“Libraries are so much more than books,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said. “They offer things like job searching and training courses, literacy support, de facto child care for working parents, language instruction, and most of all, welcoming and inclusive public spaces for the community.”

The five-hour hearing focused on questions about whether Chicago Police Department brass and officers violated the city’s Welcoming City ordinance, which prohibits all city employees from assisting federal immigration agents in nearly all cases.

“No, it’s not acceptable,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said. “No one is going to agree that the overspending in this moment is something that we should accept or be OK with.”

A study published Monday in The Lancet estimates that the USAID funding cuts could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030. Nearly a third of those deaths – more than 4.5 million – are estimated to be among children younger than 5.

Vice President JD Vance broke a 50-50 tie to push it over the top. The three Republicans opposing the bill were Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The dispute has laid bare not only the differences between the Republican president and one of his most vociferous one-time advocates, but also has reignited the possibility that the world’s richest man will — along with his billions — reenter the political spending arena.

Assembled on a remote airstrip with tents and trailers that are normally used after a natural disaster, the detention center has been nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” a moniker that has alarmed immigrant activists but appeals to the Republican president’s aggressive approach to deportations.

Gov. JB Pritzker called the little-known former state representative “a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois.”

The Chicago Police Department exceeded its nearly $2 billion budget, approved by the Chicago City Council, by $207 million, according to city data.

In all, Chicago owes $35.9 billion to its four employee pension funds representing police officers, firefighters, municipal employees and laborers, according to the 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating a direct admissions program. Along with it, he approved bills that implement new state standards for programs offering college credits to high school students, and new requirements for financial aid application assistance.

More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation.

The finding from the administration is the latest intensification in the White House’s battle with Harvard, which lost more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants after rejecting a list of federal demands calling for sweeping changes to campus governance, hiring and admissions.

Without the limits on party spending, large donors would be able to skirt caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate, supporters of the law say.

Chicago officials held the first of four “budget engagement roundtables” designed to gather feedback about the city’s 2026 budget.

A conservative majority left open the possibility that the birthright citizenship changes could remain blocked nationwide. Trump’s order would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of people who are in the country illegally.