Rebekah Barber Originally published by The 19th On January 1, Illinois will become the first state in the country to officially eliminate its cash bail system when the Pretrial Fairness Act goes into effect. Under the new system, a person will only be detained before trial if a judge determines …
Read More »Dozens Dead, Injured After Historic Tornado Outbreak
Dozens of people are dead, and search efforts are ongoing after a historic tornado outbreak and rounds of severe weather ripped through several states Friday and Saturday. Bodies were pulled from a candle factory destroyed in Kentucky, and deaths were confirmed at an Amazon facility that was ripped apart in …
Read More »GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger Announces He Wont Run For Re-election
Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) — a high-profile critic of former President Donald Trump and his loyalists — won’t seek reelection to Congress in 2022, he announced Friday. The six-term lawmaker from Illinois who has drawn national attention from the GOP for voting to impeach Trump, and for serving on the House …
Read More »Hairstyle Discrimination Now Illegal In Illinois Schools Under New Law
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed a bill aimed at ending discrimination based mostly on hairstyles — particularly these related to race, together with protecting Black hairstyles — in Illinois schools. The new legislation says schools “will not prohibit hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity, or hair texture, including, …
Read More »Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Dead At 88
Former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, who presided over the Pentagon when the United States went to war against Iraq and Afghanistan, has died. “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, an American statesman and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather,” …
Read More »While States Restrict Voting, Illinois Expands Access
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 825 Thursday, which aims at expanding voting access throughout the state. The bill would also move the March 15 primary in 2022 back to June 28 as the state experiences delays in the new Census numbers due to COVID-19. The bill includes making …
Read More »Rep. Cheri Bustos Won’t Run For Re-election In 2022
Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat who represents Illinois‘ 17th Congressional District, announced Friday she won’t run for re-election next year. She said she’s retiring from Congress after her current term is up. “As I turn every corner on each decade of life, I take time to reflect and evaluate what …
Read More »The FDA Announces Plan To Ban Menthol Cigarettes
On Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced its plan to ban menthol cigarettes in response to a 2013 citizen petition advocating the ban of mint-flavored cigarettes, the Washington Post reports. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 20 million Americans smoke menthols. Phillip Gardiner, the co-chair of the …
Read More »President Biden Announces New Measures To Address Violence Against Asian American
The Biden Administration announced on Tuesday that the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders will be reinstated. The mandate will be expanded to include coordination with federal agencies across the country. “Today’s announcements are additional steps in the Biden Administration’s work to advance equity for Asian Americans, …
Read More »Evanston, Illinois Is Offering Black Residents Reparations
Evanston, Illinois is paying reparations to Black residents for harm caused by the city’s discriminatory housing policies and practices. It is the first time that a city in the United States has established a reparations program. “The program is a step towards revitalizing, preserving, and stabilizing Black/African-American owner-occupied homes in …
Read More »White House Agrees To AAPI Liaison After Being Pressed By Democratic Senators
On Tuesday, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth and Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono vowed to withhold votes from white nominees until more underrepresented groups are given opportunities in President Biden‘s Administration. “We do not have anybody either (at a senior level) in the West Wing or in a cabinet-level position, and I don’t …
Read More »Freshman Congresswoman: “Hitler was right on one thing”
Newly-elected Illinois Representative Mary Miller has served in Congress less than a week and has already drawn calls for her resignation from colleagues over a statement she made at a Pro-Trump rally earlier this week. During a rally for the conservative Moms for America on Tuesday, Miller, an Illinois Republican, …
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