ALAMO, Texas – President Donald Trump on Tuesday took no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault. “People thought that what I said was totally appropriate,” Trump said. He made the comments during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Trump arrived in Texas on Tuesday to trumpet h ..read more

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina on Wednesday became the largest nation in Latin America to legalize elective abortion, a triumph for a feminist movement that overcame a last-minute appeal by Pope Francis to his compatriots and could pave the way for similar actions across the socially conservative, heavily Roman Catholic region. After a marathon 12-hour session, the country’s Senate passed the bill after midnight by a comfortable 38-29 margin just two years after a similar initiative fell short in a cliffhanger vote. The legislation, which President Alberto Fernández has vowed to sign in ..read more

The war of words is exhausting. Gov. JB Pritzker detailed $711 million in spending cuts Tuesday afternoon, explaining he identified reductions he could enact without legislative involvement. Although he will need to negotiate with labor unions to realize $75 million in savings, it’s a good first step toward closing a hole in the current fiscal year budget pegged at $3.9 billion. But in so doing, Pritzker took verbal shots at Republicans for working to defeat the graduated income tax amendment in November. Republicans fired back by blaming Pritzker for signing off on a budget in the spring th ..read more

As Advocate Aurora hospitals start to receive precious deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines, the system's infectious disease expert and a nursing leader held a virtual town hall Wednesday to answer questions about the historic vaccination effort. Dr. Robert Citronberg and Jane Dus, regional chief nursing officer, led the Q&A session. Here is a sampling of their responses. Q. How safe and effective is the vaccine? A. Clinical trials show the vaccine developed by Pfizer and the German company BioNTech appears 95% effective. Pfizer did not report any serious safety concerns. "After looking ove ..read more

For the first time in about a decade, it is beginning to look like an overpass at the railroad tracks at south Gougar Road could be a reality. With the Canadian National Railway utilizing the tracks, it cuts off the south side of town from the north side at Gougar Road, Nelson Road, Cedar Road, and other streets further east. "The majority of the work was negotiated many years ago when Canadian National came in," Village Administrator Kurt Carroll said. "There was a major amount of money, half a million, spent in going for not only in going for the study, but the first phase (of engineering ..read more

The Joliet City Council approved a 2021 budget that includes what officials say is a temporary closing of Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park. The theater, which is the central feature of the park, has been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and four park employees will be moved to other positions in the city until events can be staged again, city officials said before the budget was approved Tuesday. The closing of the park has been the main focus of discussion about the budget, which also includes other cuts. The budget leaves 26 open positions unfilled as the city braces for another y ..read more

The Joliet City Council voted to approve an annexation plan for the NorthPoint project. The council voted after hearing from 80 people over two days speaking against the project and an executive from NorthPoint Development making the company's case for the warehouse and industrial park. "I beg you to do what's right," said Nancy Bartels of Elwood. "Listen to the people who are talking to you tonight." NorthPoint argues its 1,360-acre Compass Global Logistics Hub, which would stretch south from Joliet into Elwood, will control trucks that residents in the area say are overloading Route 53 an ..read more

The New Lenox Community Park District received a $25,000 grant in July for an outdoor fitness court that would go at the corner of Gear Drive and Haven Avenue in New Lenox. The location is next to Old Plank Trail and at the entrance to the Village Commons. The Park District's building is at the corner as well. During Monday's village board meeting, Mayor Tim Baldermann brought up the possibility of sponsoring the the fitness court, something the park district is seeking, in the amount of roughly $50,000. Some of that will come in "in-kind donations" on what could be provided with excavating ..read more

Joliet Catholic Academy recently hired Kisha Cameron to the newly created director of diversity and inclusion office for the 2020-2021 school year. Cameron works closely with the counseling department, dean's office and admissions office at JCA providing a resource for both students and faculty alike on campus. “This position is something that I wholeheartedly believe in and am very passionate about," Cameron said in a news release from JCA. "I’m blessed to be a part of such a phenomenal institution that is actively committed to supporting their students and staff within a changing society ..read more

Several candidates in the Joliet City Council election on Wednesday announced a pledge for more transparency in city contracts and campaign contributions. The announcement was made while candidates still are in the process of filing petitions by a Monday deadline to run in the April 6 election, and it's not clear whether everyone who signed onto the pledge is running. But candidate Hudson Hollister announced that 10 have signed onto the pledge. "This is a broad roof," Hollister said at a news conference outside City Hall. "There are progressives under this roof. There are conservatives unde ..read more