FEMA denies aid for Illinois flood victims.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided against helping victims of last summer's record flooding in the Chicago area. In a letter to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, FEMA administrator Brock Long says the agency determined damage from flooding in Cook, Lake, McHenry and Kane counties was not beyond the state's capability to address.

Making case for challenging governor, Ives touts conservative values

Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Jeanne Ives won over some hearts Saturday during a brief appearance to drum up support for her primary campaign in Arlington Heights. State Rep. Tom Morrison, who represents the 54th District, introduced Ives, lauding her stance on core Republican values, which he said Gov. Bruce Rauner has failed to uphold.

Zinke says Democrats holding Interior nominees – hostage’

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says Senate Democrats are holding the department's nominees "hostage" to a political agenda that includes opposition to his review of presidentially designated monuments. In a sharply worded letter to Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's No.

Senate tax plan sprinkles SALT in Illinois taxpayers’ wounds

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speak to reporters as work gets underway on the Senate's version of the GOP tax reform bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 9, 2017 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speak to reporters as work gets underway on the Senate's version of the GOP tax reform bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 9, 2017 The tax-overhaul plan introduced Thursday by U.S. Senate Republicans threatens to hit middle- and upper-middle-income Illinois residents particularly hard.

New Mexico among 35 states backing South Dakota’s bid to collect online sales taxes

Thirty-five state attorneys general and the District of Columbia this week signed on to support South Dakota's legal bid to collect sales taxes from out-of-state internet retailers. South Dakota is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether retailers can be required to collect sales taxes in states where they lack a physical presence.

35 states, D.C. back bid to collect online sales taxes

Thirty-five state attorneys general and the District of Columbia this week signed on to support South Dakota's legal bid to collect sales taxes from out-of-state internet retailers. South Dakota is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether retailers can be required to collect sales taxes in states where they lack a physical presence.

Roskam says new Republican tax plan is good for middle class

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam praised the new Republican tax plan -- estimated to cost trillions over a decade and be the biggest change to the tax code in years -- as tax relief for middle-income families and an opportunity for businesses to expand. Roskam, a Wheaton Republican, chairs the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy and was one of the authors of the plan.

Grambling State: 2 students fatally shot on campus

A former judge who led Guatemala's soccer federation is set to be the first person sentenced in the U.S. in the world soccer scandal. An American Indian activist and former U.S. congressional candidate in North Dakota accused of inciting a riot during protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline says he'll seek to present a "necessity defense."

You own it: New Zealand party told to pay for Eminem rip-off

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake's decision to bow out of a re-election fight could spur a rush of other Republican candidates who hope to take on his only announced challenger in the 2018 Arizona primary. An open letter alleging widespread sexual harassment in Illinois politics and urging women and their allies to come forward is circulating around the state Capitol.

More Rauner, Democrat showdowns on tap in fall session

In this July 26, 2017 file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol, Wednesday, July 26, 2017, in Springfield, Ill. Still struggling with budget problems and faced with new demands for cash, the Illinois General Assembly returns Tuesday for the first week of its fall session.

Illinois governor’s race could be costliest in U.S. history

Choose your news! Select the text alerts you want to receive: breaking news, prep sports scores, school closings, weather, and more. Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidates Daniel Biss , Bob Daiber, Tio Hardiman, Chris Kennedy, Alexander Paterakis and J.B. Pritzker answer questions about their candidacy at an event Wednesday in Mount Prospect.

Senator and veteran: Trump playing ‘sick political game’ with military deaths

A Democratic senator who received the Purple Heart after losing both her legs in the Iraq War lambasted President Donald Trump for playing a "sick political game" with the deaths of fallen US service members. During an interview on CNN's "Erin Burnett Outfront," Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said she had "utter disgust" for the way Trump has politicized his interactions with Gold Star soldiers.