Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with a sweeping measure designed to lock in workplace safety and labor standards, even if federal protections are weakened or repealed in the future. Senate Bill 1976, sponsored by State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago), cleared the Senate Labor Committee this week and is now poised […]
Other News
Trump Meme Coins Generate Billions and Spark Ethical Concerns
Rarely one to miss a lucrative opportunity, Donald Trump has turned what began as a pre-inauguration crypto experiment into a sprawling, multi-billion-dollar business empire-one that is now at the center of mounting ethical and legal scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest at the highest levels of government. President Donald Trump […]
House Bill Seeks to Boost U.S. Biorefinery and Biobased Manufacturing
A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to strengthen America’s leadership in renewable energy and rural economic development by expanding federal support for biorefineries, renewable chemicals, and biobased product manufacturing. The “Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2025,” sponsored by Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa […]
Landmark Illinois Study Reveals Unpredictable Patterns in Farm Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A recent study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment provides valuable insights into the spatial variability of soil carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in agricultural settings, highlighting the impact of management practices and offering recommendations for more accurate measurements. The research, conducted by a team including Nakian […]
Governor’s office cuts revenue projection by $500M in latest downward estimate
by Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois May 14, 2025 SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker’s office is now projecting state revenues to come in about a half-billion dollars below the baseline projections assumed during his February budget address. The latest downward revision comes as lawmakers are entering the final two-week stretch […]
Illinois Youth Survey 2024: Substance Use, Mental Health, and School Climate Among Teens
A newly released statewide study provides a detailed snapshot of the health, behavior, and attitudes of Illinois teens, revealing both challenges and areas of resilience among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. The Illinois Youth Survey (IYS), conducted in spring 2024 by the Center for Prevention Research and Development at the […]
Trump Fires U.S. Copyright Office Chief Shira Perlmutter Amid AI Policy Dispute
President Donald Trump has dismissed Shira Perlmutter, the nation’s top copyright official. Perlmutter, a lawyer with extensive experience in intellectual property, previously served as director at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has worked in various copyright roles since the late 1990s. Her tenure at the Copyright Office was marked […]
Illinois seeks to prevent feds from tying funding for states to immigration enforcement
by Ben Szalinski, Capitol News Illinois May 13, 2025 Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 19 other Democratic attorneys general filed a pair of lawsuits Tuesday against Trump administration policies designed to block federal funding to states that don’t carry out U.S. immigration enforcement. According to the lawsuits, recently enacted […]
State on track to end health coverage program for immigrant adults
by Peter Hancock, Capitol News Illinois May 13, 2025 SPRINGFIELD — State officials are on track to shut down a program at the end of June that provides publicly funded health care coverage to more than 30,000 non-U.S. citizens in Illinois, including many who are in the country without legal […]
Consumer advocates tell regulators to slash rate hike requests from Ameren, Nicor
by Andrew Adams, Capitol News Illinois May 14, 2025 Natural gas customers in the Chicago suburbs and downstate Illinois are likely to see an increase in their monthly bills next year, but it’s up to state regulators to decide how big a hike, if any, to approve. Nicor Gas, which […]