Illinois has officially declined to adopt the federal “no tax on tips” provision signed into law this summer, meaning service workers across the state will continue to pay Illinois income tax on their tip earnings—even as those same tips are exempt from federal taxation. The decision places Illinois among a […]
by Maggie Dougherty, Capitol News Illinois December 2, 2025 Article Summary Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill allowing the Illinois Department of Public Health to issue vaccine guidance independent of federal guidelines. It broadens IDPH’s scope to consider the advice of scientific and medical experts who disagree with the guidelines […]
by Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois December 1, 2025 Article Summary A report by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found federal budget cuts could reduce economic activity in Illinois by $10 billion each year by 2029. The most significant impacts would stem from changes to Medicaid eligibility as more people […]
Santa’s Secret Star, a family-friendly holiday planetarium show, will light up the dome at the William M. Staerkel Planetarium on Saturdays, Dec. 6, 13 and 20, 2025, at 1 p.m. The program blends seasonal storytelling with stargazing, inviting children and adults to help Santa find his way home by discovering […]
U.S. consumer confidence fell sharply in November, hitting its lowest level since April, as Americans grew more pessimistic about current business conditions, the labor market, and their financial future, according to the latest report from The Conference Board. The Consumer Confidence Index declined by 6.8 points to 88.7 in November, […]
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will grant a “full and complete pardon” to Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras currently serving a 45-year sentence in federal prison after being convicted in 2024 of conspiring to import more than 400 tons of cocaine into the United States. […]
The Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Armed Services Committee announced a bipartisan investigation Saturday into reports that U.S. forces conducted follow-up strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, killing survivors who had initially lived through missile attacks. In a rare joint statement, Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and […]
A comprehensive new state report reveals that 219 Illinois women died while pregnant or within one year of pregnancy during 2021-2022, with Black women facing mortality rates more than double those of White women and substance use disorders emerging as the leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths. The Illinois Department of […]
by Maggie Dougherty, Capitol News Illinois November 26, 2025 Article Summary Following the ICC’s approval of a $73 million rate increase for Ameren, the company’s residential customers can expect to see an average $3.65 increase on their monthly bills starting in January. This compares to $4.25 a month for customers […]
More than half of all U.S. homes — 53 percent — are worth less today than they were a year ago, according to new data from Zillow. As of October 2025, the majority of properties have seen their Zestimate — Zillow’s automated home valuation tool — drop below levels recorded […]
