The Congressional Budget Office has issued a warning that President Donald Trump’s tax and spending legislation could trigger automatic cuts to Medicare totaling nearly $500 billion over the next decade, according to a May 20 letter from CBO Director Phillip Swagel to House Budget Committee Ranking Member Brendan Boyle. The warning […]
Author: Dani Tietz
St. Joseph CCSD #169 Board Seeking Applications to Fill Vacancy After Hewerdine Resignation
St. Joseph Community Consolidated School District #169 is seeking applicants for an open seat on its Board of Education following the resignation of longtime board member Lois Hewerdine. Hewerdine stepped down during the district’s July 14 board meeting. To fill the vacancy, the district is now accepting applications from eligible […]
Fire Damages Forces Indefinite Closure of Roch’s Place
A fire broke out at Roch’s Place restaurant at 101 N. Main Street in St. Joseph on Sunday afternoon forcing the popular establishment to close indefinitely. The challenging conditions required an unprecedented coordinated response from multiple fire departments across Champaign County. The St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Protection District was assisted by […]
Photos in a Forest: Photography Workshop Set for August 24 at Lake of the Woods
Photography enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited to step into nature and refine their craft during Photos in a Forest: A Photography Workshop, hosted by the Museum of the Grand Prairie at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve on Sunday, August 24, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. The 90-minute workshop will […]
California and Texas Square Off in National Redistricting Battle as Political
California Governor Gavin Newsom has formally launched a redistricting counter-campaign designed to neutralize Republican gains in Texas. On August 15, 2025, Newsom announced California’s “Election Rigging Response Act,” calling for a special election on November 4 to seek voter approval for new congressional maps drawn to potentially flip five GOP-held […]
Federal Judge Forces Trump Administration to Retreat on D.C. Police Takeover
The Trump administration was forced to scale back its attempt to federalize the District of Columbia’s police force on Friday after a federal judge expressed skepticism about the legality of placing a federal official in direct control of local law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, appointed by former President […]
Parkland College Unveils Cobra Pathfinder Mobile Education Unit for Fall 2025
Parkland College welcomes its new mobile education unit, the Cobra Pathfinder, to campus and District 505 beginning in fall 2025. The 36-foot-long mobile unit holds a maximum of six portable, interactive carts with hands-on, career-focused equipment to showcase the various fields Parkland has to offer. These include automotive, welding, health professions, and […]
DC Attorney General Sues Trump Administration Over Federal Police Takeover
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an unprecedented order Thursday evening appointing Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terrence Cole as the District’s “emergency police commissioner,” stripping local control over the Metropolitan Police Department and rescinding sanctuary city protections. The legality of Bondi’s action now poses a separate constitutional question. In Order No. […]
State Department Releases Scaled-Back Human Rights Report, Removes Sections on Women and LGBTQ Rights, Among Others
The Trump administration has released the annual State Department human rights report. The document has been scaled back to just one-tenth the length of its 2023 predecessor. The report eliminates entire sections on abuses against women and LGBTQ people while softening criticism of nations aligned with the Trump administration. According […]
Wholesale Inflation Surges to Three-Year High as Tariffs Drive Price Pressures
The U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) experienced its largest monthly increase in three years during July, rising 0.9% compared to the previous month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday that this jump far exceeded economists’ expectations of just 0.2% growth, while the annual inflation rate at the wholesale level […]











