The Illinois General Assembly has passed Senate Bill 642, a bipartisan measure that would expand property tax relief for senior citizens on fixed incomes, and the legislation now awaits Governor JB Pritzker’s signature. The bill addresses the burden of Illinois’ highest-in-the-nation property tax rates by significantly raising income eligibility thresholds […]
Author: Dani Tietz
Supreme Court Extends Stay on SNAP Food Aid Order
The Supreme Court extended an administrative stay Tuesday that continues to block full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from reaching more than 42 million low-income Americans, setting a new deadline of 11:59 p.m. EST on November 13, 2025. The order extends the temporary hold originally issued by Justice Ketanji […]
Museums Face Worst Financial Crisis Since Pandemic as Attendance Plummets and Federal Funding Evaporates
The 2025 Annual National Snapshot, based on responses from 511 museum directors across the country, shows both attendance and financial performance trending downward for the first time since pandemic closures. More than half of museums—55%—are currently seeing fewer visitors than in 2019, a significant setback from last year when 49% […]
House Democrats Probe ‘Unprecedented Privileges’ for Ghislaine Maxwell as She Allegedly Seeks Trump Commutation
House Judiciary Committee Democrats revealed Sunday that Ghislaine Maxwell is preparing a commutation application for President Donald Trump while allegedly receiving unprecedented preferential treatment at a Texas minimum-security prison camp. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for child sex trafficking and related offenses connected to Epstein’s abuse […]
Trump Demands Air Traffic Controllers Return to Work, Proposes Bonuses for “Patriots”
President Donald Trump issued a forceful demand Monday morning for all air traffic controllers to return to their posts immediately, threatening substantial pay cuts for those who fail to comply while promising $10,000 bonuses to workers who remained on the job during the United States government shutdown. In a lengthy […]
Supreme Court Weighs Critical Food Stamp Case as 42 Million Americans Await November Benefits
The U.S. Supreme Court has become the latest battleground in a legal fight over whether the Trump administration must fully fund the nation’s largest food assistance program during an ongoing government shutdown that has left tens of millions of Americans uncertain about their ability to buy groceries. On October 24, […]
Americans’ Confidence in Economy Hits 30-Year Low as Shutdown Takes a Toll
Americans are feeling increasingly pessimistic about the economy. A new survey from the University of Michigan shows that optimism about the future fell sharply in November, driven largely by anxiety over the month-long federal government shutdown and concerns about what it means for jobs and the economy. The Index of […]
Senate Advances Shutdown-Ending Deal After 40 Days, Setting Stage for House Vote
The Senate took a step Sunday night toward ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, voting 60-40 to advance a bipartisan funding package that would reopen federal agencies and restore benefits to millions of Americans. The Senate needs to hold a final vote to officially pass the government funding […]
Night Lights Returns to Illuminate Mahomet’s Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden for Holidays
Night Lights event is set to return to the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, promising a magical holiday experience for residents and visitors in the Champaign-Urbana area. Starting Friday, November 28, and running every Friday and Saturday evening through December 27, plus a special […]
Illinois Officials Alert Families to Botulism Risk From Recalled ByHeart Infant Formula
Illinois health officials are urging parents and caregivers to immediately stop using certain lots of ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula following a connection to a multi-state outbreak of infant botulism. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued this alert after preliminary tests confirmed the presence of bacteria that produce […]











