Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield for the spring legislative session. They’re facing some tough realities: a budget gap in the billions, growing pressure to deliver affordability relief, and a widening financial rift with Washington, D.C.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Program uses federal funding to buy fresh products from farmers at a fair market value, then distributes the food to communities via food pantries and other similar programs designed to help people in need for no additional cost.

One year into Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. Campus encampment cleared at DePaul. And will Springfield help Chicago Public Schools close its deficit?