Concealed Carry Law Far from Approval, Despite Court Order
By Sue Stephens

Illinois lawmakers have until June 9 to come up with a plan to allow the concealed carry of handguns in the state, by order of a federal court.
By Sue Stephens

Illinois lawmakers have until June 9 to come up with a plan to allow the concealed carry of handguns in the state, by order of a federal court.
Tuition is going up this fall at Eastern Illinois University. But university officials say it’s the lowest increase for the school at Charleston in years.
By The Associated Press

Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandi, will appear in federal court Wednesday to answer criminal charges in an alleged scheme to spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items.
By The Associated Press
McLean County officials say the flu was a contributing factor in the death of an 8-year-old girl.
By Elizabeth Shogren

Tens of thousands of protesters turned out on the National Mall Sunday to encourage President Obama to make good on his commitment to act on climate change.
By Daniel Hajek
For Midwest farmers, this summer was brutal. In McLean County, soybean and corn crops struggled to survive through short, rare rains while dairy cows and livestock endured intense heat. By June, the drought covered more than half the United States.
All counties in Illinois have been designated as "primary disaster areas" due to drought. That's after the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday added counties in northern Illinois.

After months of record-breaking heat and drought, many rural Americans who rely on wells for water are getting an unwelcome surprise when they turn on their faucets: The tap has run dry.