Latest news with #D-IL
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$157M in federal funding committed for Springfield railroad project
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The final segment of the Springfield Rail Improvements projects can move forward, after lawmakers announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has officially budgeted over $157 million in federal funding for the project. This comes after the Trump Administration directed federal agencies to pause 'all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance,' earlier this year. IL lawmakers announce $157M in funding toward Springfield rail project The $157,126,494 project is part of a local, state and federal partnership designed to reduce rail congestion in downtown Springfield. Once the project is finished, it'll consolidate train traffic from Third Street the 10th Street and construct a series of overpasses and underpasses along the corridor. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) said this project will connect communities and build a more reliable transportation system for the future. 'Securing funding for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project has been a top priority of mine, and with the funding now finalized, we're one step closer to transforming our downtown, reducing rail noise, and making our streets safer. This project is also creating good-paying union jobs, benefiting families across our community,' Budzinski said in a news release. Springfield street set to close for water main relocation, railroad project This phase of the project includes includes rail improvements, track realignment, and the construction of a new Amtrak Station in Springfield. It will consolidate the Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern corridors into one multitrack corridor through the city, which will — hopefully — lead to a high speed passenger rail connecting St. Louis and Chicago in the future. 'Connecting communities is at the heart of transportation and today's final federal commitment for a new Amtrak Station, rail improvements, and track realignment in Springfield will better connect passengers between St. Louis and Chicago,' Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said in a news release. 'The Springfield Rail Improvements Project is dramatically changing downtown Springfield by reducing rail congestion, creating jobs, and improving safety for passengers, drivers, and pedestrians.' High-speed rail survey could help bring trains through Central Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) added that investing in rail infrastructure will help grow Illinois' economy. And, after pushing for this project alongside Durbin and Budzinski, Duckworth is 'grateful' to see this project move towards completion. 'This federal investment will go a long way in helping us build a new multimodal transportation center, improve efficiency for passengers traveling between St. Louis and Chicago and support good-paying jobs while making Springfield safer for pedestrians and drivers,' Duckworth said in a news release. The project includes the construction of a Multimodal Transportation Center. It will improve public transportation connectivity among intercity passenger rail, local bus service, and intercity bus service. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
IL Sen. Durbin will not seek re-election in 2026
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) will not seek re-election in 2026 after serving nearly three decades in the Senate. Durbin is the Senate minority whip, the No. 2 position in the Democratic caucus, as well as ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local reactions to death of Pope Francis
Local leaders are reacting to the death of Pope Francis earlier today. Bishop Dennis Walsh, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport, was appointed by Pope Francis in June 2024. In his statement, he says, 'It is with great sadness that we have received the news of the death of Pope Francis. HIs life and ministry was an inspiration to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. He was a true witness to a life of humility and service. As the first pope from the Americas, he brought with him the experience of being first and foremost a Pastor who cares deeply for his flock. Throughout his ministry he emphasized the importance of compassion, environmental stewardship and social justice. His time as superior for the Jesuits was a tumultuous time during a military dictatorship in Argentina. In that time, he worked tirelessly to protect human rights and support for the marginalized. As pope, he continued to be a vocal advocate for the poor. He has called all of us to stewardship for the environment. His encyclical, Laudato Si, addressed an urgent need for a collective response as a world community to respond to the climate crisis. Throughout his ministry, he has been a great champion for the rights of migrants and refugees. I have been inspired by his courageous and prophetic voice, speaking truth to a world not always prepared to listen. I will always be grateful to the Holy Father for the confidence he has placed in me in calling me to this episcopal ministry as Bishop of Davenport. He will always be an inspiration for me personally and I mourn his passing. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.' Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is Catholic and attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through law school. He said in a statement, 'We have lost the messenger, but we must hold fast to the message of Pope Francis to love and respect one another. In a world of hate and fear, Pope Francis' message of peace and understanding is needed now more than ever. 'We should honor the Pope with a 'Francis Day' of world peace: stop the bombing in Ukraine and Gaza; feed the dying in Sudan and around the globe; and show kindness to one another.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Giveaways on South Side help Chicago families in need ahead of Easter
The same Chicago non-profit that helps out families in need around Christmas hosted a spring giveaway on Saturday. Christmas in the Wards brought plenty of kids' clothing, diapers, wipes, toys, and much more to Kennedy-King College. They said the goal of the spring giveaway was to uplift communities in the face of rising costs and dwindling savings. "Love and generosity don't follow a calendar. So when we have Christmas and Easter, all it is is generosity, and generosity is welcome any time of the year," said U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL). Christmas in the Wards has been hosting holiday giveaways and providing community support to families across the Chicagoland area for the past 28 years. Meantime, thousands of families in Chatham have meals to put on the table this Easter. Discover Financial Service's Shine Bright Community Center hosted its 9th annual food giveaway. Members of the community got a free ham and groceries, as well as gift cards to pick up some extras. In all, volunteers handed out about 2,500 hams. The goal is to help families offset the rising price of groceries, which have spiked nearly 24% over the past four years.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Schiff Wants Tariff Pause Investigation Over Insider Trading
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks alongside Sen. Dick Durban (D-IL) during a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Building in Washington, D.C., on April 07, 2025. Credit - Kayla Bartkowski—Getty Images Senator Adam Schiff on Wednesday called on Congress to investigate whether President Donald Trump engaged in insider trading or market manipulation when he abruptly paused a sweeping set of tariffs, a move that sent stock prices skyrocketing. 'I'm going to do my best to find out,' Schiff, a California Democrat, tells TIME when asked about allegations that the President's 90-day tariff pause announcement may have been exploited for personal gain. 'Family meme coins and all the rest of it are not beyond insider trading or enriching themselves. I hope to find out soon.' Schiff's comments regarding a formal inquiry, which has not been previously reported, came soon after the S&P 500 surged more than 9% on Wednesday after Trump announced the tariff pause—the kind of market movement that would normally follow significant economic news or central bank action, not a unilateral policy reversal. 'THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!' Trump posted on Truth Social minutes after the market opened on Wednesday, along with the letters 'DJT,' which stands for both his initials and the ticker for his media company. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Schiff is the first Senator to openly call for a congressional investigation into potential insider trading by the Trump Administration in the aftermath of the President's abrupt reversal on the implementation of new tariffs. Such investigations would typically fall under the purview of powerful congressional panels like the Senate Judiciary Committee or the Senate Finance Committee. Both are chaired by Republicans—Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho—who have largely avoided conflict with the White House. Individual lawmakers like Schiff can investigate matters using personal office staff, though such investigations would lack subpoena power. Still, the timing of Trump's announcement—and the market rally that followed—has raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill. 'When my own barber asks me whether Donald Trump is selling short or doing this to try to make money for himself, it shows that a lot of people are pretty suspicious about what's going on,' Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, tells TIME. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, when asked by TIME if Trump should be investigated for potential market manipulation, said: 'It's a great question. He certainly had a lot to gain. I hadn't thought of that.' Earlier on Wednesday, Rep. Steven Horsford, a Nevada Democrat, was one of the first to question whether the tariff pause was tied to market manipulation, as the news came out in the middle of a heated hearing with Trump's trade representative, Jamieson Greer, who had vigorously defended the tariffs. Horsford shouted, 'This is amateur hour. You just got the rug pulled out from under you.' He demanded to know whether the administration had deliberately moved the markets. 'This is not a game. This is real life,' Horsford said. The market's response to Trump's decision was swift and euphoric. Stocks jumped more than 7% within minutes of the announcement, ultimately closing up more than 9%. Bond yields, which had been rising amid fears of an economic downturn, eased. Oil prices, which had also been falling, rebounded. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a former hedge fund manager, said the tariff pause was meant to give space for bespoke negotiations with allies. 'The only certainty we can provide is that the U.S. is going to negotiate in good faith,' he said. But Bessent also acknowledged that he and the President had spoken at length before the decision, and that the move had helped "goad China into a bad position." Trump's explanation, however, only added to the uncertainty. He cited "yippy" people who were 'afraid,' and said he had been watching the bond market, which he described as 'beautiful' after his announcement. He told reporters that 'you have to be flexible,' and acknowledged that 'over the last few days it looked pretty glum.' Schiff sees a pattern in Trump's economic policymaking. 'I think what American businesspeople need is some certainty, some predictability,' he said. 'They're getting anything but. Americans who have seen their retirement savings wiped out need to be made whole. So this constant on again, off again, terrible policy has to come to an end. It's just so uniquely self destructive.' The California Senator has long been one of Trump's fiercest critics. He served as the lead prosecutor in Trump's first impeachment trial, and as a central figure in the congressional response to the Justice Department's Russia investigation. While he did not initiate the 2017 congressional probe into Trump's ties to Russia, Schiff became the most vocal Democrat on the committee, warning of Trump's deference to autocratic leaders. Schiff was later censured by a Republican-led House for his comments during the investigation. After Democrats won the House in 2018, Schiff helped lead the charge to impeach Trump over a pressure campaign involving Ukraine. Trump had threatened to withhold military aid to Kyiv unless its president announced an investigation into Joe Biden. The House impeached Trump for abuse of power, but the Republican-led Senate acquitted him. Write to Nik Popli at
