Other News

Federal

White House Memo Challenges Federal Worker Backpay Rights as Government Shutdown Enters Second Week

The Trump administration is now challenging a 2019 law that guarantees backpay to furloughed federal workers. In a reversal from established precedent, the Office of Management and Budget has quietly removed references to the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 from its shutdown guidance documents. This law, signed by […]

Federal

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Policy in Major Victory for Planned Parenthood

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services must halt enforcement of new requirements imposed on recipients of federal teen pregnancy prevention grants.  The lawsuit arose from a July 2025 policy notice issued by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s department that required recipients of […]

Local

7th Annual Illinois Heartland Library Crawl Runs October 2025

The 7th Annual Library Crawl, hosted throughout October 2025 by Illinois Heartland Library System member libraries, invites residents on a month-long journey to explore the diverse resources and welcoming spaces of nearly 200 participating public libraries across central and southern Illinois. Participants are encouraged to pick up an official passport—a […]

Federal

Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Portland National Guard Deployment as President Threatens Insurrection Act

U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut, appointed by President Trump, has issued two separate temporary restraining orders blocking the administration’s deployment of the National Guard to Portland. The judge’s rulings came after Trump’s September 27 announcement that he would send “all necessary Troops” to Portland to protect Immigration and Customs […]

State of Illinois

Judge won’t block federal troop deployment to Chicago — for now

by Hannah Meisel and Brenden Moore, Capitol News Illinois October 6, 2025 Article Summary Illinois and Chicago are suing the Trump administration to block the deployment of National Guard Troops to Chicago. Trump officials ordered the activation of 300 Illinois National Guardsmen over Gov. JB Pritzker’s objections over the weekend. […]

Federal

Supreme Court Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell’s Appeal as Trump Signals Openness to DOJ Review

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Ghislaine Maxwell’s final appeal, firmly upholding her conviction and 20-year sentence for sex trafficking-related charges tied to the late Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse ring. The decision comes amid renewed controversy over Maxwell’s transfer from maximum security to a lower-security Texas prison, while President Donald Trump […]

Federal

CDC Adopts Major Vaccine Policy Changes, Shifts to Individual Decision-Making for COVID-19 Vaccination

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Monday that it has officially updated its immunization schedules to implement “individual-based decision-making” for COVID-19 vaccination and recommend standalone chickenpox vaccination for toddlers. The CDC will no longer make blanket recommendations for COVID-19 boosters, instead requiring Americans to consult with healthcare providers […]

State of Illinois

Illinois sues to block Trump’s National Guard deployment to Chicago

by Ben Szalinski, Brenden Moore and Hannah Meisel, Capitol News Illinois October 6, 2025 Article Summary Illinois and Chicago are suing the Trump administration to block the deployment of National Guard Troops to Chicago. Trump officials ordered the activation of 300 Illinois National Guardsmen over Gov. JB Pritzker’s objections over […]