The Ogle County Democrats held their 27th annual Fall Fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, at Historic Stronghold Castle Conference Center.

As the government shutdown enters a second week, there’s no discernible endgame in sight.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois lawmakers will return to Springfield next week hoping to resolve a major unchecked box from the spring: Keep the trains in Chicago running

Republican and Democratic lawmakers at an impasse on reopening the federal government provided few public signs Sunday of meaningful negotiations talking place to end what has so far been a five-day shutdown

Hopes for a quick end to the government shutdown were fading Friday as Republicans and Democrats dug in for a prolonged fight and President Donald Trump readied plans to unleash layoffs and cuts across the federal government

For now, financial markets are shrugging off the impasse as just the latest failure of Republicans and Democrats to agree on a budget and keep the government running

“It’s a compelling talking point to say that Democrats want to provide health care to undocumented immigrants, but it’s just not true in terms of the cuts they’re trying to reverse,” said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF

Plunged into a government shutdown, the U.S. is confronting a fresh cycle of uncertainty after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep government programs and services running by Wednesday’s deadline

Employee furloughs and potential layoffs would halt some government activities. Other functions — like NASA’s space missions, President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and certain public health work at FDA and the USDA — would continue

A partisan standoff over health care and spending is threatening to trigger the first U.S. government shutdown in almost seven years, with Democrats and Republicans in Congress unable to find agreement

Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are heading to the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday in a late effort to avoid a government shutdown

Every elected Kankakee County government official was present at the Monday morning gathering along with just about every mayor from each municipality as well as a few County Board members and state legislators.

 President Donald Trump has abruptly canceled this week’s planned meeting with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming federal government shutdown

The Senate rejected competing measures on Friday to fund federal agencies for a few weeks when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1, increasing prospects for a partial government shutdown on that date

FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with skeptical Democrats at a contentious Senate oversight hearing Tuesday, defending his record amid criticism that he has politicized the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker said political leaders, starting with President Donald Trump, need to do more to condemn political violence. Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dietrich, has filed an impeachment resolution against Pritzker.

In a joint statement, Kendall County Democrats Chair Beth Kremer and State Rep. Jed Davis, chair of the Kendall County Republicans, denounced the increasing amount political violence across the country.

Sen. Bill Cunningham, one of the most powerful Democrats in Springfield, will not run for reelection in 2026.

Schumer says he and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are united in opposing any legislation that doesn’t include key health care provisions and a commitment not to roll them back

Attorneys for Will County Board Member Jacqueline Traynere plan to mount a “vigorous defense” and expect a “favorable outcome” in her misdemeanor computer tampering case.

The Sept. 14 forum for Democratic candidates is being held by Illinois Democratic Women of Will County at the IBEW Local 176 Hall in Joliet.

Democratic-led states that sued to block the cuts – including Illinois – kept much of their funding, while Republican-led states lost the bulk of theirs, according to a new analysis from health research organization KFF

The annual spending battle will dominate the September agenda, along with a possible effort by Senate Republicans to change their chamber’s rules to thwart Democratic stalling tactics on nominations

Two veteran federal officials from Illinois are relaunching an effort to amend the Illinois Constitution and end partisan gerrymandering in state legislative districts.

This summer marks a decade since Illinois’ budget impasse began, which ultimately dragged on for two years and decimated human services across the state.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday his state will hold a Nov. 4 special election to seek voter approval of new congressional map drawn to try to win Democrats five more U.S. House seats in 2026

Democrats across the country are searching for a winning message in the 2026 elections, but Illinois Democrats say they’re already found one

Hundreds of people cheered Sen. Ruben Gallego at a town hall meeting in eastern Iowa Saturday as the first-term Arizona Democrat assailed the massive, Republican-backed tax bill signed by President Donald Trump

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Gov. JB Pritzker would not rule out the possibility of drawing new maps for Illinois if Texas Republicans follow through with their plans

By departing the state, Democratic lawmakers have prevented Republicans from obtaining the quorum needed to conduct business.

Texas Democrats who fled to Illinois to stop Republicans from a quorum for gerrymandering spoke via Zoom Wednesday night at a special meeting of the Kane County Democratic Women.

The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department on Tuesday for files in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation and is seeking depositions with the Clintons and former law enforcement officials

Texas Democrats on Monday prevented their state’s House of Representatives from moving forward, at least for now, with a redrawn congressional map

Democratic state senators from Wisconsin fled to neighboring Illinois in 2011, blocking a vote on GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to strip most public workers of their union rights

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker had been in quiet talks with Texas Democrats for weeks about offering support if they chose to leave the state to break quorum

Many Democrats see their political party as “weak” or “ineffective,” according to a poll that finds considerable pessimism within Democratic ranks

The Senate left Washington Saturday night for its monthlong August recess without a deal to advance dozens of President Donald Trump’s nominees

Preventing gun violence has been one of Kelly’s top priorities in Congress

A House subcommittee on Wednesday voted to subpoena the Department of Justice for files in the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein after Democrats successfully goaded GOP lawmakers to defy President Donald Trump

Gov. JB Pritzker is leaving the door open to changing Illinois’ congressional maps to “counterbalance” an attempt by Texas politicians to add more Republican seats to the U.S. House

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood wants answers about alleged federal immigration enforcement activity in Joliet that she says flagrantly violated law enforcement standards and recklessly put people at risk.

TV advertising has already begun in Illinois’ 2026 Democrat primary for U.S. Senate, and new fundraising numbers released Tuesday show the race is shaping up to be expensive

It may be early, but some Democratic voters and local officials say they’re ready to get the cycle started

Debate over President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget-and-policy package is over on Capitol Hill. Now the argument goes national

Democratic candidates want Illinoisans to ‘understand the ripple effects’ of cuts

A federal appeals court has ruled a Republican challenger to the Will County sheriff can renew his claims that he was denied a promotion to sergeant because he ran against the sheriff.

Mitchell has a reputation as a hard-nosed negotiator, even among fellow Democrats. Though he has sometimes angered political allies, Mitchell said he’s open to listening to anyone’s ideas

Gov. JB Pritzker began his third campaign for governor on Thursday, but much of the buzz around his 2026 campaign announcement focused on 2028.

Several hundred people gathered at Larkin Avenue and West Jefferson Street in Joliet Saturday to participate in a nationwide day of organized events protesting President Donald Trump and his administration.

A state lawmaker wants the SAFE-T Act repealed after a Will County judge continued the pretrial release of parents charged with the drug-related murder of a child but the law's supporters note the parents have not violated their release conditions.