Hicks column: An uneven political playing field ultimately hurts everyone

People should show up at the Statehouse to demand an independent commission to draw congressional and legislative districts. File/Maya T. Prabhu/Staff People should show up at the Statehouse to demand an independent commission to draw congressional and legislative districts.

Navy SEAL killed in Fleet Week parachute accident identified

A Navy SEAL who fell to his death when his parachute failed to open during a Fleet Week demonstration over the Hudson River has been identified as a 27-year-old Colorado man. The accident that killed Remington J. Peters occurred Sunday at Liberty State Park, a large New Jersey park across from Manhattan where people catch ferries to see the Statue of Liberty.

Illinois’ budget battle moves into overtime

When those talks broke down, Senate Democrats made a decision to go it mostly alone, passing the bills they say they negotiated with Rauner and the Republcans. Speaker Madigan said that the House Democratic Budget Working Group will hold hearings, the first beginning on June 8 in Chicago , throughout the month to "prepare a budget for the coming fiscal year".

Bloomberg says USA does not need Washington to fulfil Paris agreement

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday that the USA had "a terrific record" of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions before the Paris agreement and that he doesn't think ongoing efforts in that area will stop now. Almost 4,000 miles away, Parisian Raphael Angeli said Trump's decision puts him at odds with many of his fellow citizens and much of the world.

The Latest: Trump Brings Back ‘Crooked Hillary’ Nickname

CW44 Station Bio- WTOG-TV first began operations on November 4, 1968, broadcasting on UHF channel 44. Originally owned my Minnesota-based Hubbard Broadcasting Corp., WTOG solidified itself in the Tampa Bay market by being the area's only [...] The Latest: Trump Brings Back 'Crooked Hillary' Nickname President Donald Trump is accusing his former rival Hillary Clinton of blaming everyone but herself for her election loss. Criminal Expert: Tiger Woods Made Mistake Issuing Statement Another public embarrassment for Tiger Woods is shifting to the legal side following his arrest in Florida on a DUI charge, with one criminal expert suggesting Woods made... Final NFL Power Rankings It's tough to keep up with all the action in NFL.

Minnesotans Phil and Karin Housley make sports and politics mix

Karin Housley thought her duties as a Minnesota state senator would be put on hold, and she could focus her attention on supporting her husband's bid toward a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators. But Wednesday morning, from her hotel in Pittsburgh, Karin took a break from listening to Phil talk about the Predators' power play to jump on a conference call with other Minnesota lawmakers to discuss hiring a legal team to fight Gov. Mark Dayton's decision to defund the Legislature - in their eyes unconstitutionally.

New York City mayor still won’t cheer for New York Yankees

Despite serving a full-term as New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio has never attended a New York Yankees game during his tenure and doesn't plan to break the streak now. During events in the Bronx this week, the Democratic mayor who's a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan was asked if he planned to attend a Yankees game in the Bronx at any point in the future.

Children play near the Olympic Park sign in Rio de

Skyrocketing costs put future Olympics at risk Scathing report by federal prosecutor says there was `no planning' for last year's Rio Summer Olympics. Check out this story on mysouthshorenow.com: https://usat.ly/2qTBu8N Children play near the Olympic Park sign in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where about $12 billion was spent to organize the 2016 games, which were plagued by cost-cutting, poor attendance, and reports of bribes and corruption linked to the building of some Olympic-related facilities.

The Latest: Budget deal goes big on tax cuts, public schools

Sen. Jason Isaacson, DFL - Shoreview, speaks about how he felt the legislature was shortchanging the University of Minnesota with the funding levels in the Omnibus Higher Education Bill in St. Paul, Minn., Sunday, May 21, 2017. With roughly 24 hours remaining, the Minnesota Legislature finally broke the budget logjam Sunday night, sending several budget bills to Gov. Mark Dayton as the Democratic governor and Republican leaders worked to iron out their remaining disputes that could delay a deal and send the session into overtime.

Convicted killer of 11 women appeals to US Supreme Court

Avery Bradley's 3-pointer danced around the rim and dropped in with less than a second left and the Boston Celtics stunned the Cleveland Cav CLEVELAND - A Cleveland man sentenced to die for killing 11 women and hiding the remains in and around his home has appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue are arguments by 57-year-old Anthony Sowell over the closure of an evidence hearing during his trial and his rejected offer to plead guilty.

Indy begins new century with faster speeds, wide-open field

Fernando Alonso, left, of Spain, takes a photo with a member of his crew after he qualified during qualifications for the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Indianapolis. . Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, celebrates with his wife, Emma, and children, Poppy and Tilly, after winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Indianapo... .