The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it will reduce scheduled flights by 10 percent at 40 major U.S. airports beginning Friday morning unless Congress reaches a government shutdown deal. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy disclosed the capacity reductions during a Wednesday press briefing, describing them as a necessary step to […]
President Donald Trump sparked confusion Tuesday when he posted on Truth Social that SNAP benefits would only be distributed once Democrats end the government shutdown, shortly before White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the administration is complying with a federal court order to provide partial food assistance. In […]
All four schools in the Mahomet-Seymour Community Unit School District 3 received the highest possible designation of “exemplary” on the 2025 Illinois Report Card. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released the annual report on October 30, using data from the 2024 school year that includes academic performance, student […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday it will use contingency reserves to pay approximately half of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In a supplementary declaration filed in Rhode Island federal court, Patrick A. Penn, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at USDA, […]
A federal judge in Boston ruled Friday that the Trump administration’s planned suspension of food stamp benefits for November is likely unlawful, finding that the Department of Agriculture misinterpreted federal law by claiming it could not access a $6 billion contingency fund appropriated by Congress for precisely this type of […]
A federal judge in Rhode Island granted an emergency temporary restraining order on October 31, blocking the Trump administration’s suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and ordering the immediate release of federal funds to continue food assistance for millions nationwide. U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled […]
Nearly four in ten households across Illinois are struggling to afford the basics, and their hardship is about to deepen as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are scheduled to expire on November 1, 2025. According to United Way’s latest data, 12% of Illinois households live below the federal poverty […]
The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday, shifting its federal funds target range to 3.75–4 percent. Federal Reserve officials cited recent indicators showing moderate economic growth but noted that job gains have slowed and unemployment, while still low, is trending upward. Inflation, […]
Governor JB Pritzker declared an agricultural trade crisis in Illinois Wednesday, signing Executive Order 2025-07 in response to mounting farm financial distress that state officials blame on ongoing federal tariff policies. Since February 2025, the United States has imposed steep tariffs—some reaching 145%—on Chinese imports, prompting China to retaliate with […]
Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2025-08 on Thursday, directing $20 million in emergency funding to food banks across Illinois as nearly 2 million state residents prepare to lose federal food assistance this Saturday amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. The executive order launches a comprehensive statewide response to the Trump Administration’s unprecedented decision to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits beginning […]
