The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has extended the termination date for critical weather satellite data to July 31, 2025, following an initial announcement that would have ended the service on June 30. The extension comes after NASA requested additional time and amid significant backlash from the meteorological community during […]
Other News
Tax Benefits Now, Bigger Consequences Later: The Projected Legacy of HR1
Republicans are setting up a celebration of HR1 (the One Big, Beautiful Bill) for the Fourth of July weekend while many of the most impactful parts of the measure will not be felt by the American people until the next president and congress is seated in 2028. The delayed impact […]
Fourth of July 2025: Champaign and Danville Area Event Guide
Thursday, July 3 Friday, July 4 Saturday, July 5
State Releases Updated List of High-Risk Lead Exposure ZIP Codes: Champaign and Vermilion Communities on Alert
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has released its latest list of pediatric high-risk ZIP codes for lead exposure, highlighting several communities in Champaign and Vermilion counties as areas of concern. This designation means that children living in these ZIP codes are at increased risk for lead poisoning, a serious health […]
Trump to Visit New 5,000-Bed Immigration Detention Facility Dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz”
The deportation and detention of immigrants in the United States has been political fodder for Trump administration officials and advisors since his second term began in Jan. 2025. From U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s selfie with detainees in El Salvador to Trump advisor Laura Loomer expressing enthusiasm about […]
DOJ Memo Signals Massive Expansion of Citizenship Revocation
The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a memorandum that expands the federal government’s pursuit of denaturalization, the revocation of citizenship from naturalized Americans. A June 11, 2025 memo, signed by Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, directs Civil Division attorneys to “prioritize and maximally pursue denaturalization proceedings in all cases […]
Illinois to roll out direct admissions program for most state universities
by Andrew Adams, Capitol News Illinois June 30, 2025 CHICAGO — Illinois students won’t need to fill out applications for most state universities to be admitted — if they have high enough grades. With his signature, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating the direct admissions program. Along […]
Supreme Court Upholds FCC’s Universal Service Fund Structure
The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), rejecting arguments that the funding mechanism violates the Constitution’s nondelegation doctrine and affirming the FCC’s authority to collect and distribute billions of dollars annually to support communications services for underserved communities. The Universal […]
Supreme Court Curtails Universal Injunctions, Limiting Federal Courts’ Power
The Supreme Court has ruled that federal courts lack the authority to issue “universal injunctions,” orders that block the enforcement of federal laws or executive actions against anyone in the country, not just the plaintiffs who brought the case. The 6-3 decision, delivered by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, grants the […]
Supreme Court Orders Opt-Out for Parents Over LGBTQ+ Storybooks in Montgomery County Schools
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, must be allowed to excuse their children from elementary school lessons involving LGBTQ+-inclusive storybooks, citing constitutional protections for religious freedom and parental rights. The 6-3 ruling, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, reverses lower court decisions and orders the Montgomery […]