Aurora’s new Police Chief, Matthew Thomas, sworn in
Mayor of Aurora, John Laesch, right, swears in recently-appointed Aurora Police Chief Matthew Thomas at the May 20 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Trump making Americans Constitutionally literate
By John & Nisha Whitehead Few modern political figures have done more to prompt spontaneous national discussions about the Bill of Rights and constitutional limits on government power than Donald Trump—if only because he tramples on them so frequently. Indeed, president Trump has become a walking civics lesson. Consider some
John Laesch sworn in as 60th mayor of Aurora
John Laesch, the 60th mayor of Aurora, was sworn-in by Aurora City clerk, Jennifer Stallings, Tuesday, May 13 at the Paramount Theatre.
Pritzker to protect personal autism data
By Jade AubreyCapitol News Illinoisjaubrey@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker issued an executive order May 7 that bars State agencies from collecting and disclosing data about autism to the federal government unless it’s medically or legally necessary. The order was in response to a move by the U.S. Department of Health and
Aurora City Council offers farewell to aldermen, CMO
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council, Tuesday, May 13, expressed appreciation and a farewell to Ward 4 alderman Bill Donnell, Ward 7 alderman Brandon Tolliver, alderman-at-large Ron Woerman, and chief management officer, Alex Alexandrou. Recently alderman Donnell announced he wouldn’t run for another term. Aldermen Tolliver and Woerman lost
Reader’s Voice: Time to fight for our country
May 11, 2025Dear editor; Dems have to fight back in order to keep our country. The other guys have been destroying unions that built the middle class and increasing economic inequality ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). FDR got us out of the depression with public works initiatives putting Americans
Foster demands answers on Science Funding Freeze
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL), Congress’ only PhD physicist, led 112 Members of Congress in expressing their concern with the Donald Trump Administration’s directive for the National Science Foundation to freeze all grant funding. In a letter to president Trump, the members wrote: “The NSF has, for decades, been a cornerstone
Illinois pre-apprenticeship programs in Aurora area
Representative Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) released a statement after governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that Lewis University’s Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program that serves people in the Aurora area has been renewed for $682,000. In addition, $1,100,000 has been renewed to support the
IHSA and State to expand opportunities for student athletes
State senator Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, State representative Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) are announcing their work together to expand opportunities for student athletes to compete in local and national sporting events, based on their work on the Right to Play Act (House Bill 3037).
Authoritarian: Martial law disguised as law and order
By John & Nisha Whitehead “A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty.”—James Madison We are being frog-marched into tyranny at the end of a loaded gun. Or rather, hundreds of thousands of loaded guns. Let’s not mince words: President Donald Trump’s
Push for minimum nurse staffing in hospitals
By Grace FriedmanMedill Illinois News Bureaunews@capitolnewsillinois.com Health care unions continue to rally for legislation to address understaffing they say strains hospitals and threatens both patient safety and staff well-being. Lawmakers are considering the Hospital Worker Staff and Safety bill, which would establish mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and increase support for
Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin thankful to live his dream
By Jason Crane Mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin, the outgoing 59th mayor, says goodbye Tuesday, May 6, at his last Aurora Committee of the Whole meeting as mayor, after sharing the achievements of his administration. “To my beloved city of Aurora, I came, I saw, we conquered.” Irvin served on
Reader’s Voice: Trump administration fighting colleges, our future
April 29, 2025Dear editor; Under the guise of a conveniently focused concern for antisemitism on our nation’s college campuses, the Donald Trump administration is attempting to impose its own political views and distorted realities on what has been for centuries the bastion of free thinking and independent research, our academic
Reader’s Voice: Black history is American history
May 1, 2025Dear editor; The Executive Order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” was signed March 27, targeting the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) for promoting an alleged “improper ideology.” This order threatens not only the ability of institutions to engage with the
Home invasions on the rise, Constitution-free policing
By John & Nisha Whitehead “One of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one’s house. A man’s house is his castle.”—James Otis, Revolutionary War activist, on the Writs of Assistance, 1761 What the Founders rebelled against—armed government agents invading homes without cause—we are now being
Illinois veterans, VA employees rally to protest expected Trump administration cuts
By Sonya DymovaMedill Illinois News Bureaunews@capitolnewsillinois.com John Gerend, a Vietnam War veteran from Lake Villa, Ill., was exposed to Agent Orange while on duty. Suffering from diseases associated with exposure to the toxic chemical, he said he still considers himself fortunate. “I’ve had some issues with it — diabetes, some
Durbin to retire; Stratton replacement?
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillionis.com Standing on his backyard deck Thursday, April 24, the same place where he declared his 1996 candidacy for U.S. Senate, Illinois’ senior senator Dick Durbin reflected on his decision to retire after four decades in Congress. “I’ve done this my way, making decisions based on
Due process, immigration, Abrego Garcia case
By Saranac Hale SpencerFactCheck.org The Supreme Court ruled on the evening of April 10 that the Donald Trump Administration must comply with a lower court’s order to “facilitate” the release from custody of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was deported without a hearing to a mega prison in
Aurora to swear in new officials May 10
The City of Aurora government proudly invites the community to gather Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m., at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Boulevard as we formally swear in our newly-elected officials, marking the next chapter in Aurora’s continued growth and prosperity: •Mayor-elect, John Laesch; •Ward 1 alderman, Dan
REAL ID requirements to begin May 7, needed for air travel
Starting May 7, anyone over 18 years old will be required to present a REAL ID, or another acceptable form of identification, like a valid U.S. passport, to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities or military bases. Implementing REAL ID standards nationwide was pushed back for years, but