Illinois Republican John Shimkus, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, announced Friday that his current term will be his last.

The Sept. 12 Democratic debate stage is set with just 10 candidates, ensuring there will be a one-night event in which the top frontrunners will finally come face to face.

Illinois was home to several competitive House races last year, and two of them flipped to the Democratic Party. We’ll look at Representatives Sean Casten and Lauren Underwood, and the challengers they might face next election day. Plus, Leland is a village of 900 people in LaSalle County. But it’s recently become home to a dispute between two banks. And, we’ll speak with Adam Ragusea about how went from working in public radio to becoming a Youtube cooking star.

Democratic congressional candidate Betsy Dirksen Londrigan said the president’s racist rhetoric about four members of Congress is “very worrisome” in part because it prevents “real issues” like health care from being addressed.

Betsy Dirksen Londrigan pledged to not take any money from corporate political action committees, or PACs, in her second run for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District.