Illinois

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Trump Yanks $2.1B for Chicago in a 'Very Bad Day for Public Transit'

President halts funds for city's subway projects over possible 'discriminatory' practices

(Newser) - The Trump administration has halted $2.1 billion in federal funds earmarked for Chicago subway projects, intensifying a standoff with Democratic leaders as the government shutdown drags on . The White House says the hold is necessary to prevent money from moving through contracts it claims may be based on...

Reporter Accuses ICE Agent of Unprovoked Attack

Asal Rezaei says officer fired chemical munition at her outside ICE facility in Broadview

(Newser) - Police in Illinois have launched a criminal investigation after a federal immigration officer allegedly fired a pepper-spray projectile at a reporter's vehicle outside an ICE facility that's been the site of recent protests , including over the weekend . CBS News Chicago reporter Asal Rezaei visited the site in...

The River Was 'Untouchable.' Now Hundreds Dive In

After cleanup, Chicago hosts first group swim since 1927

(Newser) - For the first time in nearly a century, hundreds of swimmers dove into the Chicago River for an organized swim Sunday, marking a striking reversal for a waterway long synonymous with pollution. Around 300 participants, some in wetsuits, braved the cold for a mile-long swim, a feat organizers say...

Tear Gas Deployed as ICE Protest Erupts at Chicago Site

Federal agents, protesters clash amid ongoing immigration enforcement sweep

(Newser) - Federal agents in riot gear deployed tear gas on demonstrators outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Chicago on Friday, as protests over the Trump administration's intensified immigration crackdown reached a boiling point. The confrontation erupted after protesters blocked a vehicle from leaving the Broadview ICE...

Appeals Court Approves Ban on Guns on Public Transport

Federal court reverses lower court's decision on Illinois ban

(Newser) - A federal appeals court has approved Illinois' ban on carrying firearms on public transit, reversing a lower court decision that found the prohibition violated the Second Amendment. The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals delivered its opinion on Tuesday. Judge Joshua Kolar wrote in the majority opinion for a three-judge...

Trump Asks Naval Base Outside Chicago for Support

Naval Station Great Lakes says it's been asked to support immigration operations

(Newser) - President Trump's administration has asked a military base outside Chicago for support on immigration operations, the base said Thursday, signaling a push to expand its law enforcement crackdown to other cities. The Department of Homeland Security has asked Naval Station Great Lakes for "limited support in the form...

Pritzker Responds to Trump With Insults of His Own

'Arrogant little man' will face justice for Chicago actions, says Illinois governor

(Newser) - President Trump would be putting himself in legal jeopardy by deploying federal troops in Chicago, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warned Monday. Trump has reportedly been planning a military deployment to Chicago for weeks in what Pritzker previously described as "authoritarian overreach." Speaking Monday, accompanied by Chicago Mayor Brandon...

States That Are the Most Fun
States That Are the Most Fun
Aug 24, 2025 1:10 PM CDT

States That Are the Most Fun

California tops WalletHub's rankings, while West Virginia needs to lighten up

(Newser) - Every day of your existence "should be sprinkled with at least a little bit of fun," not just your vacations. That's Travel + Leisure's take , and why the magazine is promoting WalletHub's latest rankings to find the state that has the most of it. The...

Arrest Made in 1996 Disappearance of Girl, 11
Arrest Made Decades Later
in Disappearance of Girl, 11
in case you missed it
Aug 17, 2025 10:41 AM CDT

Arrest Made Decades Later in Disappearance of Girl, 11

The body of Illinois girl Trudy Appleby has never been found

(Newser) - Trudy Appleby asked her dad if she could go swimming on Aug. 21, 1996, and he said no. Phone records indicate the 11-year-old went anyway, and then vanished. She was last seen getting into a vehicle with an unidentified man not far from her Moline, Illinois, home. Now, almost exactly...

Illinois Is Latest to Balk at AI Therapy 'Horror Stories'

New law in Illinois targets unlicensed chatbot therapy, marketing of services

(Newser) - Illinois has enacted a new law barring the use of artificial intelligence in mental health therapy, making it the latest state to place restrictions on AI-powered chatbots in this space. The legislation , which took effect last week, prohibits licensed therapists from using AI to make treatment decisions or communicate...

Helicopter Crashes Into Barge on Mississippi River

FAA says 2 died in southern Illinois crash

(Newser) - Two people died when a helicopter crashed into a barge in the Mississippi River near East Alton, Illinois, on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Cpl. Dallas Thompson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol confirmed that the two inside the aircraft were killed and that there were no other reported...

Senator: FBI Has Granted Request on 'Runaway' Dems

Cornyn says agency will help state find lawmakers who fled Texas, though their location is known

(Newser) - Republican Sen. John Cornyn says the FBI has granted his request to locate and investigate Democratic Texas lawmakers who fled the state to block a redistricting plan that would give the GOP more US House seats. The lawmakers' whereabouts aren't a secret—they regularly give press conferences from various...

Illinois Governor Vows to Protect Texas Democrats

Lawmakers fled there to prevent a vote on new congressional maps

(Newser) - The Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to prevent a vote from taking place now face two potential unwanted scenarios: arrest and extradition back to their home state, and possible expulsion from the Texas House. Details:
  • The walkout: More than 50 Democrats left the state to prevent the GOP from being
...

Biden: 'You Can't Sugarcoat It. These Are Dark Days'

Former president rips into Trump administration at National Bar Association event in Chicago

(Newser) - Former Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris appeared on Stephen Colbert's show on Thursday, while about 800 miles away, a tuxedoed Joe Biden took to the stage that same evening to speak at a National Bar Association event in Chicago. And Biden, 82, didn't hold back...

Landlord Convicted in Hate Crime Killing of 6-Year-Old Dies

Joseph Czuba was imprisoned for attack on Palestinian American boy and his mother

(Newser) - A landlord who was just beginning to serve a 53-year prison sentence for the hate crime attack on a Palestinian American boy and his mother in suburban Chicago has died, Illinois authorities said Saturday. Joseph Czuba, 73, died in state custody on Thursday, NBC News reports. He'd been sentenced...

Collision Kills Skydiver, Injures the Other

Both jumpers' parachutes had opened before accident in Illinois

(Newser) - A midair collision of two skydivers after their parachutes deployed has killed one man and injured the other. The accident took place Wednesday evening in Rochelle, Illinois, about 80 miles west of Chicago. Chicagoland Skydiving Center reported that after the collision, both jumpers' reserve parachutes were activated. One of...

Chicago Beluga Is First to Recover From Anesthesia

Shedd Aquarium celebrates a milestone surgery

(Newser) - Chicago is home to a special beluga whale—the only one known to have recovered from general anesthesia. The 12-year-old whale dubbed Kimalu, born and kept at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, underwent surgery to remove a network of cysts around her blowhole on July 1, per a release . Caretakers first...

18 Shot at Rapper's Album Release Party in Chicago

Mello Buckzz's boyfriend, best friend said to be among the 4 dead

(Newser) - Four people have died from gunshot wounds and 14 others have been hospitalized following a drive-by shooting in Chicago, police said Thursday, per the AP . Four people were in critical condition, per the Chicago Sun-Times . The shooting happened late Wednesday in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Several media outlets said...

'Another Corrupt Leader in Illinois' Sentenced

Michael Madigan, speaker of Illinois House for almost 40 years, gets 7.5 years on corruption charges

(Newser) - Michael Madigan, the longest-serving legislative leader in US history, has been sentenced to 7.5 years in prison over corruption during his years as speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. The 83-year-old Democrat was also fined $2.5 million. Madigan was indicted in 2022 and convicted in February on...

Thieves Break Through Wall, Clean Out Jewelry Store's Safe

They spent hours cutting into safe to steal $1.3M in jewelry, Illinois store owner says

(Newser) - The owner of a Chicago-area jewelry store says thieves broke through the wall of the vacant office next door to steal $1.3 million in jewelry from a safe. Rick Kleinvehn, owner of Rick Kleinvehn Diamond Brokers in South Barrington, says the thieves used a wet saw, normally used in...

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