingly negative factor” when reviewing immigration benefit applications. The updated guidance, effective immediately and applicable to all pending and future benefit requests, directs USCIS officers to consider whether applicants have […]
Abrego Garcia Faces Deportation to Uganda After Rejecting Plea Deal
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the El Salvadoran construction worker wrongfully deported to a notorious prison earlier this year, now faces deportation to Uganda after declining a government plea deal that would have sent him to Costa Rica instead. According to court documents filed Saturday in federal court in Tennessee, the government’s […]
Trump Demands Release of Tina Peters, Threatens “Harsh Measures” Amid Big Lie Fallout
Former President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure on Colorado this week by renewing calls to free ex–Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who is serving a nine-year sentence for her role in a 2021 election–system breach. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump wrote, “FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and […]
Fed Chair Hints at Policy Shift as Moody’s Sounds Recession Alarm on Stalled Job Growth
The Federal Reserve’s Chair, Jerome H. Powell, delivered an assessment of the U.S. economy Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium. Just days earlier, Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi sounded the alarm on sharply elevated recession probabilities. In his annual address, Powell noted that while core inflation has eased closer […]
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Pushes Back Against Trump’s National Guard Threats to Chicago
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker sharply rebuked President Donald Trump’s statements on Friday after the president suggested that Chicago would be the next U.S. city to face a federal National Guard deployment due to crime and public safety concerns. Speaking from the White House, President Trump alleged that Chicago was a […]











