Bailey said the president’s posts were totally inappropriate. “There’s no doubt about that. Secondly, we all make mistakes. We say things in the heat of the moment, and I know that firsthand. A simple apology and a little humility can go a long way to fixing that,” Bailey said.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals directed the federal government to release former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore on bond pending a new trial. The appellate court also ruled that codefendant Michael McClain is entitled to bond because “he is not likely to flee or pose a danger to the safety of any other person or the community” and because the appeal raises “a substantial question” that will result in an order for a new trial.

State Rep. Adam Niemerg, who serves as a Republican spokesman on immigration issues, argued the policy creates inequities for U.S. citizens living in neighboring states. “You have students from Indiana who are citizens of this country who can’t get in-state tuition, but someone here illegally can,” he said. “One question we’re looking into is whether foreign nationals could use this same pathway.”

The only cost of the program is minimal foregone income tax revenue to the federal government. There is no cost to participating states, only the benefit of more help flowing directly to students. A number of taxpayer-participation scenarios show that “even modest taxpayer engagement could translate into significant resources,” according to an analysis from Education Reform Now.

The department allowed employees to earn overtime hours while working during paid leave, violated state purchasing rules and failed to maintain a list of paroled inmates who moved to other state facilities, according to the audit. “I don’t know why the two worst-run departments in the state are the ones that deal with lives of people … We are being fleeced – the taxpayers,” said commission co-chair Sen. Chapin Rose.

Director Raven DeVaughn said the 9 percent increases have been due to several factors, including growth in the state’s workforce. Since 2019, she said, the state has added about 10,000 employees. She said the health plan now covers about 470,000 lives, including employees, retirees and qualifying dependents.

IFT spent a total of $52.3 million in 2025. Just $14.4 million of that was on representing teachers — not even 28 percent of the total. In total, IFT spent $13.4 million on its own officers and employees’ salaries.

The poll of 800 likely voters shows nearly 70 percent support the bill after a short description. That number rises to 75 percent when people hear more details. In some areas, data centers make up about 1 percent of electricity demand but are linked to a 595 percent increase in certain capacity costs. That cost pool totals about $1.7 billion, with most of it being passed to other customers.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle is directing management and execution of the Brandon Road project to be “immediately” transferred from the Corps’ Rock Island District in Illinois to the Detroit District in Michigan. “Our partners in the Great Lake States can’t allow one state to have undue influence and use it to play more games,” Telle wrote. “This is great news for every state in the region, including Illinois.”

Pritzker, who visited with the pope earlier this year in Rome, said that Leo has a “higher calling” when it comes to speaking out on moral issues, and that his remarks on the Iran conflict fit with that calling.

LaHood, a Catholic and ally of Trump, said in a statement: “Faith teaches us to show grace and respect, even when we disagree. The President’s comments toward Pope Leo fell short of that mark.” Other prominent Illinois Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, were also critical of Trump’s remarks.

The Will County Board will soon consider the 600-megawatt Manhattan solar farm proposal – across 45 square miles of prime Illinois farmland – and a similar 260-megawatt facility in Crete. They’ll also reconsider six smaller projects they’d already rejected. They’re doing so after the solar operators involved sued, and a judge ordered the county to issue the