By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Hospital officials in Illinois say they will have to make some difficult decisions in the next few years that could involve laying off staff, cutting back services, and even closing some facilities entirely. That’s the expected result of federal funding cuts built into the recently
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans earlier this month curtailed federal tax incentives for the solar energy industry and for individuals and companies that purchase solar panels. The move sent shockwaves through the industry nationwide, pulling key incentives for major projects and residential rooftop solar
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council is considering approval of a 1% tax on grocery items, and doubling the Hotel Occupancy Tax rate from 3% to 6%. Hundreds of municipalities throughout the State have approved ordinances to impose a local tax to replace the State tax. The Illinois state
July 13, 2025Dear editor; This submission concerns money received from foreign governments in the U.S.. One year ago, Democratic senator Robert Menendez was found guilty in what U.S. attorney Danielle R. Sassoon called an “egregious abuse of power.” She added, “attempts to corrupt the Nation’s foreign policy and the rule
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight and Regulations on Data (DASHBOARD) Act Tuesday, July 15. The legislation would require data harvesting companies, like social media platforms, to tell consumers and financial regulators what data they are collecting from customers and how it is
From the vault, September 4, 2014 (revised): In the biblical book of Revelation (chapter 6, verses 1-8), the so-called “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” are described. The first wields a bow, wears a white crown, and rides a white horse; he is called “Conquest.” The second wields a great sword
By John & Nisha Whitehead America is rapidly becoming a nation of prisons. Having figured out how to parlay presidential authority in foreign affairs in order to sidestep the U.S. Constitution, president Donald Trump is using his immigration enforcement powers to lock up—and lock down—the nation. Under the guise of
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans could lose benefits from a federal food assistance program while the state will be required to cover more costs under changes passed in the latest domestic policy plan. President Donald Trump signed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” into law
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The number of homeless people in Illinois is rising, but the State’s spending on homeless prevention and other housing programs is headed in the other direction. Facing a tight budget year with constrained spending and limited natural revenue growth, the $55.1 billion fiscal year 2026
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council approved an ordinance amending Sec. 2-277(c) of the Code of Ordinances pertaining to the qualifications of the department heads of the City, at the Tuesday, July 8, City Council meeting. Ward 2 alderwoman, Juany Garza, and Ward 10 alderwoman, Shweta Baid, voted against
June 29, 2025Dear editor; There isn’t a lot Americans agree on. However, up until very recently, there was a broad consensus, among representatives from the socialist left to the neoconservative right, that the United States’ effort to halt the spread of fascism in World War II was laudable. Of course,
To quote an old 1920s song, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer…ain’t we got fun?” The majority of Republicans in Congress could have used this as their warcry when they passed Trump’s tax bill, celebrated by none other than the felon on July 4, which will result
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement after voting against the Republican reconciliation bill: “I voted no on Republicans’ budget bill. I watched in disgust as Republicans cheered for the largest cut to health care and food assistance in American history. “This bill will rip health care away from
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda Why build uranium enrichment facilities 300 feet below a mountain? Why not build above ground where excavation of millions of tons of granite isn’t required? This question occurred to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). They asked the Iranians if they could get a “look-see” what
By John & Nisha Whitehead We are now struggling to emerge from the wreckage of a constitutional republic, transformed into a kleptocracy (government by thieves), collapsing into kakistocracy (government by the worst), and enforced by a police state algogracy (rule by algorithm). This week alone, the Donald Trump administration is
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois students won’t need to fill out applications for most state universities to be admitted — if they have high enough grades. With his signature, governor JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating the direct admissions program. Along with it, he approved bills that
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that former deputy governor Christian Mitchell will be his running mate for the 2026 campaign. Pritzker’s selection, made just days after announcing a third campaign for governor, comes from a close circle of trust in Pritzker’s administration. Mitchell previously served
June 25, 2025Dear editor; There are 16,600 additional, preventable deaths which could happen each year because of the Republican House budget proposal, according to an analysis by researchers in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The Senate version could make this even worse! Encouraged by Donald Trump, $1 trillion of SNAP
Musings: •The Sins of Donald J. Trump (chapter eight). He has: Slashed the funding of projects which investigate systemic abuse of indigenous children in government boarding schools; Fired Carla Hayden, director of the Library of Congress in order to take control of the Library and access its sensitive data; Removed
By John & Nisha Whitehead While the U.S. wages war abroad—bombing Iran, escalating conflict, and staging a spectacle of power for political gain—a different kind of war is being waged here at home. This war at home is quieter but no less destructive. The casualties are not in distant deserts
