Stories by Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois

“No, I have never, had never met Jeffrey Epstein,” Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday. “I was never on Jeffrey Epstein's plane. I was never on any plane with Jeffrey Epstein or with Ghislaine Maxwell. Never met her.”

Chicago, along with Atlanta, Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, have advanced in the application process to host the convention and will receive a site visit this spring, the Democratic National Committee announced.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that the shooting was unjustified, and Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling agreed, according to records published Friday.

Trump fans the flames of war in Iran — what we know and where we’re going. And could more nuclear reactors be coming to Illinois?

A recent executive order by Gov. JB Pritzker set a new goal to begin development on new nuclear power plants by 2033, with the intention of bringing online enough energy to power up to 2 million Illinois homes.

The war in the Middle East spiraled further Monday as Israel and the U.S. pounded Iran. Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.

Illinois lawmakers have introduced legislation to create a governor-appointed commission to investigate Illinois-linked crimes connected to the network of international sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

“Just because we are going through something with our criminal past does not have anything to do with our reproductive rights,” said Amy Hicks, who was previously incarcerated at Logan Correctional Center and is now suing the Illinois Department of Corrections.

A new state transit law redirects revenue from the state’s motor fuel tax and interest from the Road Fund — funding historically used to fix roads — to public transportation.

Winter in Chicago recorded far less snow than normal, and temperatures for the season were close to normal despite January’s deep freeze.

Early voting sites opened in all of Chicago’s 50 wards Monday. Early voting also expanded to a total of 55 locations for suburban Cook County residents.

Chief Judge Charles Beach’s office said some residents have received fake notices purportedly sent by the court that threaten recipients with potential legal action.

Oil prices climbed, and stock markets slipped Monday as investors and households got the first chance to see what the war in the Middle East could mean for their finances.

Early risers will enjoy views of a total lunar eclipse in the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday.

Washington has a long, complicated past when it comes to regime change. There was Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s, and Panama in 1989. There was Nicaragua in the 1980s, Iraq and Afghanistan in the years after 9/11, and Venezuela just weeks ago.

Iranian authorities say more than 200 people have been killed since the start of the strikes that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior leaders. The U.S. military said three service members have been killed, the first known American casualties from the conflict.

Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones toward Israel and U.S. military bases in the region, and exchanges of fire continued into the night.

While presidents have the authority as the commander in chief to conduct certain strategic military operations on their own, the Constitution vests Congress with the power to wage war.

Crowds of mourners line up to pay final respects to civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. And the battle for the Bears stadium heats up as Indiana’s governor signs a bill creating a new stadium authority.

Since the 1990s, the FDA has collected fees from drug companies to help pay for extra staffers to quickly review new prescription drugs and vaccines. Under the agreement with the industry, the FDA has timelines and metrics for completing each review.

The current Kratom Control Act in Illinois from 2014 only prohibits its sale to minors under the age of 18, but it does not require any labeling, testing standards, licensing or additional taxation.

Citing high prescription drug prices, lawmakers and activists are reviving a dormant push to create an Illinois prescription drug affordability board.

The measure is the latest in a series of delays because Illinois is the last to change state law in accordance with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

CPS classes for K-12 students in the 2026-27 academic year will begin Aug. 24 and end June 11. The following year, they’ll begin Aug. 23 and run through June 9.

Chicagoans line up to pay their respects to civil rights icon Jesse Jackson. His daughter joins “Chicago Tonight.”

“Let us continue with the work.” That was the call to action from the family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights activist and religious leader who died last week at the age of 84.