Teen best friends slain in Butler Tarkington double killing
Two nineteen-year-olds, best friends and graduates of Arsenal Tech High School, were found shot to death at the corner of 43rd Street and Cornelius Avenue at 8 p.m. Sunday by a neighbor out taking a walk.
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Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
It's time once again for Illinois' biannual tax hikes
Jun. 30—Tax time again Illinois' per-gallon gas tax is scheduled to go up again on July 1 as part of the legislature's twice-a-year increase policy. The new higher tax will be 0.483 per gallon, up 1.3 cents or about 2.69 percent. In addition to levying a gas tax, Illinois is one of the few states that charges a sales tax on top of the gasoline tax. Gasoline taxes have been increasing twice a year — Jan. 1 and July 1 — ever since Gov. J.B. Pritzker took office in 2019 and persuaded legislators to double the state's gas tax and then impose twice annual "automatic inflation adjustments," aka higher taxes. The new fiscal year begins July 1, and that will bring a slew of tax hikes approved as part of the state's $55 billion-plus budget. They include higher rates on short-term rentals, sports wagering, telecommunications, tobacco and vaping products. The state also is lowering tax rebates for electric vehicles, according to The Center Square news outlet. You call THAT evidence? Well, yes, the attorney general's office does. Dee Ann Schippert, the former administrator of the Iroquois County Public Health District, faces charges of theft of government property, official misconduct and forgery in connection with her job duties. Prosecutors have alleged Schippert was paid more than $100,000 as a consequence of fraudulent time sheets for regular and overtime hours she did not work. If that sounds like a tough case to prove — was she working or not? — the government has some evidence it would like jurors to see. Investigators retrieved time-stamped video footage shot between May 31, 2020, and July 15, 2022, that showed Schippert at various gambling establishments. All told, the tapes add up to 759 hours, including 260 of which were during working hours. The defense sought to block the footage from being entered as evidence — a good idea. But the judge rejected the request — a good ruling. The case is being heard in Kankakee County Circuit Court. Slugfest in waiting A former mayor of Chicago and the current governor of Illinois have plans to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2028. How's that for a face-off for a shot at the Oval Office? Rahm Emanuel, the former mayor among other things, and J.B. Pritzker, the current governor, say they are friends and are not relishing the prospect of running against each for the same job. "But if we're running for the same position, it will be awkward," said Emanuel. Asked to explain why, Emanuel responded with an expletive and said it was "self-evident." Pritzker also is leery of a confrontation. That's why he said they have pledged to remain friends no matter what. But there's always someone itching for a fight, in this case The Chicago Tribune. "Bring it on, gentlemen, say we," the Trib stated in a June 24 article. The newspaper characterized the confrontation in glowing terms. "Broadly speaking, the differences between the two typify the internal debate Democrats will have to face before (or if) they can sufficiently unify to regain power," its editorial stated. That's a nice way of saying the face-off would be a good clean street fight that would be fun to watch. Emanuel, a self-styled tough guy, talks tough. Pritzker, judging from his searing campaign rhetoric, likes to hit below the belt. So, yes, it would be entertaining to see Emanuel, Pritzker and others Ds vie for their party's nomination. Of course, it's hardly official that they'll both get in the contest. The egotistical Emanuel may not be as well known or as well liked as he perceives. Pritzker is currently distracted by his current run for re-election in 2026 and his planned run for the presidency in 2028. It's a long time to 2028, and lots of things will happen between now and the time the pair may meet at the center of the ring, touch gloves and start throwing haymakers. Family feud Three high-profile Democrats — Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Raj Krishnamoorthi — are running for their party's nomination to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. But a new candidate recently entered the race, much to the displeasure of her future former mother-in-law, onetime Illinois U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos. A recent Washington Examiner headline said it all: "Cheri Bustos denounces daughter-in-law's Senate run ..." News reports state that Awisi Bustos, who is currently in the midst of a divorce from Bustos' son Nick Bustos, is the CEO of the Illinois Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. She would be, at best, a long-shot in a primary contest against three better-known and better-financed candidates. Whatever her chances, former Rep. Bustos sought to diminish them further by releasing a statement saying that she and her "entire family are not supportive" of Awisi Bustos' nascent candidacy. Get your vegan here The city of Chicago may look like it's rushing to the brink of ruin. But there's good news. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals recently named the Windy City as the "top vegan-friendly city in the country." "People may be surprised that the city that was once named 'The Hog Butcher of the World' is now a vegan paradise," said PETA representative Amanda Brody. It's great to see that Chicago is at least some kind of "paradise," given its myriad of problems. Veganism is the "practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods." Vegan foods include "fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains and mushrooms." The term vegan was "coined in 1944 by Donald Watson with the aim of differentiating it from vegetarianism, which rejects the consumption of meat but accepts the consumption of milk, dairy products and eggs." That may not sound as good as a juicy steak. But veganism has its highlights. The Chicago Tribune found a restaurant — The Runaway Cow in the Bridgeport neighborhood — that features a vegan version of a Dairy Queen blizzard. Alison Eichhorn, proprietor of the vegan ice cream shop, uses "oat milk soft serve in chocolate, vanilla, swirl or the featured flavor, with a myriad of add-in options for a Snowstorm. Just like a Dairy Queen Blizzard." Do not forget, stay out of debt When it comes to personal finance, there are few things people need more than good advice on how to handle their money. That's why state Comptroller Susana Mendoza has launched a podcast designed to "help consumers with money matters." In an announcement from her office, Mendoza said she'll cover a wide range of topics that include the "basics of budgeting, investing, and saving for college." "I'm a finance nerd at heart, and I really wanted to bring my knowledge, as well as advice from experts to the public. I think viewers and listeners will find some really great information in these episodes and have some fun along the way," she said. Her office said "new episodes will be launched every Monday on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and coming soon ... on Spotify." This first episode takes a look at how Comptroller Mendoza's interest in all things financial began, and where the public can get started as well. "In upcoming episodes we tackle some tough subjects, like talking to your spouse or partner about money, and paying for infertility treatments. We also explore what would happen if you hit it big and win a lottery jackpot and discuss some fun ways to teach kids about money," she said. You can go home again Former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis may be running for a U.S. House seat in Florida, but he returned to his home state to raise campaign cash. He held an evening of "cocktails, good friends and conversation" June 22 at the Dunham Woods Riding Club in Wayne, a village located in parts of both DuPage and Kane counties. Among those sponsoring the event were former state Sen. Jason Barickman and onetime GOP U.S. Senate candidate Al Salvi. Oberweis left Illinois after serving two terms in the Illinois Senate. He had previously run unsuccessfully for the U.S. House and Senate. When a U.S House seat opened up in Florida's 19th district, he decided to take another plunge into politics. Florida's primary election will be held in August 2028.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Trump's achievements embolden him to be even more aggressive
Donald Trump must be feeling pretty powerful. He's even demanding that Israel cancel the criminal trial of Bibi Netanyahu. By any objective analysis, whether you like the president or not, he has been on an incredible winning streak for the last two weeks. Everything seems to be breaking his way. And as he racks up these victories, from the powder keg of the Middle East to the staunchly conservative Supreme Court, he seems to grow bigger and stronger, like some comic book superhero, and then zap his next adversary. By hitting Iran's nuclear sites with 30,000-pound bombs – even as we debate the impact – Trump took a risk that stunned the world. With media liberals and Democrats still in full resistance mode, the coverage has been largely negative, but that doesn't matter. Since his days as a New York developer, he has been boosted by critical coverage because that drives the news agenda and gets everyone chattering about his preferred topic. But telling another country to drop criminal charges against its leader is a whole new level of what his native city calls chutzpah. Trump posted the following: "It is terrible what they are doing in Israel to Bibi Netanyahu. He is a War Hero, and a Prime Minister who did a fabulous job working with the United States to bring Great Success in getting rid of the dangerous Nuclear threat in Iran." Netanyahu is in "the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back," and Trump wonders how the Israelis could force him "to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING." As Axios points out, Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust: "He's accused of accepting more than $200,000 in gifts from wealthy businessmen, and of granting regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a telecom tycoon in exchange for favorable news coverage." The trial has dragged on for four years, thanks to Netanyahu's delaying tactics, and there was this war thing that intervened. So now Trump has called for the trial to be cancelled or Netanyahu granted a pardon – and done it quite openly. Imagine if a foreign head of state urged this country to drop charges against a major political figure. But Trump doesn't play by everyone else's rules. Another Trumpian tactic is to make a big move immediately after a major uproar, when the public and press barely has time to digest the previous controversy. So the president cut off trade talks with Canada to protest its taxation of major American tech companies such as Amazon and Google. This involves revenue they earn from online marketplaces, data and social media involving Canadian users. Before the weekend was out, Canada caved and rescinded the taxes. It's another case of Trump's tough-guy negotiating tactics getting instant results. The not-so-beautiful budget bill in the Senate is another classic case. Elon Musk – did you really think he'd stay quiet for long? – calls it "utterly insane" and "political suicide for the Republican Party." The CBO says it would add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over a decade. The Senate measure would also make deep cuts in Medicaid, which Trump has vowed to protect. Here's the point: One of the loudest Republican critics is Sen. Thom Tillis, who has been voting against a bill he says would betray the president's promise to protect those on Medicaid. Trump has trashed him, saying he will recruit a challenger to oust him from the Senate in next year's primary. The next day, literally, Tillis announced that he would not run for reelection. So Trump can save his money. He knocked out the North Carolina lawmaker with a couple of postings. And then there's the Supreme Court. By ruling that local judges cannot issue nationwide injunctions, the court has immensely increased the power of Trump and the executive branch. The 6-3 decision came in the birthright citizenship case, though not on the merits, and tore down one of the last guardrails against unchecked presidential power. It applies to Democratic presidents too, though far more of these injunctions – 40 – have been brought against Trump just in the opening months of his second term. Joe Biden faced 14 in the first three years of his term. These injunctions – which have always seemed unfair to me, on both sides – also extend Trump's winning streak in the high court. He has, after all, appointed three of the six justices that make up the conservative majority. And that's not all. SCOTUS ruled that parents with religious objections can pull their children out of public school classrooms when books with LGBTQ themes are being taught. In yet another decision, the court upheld a Tennessee law banning some forms of transition surgery for transgender youths. Trump has ordered transgender members of the military to leave the service. Sonia Sotomayor read two blistering dissents from the bench, especially in the birthright citizenship case: "Today's decision is not just egregiously wrong, it is also a travesty of law…No right is safe." Trump has made clear that he will use expanded powers to be even more aggressive than in the past. Throw in his pressure tactics and funding freezes against elite law firms and Ivy League universities and you have an emboldened president even more determined to stick it to his opponents and detractors. Of course, even Trump has his limits. The effort to derail Netanyahu's corruption trial was destined to fail. Oh wait. An Israeli court yesterday canceled this week's hearings on diplomatic and national security grounds, based on classified information provided by the prime minister and the Mossad spy agency. Coincidence?
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
The firefighters killed and injured in Sunday's attack had nearly 70 years combined experience. Here's what we know
Crime Gun violenceFacebookTweetLink Follow Two firefighters were fatally shot and a third is seriously injured after investigators say a lone gunman opened fire on crews responding to a brush fire on Canfield Mountain Sunday, near Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. The now deceased suspect is believed to have started the fire intentionally to draw-in and target responding firefighters, officials have said. Within an hour of being deployed, firefighters reported being shot at as the blaze continued to burn. Various agencies, including the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, Idaho State Police and Coeur d'Alene Police Department, were caught in an exchange of fire for about 90 minutes, according to Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris. The two firefighters killed in the fray have been identified as Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison. The injured firefighter has been identified as Coeur d'Alene Fire Department engineer Dave Tysdal, according to fire officials. He is in critical condition. 'This wasn't an event that we had trained for,' said Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Chief Tom Greif during a Monday news conference. 'We train every day for high risk, low frequency events that are dangerous in our profession, but we never imagined that we would be ambushed responding to a wildland incident at a command post,' Greif said. With nearly 70 years of fire fighting experience combined, Harwood, Morrison and Tysdal have left an indelible impact on the Coeur d'Alene community, fire officials said. Here's what we know: A member of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue for 17 years, Harwood was married and had two children, Chief Christopher Way said. Harwood was also a former Army National Guard combat engineer, Way said. 'Chief Harwood was a leader in our organization. He did an amazing job. He was a shift commander and he was well respected by his shift,' Way said Monday. 'This loss is felt by so many, including all of the members of his shift.' Morrison served with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department for more than 28 years and moved up the ranks in his department from firefighter to battalion chief, Greif said. 'These guys were hard workers,' said Gabe Eckert, President of the Coeur d'Alene Firefighter's union. 'They loved their families.' Eckert shared his final memory with Morrison during Monday's news conference, recalling a time when the pair smoked cigars during a rare lull at the fire station. 'We talked about being better fathers, we talked about being better leaders, talked about being better firefighters,' Eckert said. 'I just want to say I am so incredibly grateful that that gets to be my last memory with him.' An engineer with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, Tysdal is recovering after undergoing two surgeries and is in critical condition, according to Greif. Tysdal has been an engineer with the fire department for 23 years, Grief said. 'We thank everyone for their love and support,' a family statement read by Greif said. 'Dave is surrounded by his family, and he is able to open his eyes and the two surgeries have gone well,' the statement added.
