Congressman compares town halls to cleansing by orientals

He compared the raucous events to 'struggle sessions' - a brutal practice carried out by the Chinese Communist Party under Chairman Mao Zedong 'You know the cleansing that the Orientals used to do where you'd put one person out in front and 900 people yell at them?' Bost said The government moved to stop using the terms 'oriental' and 'negro' after former President Barack Obama signed the change into law Rep. Mike Bost was discussing his poor attendance at raucous town hall events, which he described as counterproductive, when he used the racial slur. 'The amount of time that I have at home is minimal, I need to make sure that it's productive,' Bost told the editorial board.

Interview: Activist, educator and author Bill Ayers

Bill Ayers first achieved notoriety as a leading voice in 1960s radical-left groups such as Students for a Democratic Society and the Weather Underground. Now 72, he's spent his life involved in activism, particularly eduction reform, while teaching at the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

GM accused of self-interested campaign in pushing for self-driving cars

In this photo provided by General Motors a self-driving car is seen in Detroit. General Motors is trying to persuade state lawmakers across the country to pass legislation that would clear the way for the automaker to make self-driving cars publicly available while potentially barring competitors from putting their own vehicles on the road.

Illinois state worker union members authorize strike if needed

Illinois' biggest labor union representing state workers said on Thursday that its members overwhelmingly voted in favor of what would be the first strike against the state in the union's history. Roberta Lynch, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, said 81 percent of members voted in favor of allowing the union's bargaining committee to call a strike if "no other path forward can be found" in reaching a new contract with the state.

Paul Kane:

It's a well-worn story now about how John Boehner, then House minority leader, joined a rising star in his caucus, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, in April 2009 for one of the first major tea party protests in the California Republican's hometown of Bakersfield. A little more than six years later, after they surfed that wave into power, the movement consumed both of them.

Immigrants wait in fear after raids; Trump takes credit

Pastor Fred Morris looked out over his congregation Sunday as news ricocheted around the world that American authorities were rounding up immigrants in an enforcement surge that President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail. Parishioners did not smile as on any other Sunday morning.

Colleagues say judge in Dakota pipeline case is even-handed

The federal judge who will decide whether oil flows through the disputed Dakota Access pipeline has shown sympathy for the historical plight of American Indians, but has also made clear that he doesn't think that should play a role in judicial decisions. U.S. District Judge James "Jeb" Boasberg is overseeing a lawsuit filed by the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux that could be their last hope of stopping the $3.8 billion pipeline to carry North Dakota oil to Illinois.

Army to allow completion of Dakota Access oil pipeline

The Army said Tuesday that it will allow the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, clearing the way for completion of the disputed four-state project. However, construction could still be delayed because the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which has led opposition, said it would fight the latest development in court.

Proposed casino legislation dictates more bankruptcy, education losses for Illinois

In Illinois, Lincoln's essential premise of "government of the people, by the people and for the people" has been corrupted into "government of the casinos, by the casinos, and for the casinos"-as exemplified by the new casino legislation in Senate Bill 7. In 2015, U.S. Congressional hearings highlighted that much of the Illinois bankruptcy was precipitated by $35 billion to $100 billion in giveaways since 1990 to gambling interests - diverting funds particularly away from essential education funding. For example, the original 10 Illinois casino licenses worth $5 billion were given away for only $25,000 each to political insiders, including one insider who thereafter went to prison.

Nation-Now 35 mins ago 5:03 a.m.Senator: Army Corps told to approve Dakota pipeline easement

The Army Corps of Engineers was ordered to allow construction of the Dakota Access pipeline to proceed under a disputed Missouri River crossing, North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven said. It's the latest twist in a months-long legal battle over the $3.8 billion project.

Navy SEAL killed in al-Qaida raid remembered as hero

A decorated U.S. Navy SEAL from Illinois who was killed during a raid against al-Qaida in Yemen is being remembered as a hero elected officials and those who knew him as a high school student. A friend from Illinois Valley Central High School said Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens was doing exactly what he wanted with his life when the 36-year-old Peoria man was killed in a firefight in a raid that left 30 others dead, including an estimated 14 militants.

Notes from the Trump White House

The New York Times cited Russian media reports that link the charges to the disclosure of the Russian role in attacking state election boards, including the scanning of voter rolls in Arizona and Illinois, and do not mention the parallel attacks on the Democratic National Committee and the e-mails of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. , R-Utah, said that President Donald Trump is "eager to work with" GOP lawmakers in undoing new federal protections for Bears Ears, a sacred tribal site in Utah.

Firewood is stacked up at a protest encampment along the route of the …

President Donald Trump's executive actions on the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines are aimed at turning the much-protested pipelines into reality. Here's a look at what may be next for the two pipelines: The $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois is nearly complete, except for a stretch underneath Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota.

What’s next for the Dakota Access, Keystone XL pipelines?

President Donald Trump's executive actions on the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines are aimed at turning the much-protested pipelines into reality. Here's a look at what may be next for the two pipelines: The $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois is nearly complete other than a stretch underneath Lake Oahe, a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota.

Southern Illinois group delivers Affordable Care Act support letters to congressman

Marisa Winegar, of Carbondale, poses for a photo Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at Republican U.S. Representative Mike Bost's office in Carbondale. Winegar said she read in The Washington Post that repealing the Affordable Care Act would kill more than 43,000 people each year.

Area Hospitals suggesting visit guidelines for Flu Season

ILLINOIS Hospitals across the state are reminding visitors that everyone plays an important role in keeping patients safe this flu season. Memorial Health System is recommending visitors to its four hospitals Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln, Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville and Taylorville Memorial Hospital limit their visits to only two visitors per patient.