Chicago Sun-Times

A statement by influential Chicago advocacy groups against Sen. Dick Durbin’s vote, coupled with a climate group protest targeting him, are uncommon public rebukes of the 80-year-old lawmaker deciding whether to run for another term.

The decadelong FBI investigation that led to Michael Madigan’s trial roiled local politics and changed the course of Illinois history. Prosecutors summoned 50 witnesses to a 12th-floor courtroom in a bid to prove Madigan and Michael McClain guilty of “corruption at the highest levels of state government.”

The funding freeze could affect trillions of dollars and cause widespread disruption in health care research, education programs and other initiatives. Grants that have been awarded but not spent are also halted.

A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a range of federal agencies conducted “enhanced targeted operations” in Chicago on Sunday “to enforce U.S. immigration law and preserve public safety.”

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s lawsuit claims President Trump’s executive order is unconstitutional.

The biggest political guessing game in Illinois is whether Durbin will seek a sixth term in 2026.

Budzinski, a Springfield Democrat who was elected to the 13th Congressional District seat in 2022, was called to testify about a scheme in which Madigan allegedly agreed to help then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis secure a paid seat on a government board in 2018 and 2019.

Six newspapers in Illinois shuttered in the 12 months ending September 2024, making it No. 6 in the country for number of closures.

Budzinski, who now represents much of the Metro East in Congress, is a former aide to Gov. JB Pritzker. Prosecutors said they plan to call members of the governor's staff to show that Madigan regularly made recommendations about appointments.

Drug-soaked paper is making its way into Illinois prisons, causing overdoses and staff safety concerns. But banning it could pose legal issues.