Category: 1-Draft

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed late Tuesday that it is “assessing the circumstances” surrounding the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black woman by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy. Benjamin Crump, renowned civil rights attorney who represents the family of the woman, said at a news conference on […]

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — Two new lawsuits allege decades of sexual abuse at a Chicago juvenile detention center.  The complaints – one against Cook County and one against the state of Illinois – were filed Monday in state court on behalf of 193 men and women who were housed in […]

By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois  news@capitolnewsillinois.com CARBONDALE – Amid this heated political season, residents in southern Illinois have found a unifying pastime: spotting black bears. “I love the dichotomy right now on my FB (Facebook) feeds. On one hand, major political drama. On the other, this bear is just doing bear things, just wandering […]

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com BOLINGBROOK – Residents of Chicago’s southwest suburbs, alongside local and state elected officials, shared their anger over a proposed water rate increase this week, describing it as “outrageous” and “ridiculous.”  At issue was a proposed rate increase that would drive the average monthly bill for residential customers of […]

By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com State legislators resumed a series of hearings this week to scrutinize pharmacy benefit managers – a highly concentrated industry that critics say drives up the cost and limits availability of prescription drugs. PBMs, which have also faced scrutiny from the federal government, act as third-party “middlemen” who negotiate […]

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A California-based quantum computing company wants to build one of the largest quantum computers in the world on Chicago’s southeast side and the state is chipping in hundreds of millions of dollars to help make it happen.  PsiQuantum will be the first tenant of the “Illinois […]

by GRACE HAUCK ILLINOIS ANSWERS PROJECT Warning: The following article includes mentions of self-harm. This is the second in a series of stories. Read the first story here. CHARLESTON, Ill. – Brice Fritz was naked, strapped down to a chair in a jail cell when a staff member monitoring her via video delivered 80,000 volts […]

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Before former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson was accused of shooting Sonya Massey after she called police to investigate a prowler, he had a rocky, one-year tenure with the Logan County Sheriff’s Department. Personnel records show that Grayson’s time there was fraught, though he was not fired […]

By DILPREET RAJU & JENNIFER FULLER Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law Monday that expands insurance coverage during and after pregnancy with the goal of lowering infant and maternal mortality rates, especially for Black Illinoisans. The law requires insurers that provide state-regulated health care plans to cover pregnancy and postpartum services […]

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – As the flow of billions of dollars in federal pandemic-related aid is about to end, many students in Illinois are still struggling to catch up academically from the learning loss that occurred when schools were forced to close. A new study from the University of Illinois […]