Free Republic

DECATUR – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded two grants totaling $10 million to the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), housed at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute (PRI). The grants will fund projects to research commercial-scale geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Any meaningful strategies for addressing the causes and dangers of climate change must include reduced carbon emissions,” Durbin said. “That’s why we are here today to announce a $10 million investment by the United States Department of Energy to study if 50...

CHICAGO — Joining other cities around the country, Chicago is pledging to remain a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, an act of defiance in the face of Donald Trump’s past promise to cut off those cities from federal funding. In sanctuary cities, local law enforcement officials aren’t required to alert U.S. Immigration and Customs authorities about the immigration status of individuals with whom they come in contact. On Monday, Chicago's elected officials, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, are expected to hold a news conference to formally discuss how the city will retain its sanctuary status. Aldermen are expected to call on...

Republicans had excellent results in Tuesday’s high-stakes Senate races, winning numerous tough battles to preserve their majority in the chamber for the next two years. But Tuesday’s results revealed an interesting dynamic: The Republican Senate candidates who rejected President-elect Donald Trump and tried to go it alone were the only ones who ended up losing their races. Overall, there were eight Republican-held seats and one Democrat-held seat that were competitive going into Tuesday night: Illinois, Wisconsin, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. Of the nine Republicans in these competitive races, six of them stood by Trump...

According to a new poll conducted by Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, 47 percent of registered Illinois voters want to leave the state. In comparison, 51 percent of the poll's respondents said they’d prefer to remain in the state, while 2 percent remained undecided. According to the poll, 20 percent of respondents said it was likely, somewhat likely or likely that they’d leave the state in the coming year. Nearly 80 percent said it was unlikely. Respondents cited the state’s taxes, weather, government and jobs as the main reasons for wanting to leave the state. According to...

A federal judge Tuesday blocked Election Day voter registration at polling places in Illinois, declaring a state law allowing the practice unconstitutional because it created one set of rules for cities and another for rural areas. Voters will still be able to register Nov. 8 and cast a ballot for president but only at a limited number of sites, including the county clerk's office, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. The ruling, handed down on National Voter Registration Day, is the latest front in a broader battle between Democrats led by House Speaker Michael Madigan and Republicans led...

Link only due to copyright issues: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-ricketts-family-donald-trump-20160920-story.html

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is reaching out to the African-American community these days, and in a new interview with Newsweek, at least part of that community is reaching back. Chicago rapper, actor, and White House invitee Common doesn’t seem to be persuaded by Trump’s newfound concern for black voters, if this interview is any indication: “America wouldn’t be taking a step back… we’d be taking 12 steps back [if Trump becomes president],” the Chicago-born musician and activist tells Newsweek. “It would be returning to some of the mentality of racism we’ve seen in the mid-Sixties, in the civil rights...

Former IL Republican Party Chair Says Trump Can't Win, Hillary Better Alternative CHICAGO - Former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady, told Bill Cameron on "Connected to Chicago" that Donald Trump "cannot win the election." Brady, who is a Kasich delegate to the Republican National Convention, said there's still an outside chance that Trump will not receive the nomination. Brady told Cameron that Trump's solutions are not Republican solutions and that Trump's lack of organization ensures he will lose. Brady said neither Abe Lincoln or Ronald Reagan would attend this year's convention because of Trump, and that he's not surprised...

The chairman of the Illinois Republican Party said credentials for one of Donald Trump's delegates have been pulled after she made a racist comment online. Reports say Lori Gayne admits she was the author of a Facebook post made under a different name at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Gayne posted a photo of law enforcement officials in Cleveland. The description said, "Our brave snipers just waiting for some n***** to try something. Love them."

If you haven’t been keeping up with the gun control debate following the Orlando terrorist attack, many democratic senators are conducting a filibuster of sorts to demand banning certain types of weapons. Illinois senator, Dick Durbin, apparently couldn’t resist speaking on the topic either. Ironically, every word that left Dick Durbin’s mouth made him look like a complete jackass. He claimed that no self-respecting sportsman in his home state of Illinois would ever use an ‘AR-47’ to hunt deer. Senator Durbin is actually correct for two major reasons. First of all, there’s no such thing as an ‘AR-47.’ There’s an...

Republican Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, facing a fight for his political survival, has withdrawn his support for Donald Trump’s presidential bid. Kirk is locked in a heated fight for his U.S. Senate seat against Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth. Kirk also split with Republican leadership over President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, saying the Chicago area native should get a confirmation hearing in the Senate. Kirk earlier had said he would support the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. In May, he told CNN Trump might help his re-election effort. “After much consideration, I have concluded that Donald Trump has...

First un-endorsement -- Sen. Mark Kirk. "I cannot and will not support my party's nominee for President."

Delegates discuss contacting other campaigns for advice, lack of organisation and the disappearance of state chair Kent Gray during anxious conference call Illinois delegates elected to represent Donald Trump have voiced fears about chaotic organisation and a lack of leadership in their state as Republicans prepare for what could be the first contested convention in decades. During a torturous two-hour conference call on Thursday night, the delegates struggled to figure out how to help the frontrunner at the Republican National Convention in July, wondering how best to contact the campaign in Wisconsin for tips. Anxiety was mounting throughout the conference...

Hillary Clinton held off a hard-charging Bernie Sanders to win the Democratic primary in her native state, further clearing the path to the presidential nomination. A loss would have dealt her a humbling setback in her native state.

3 of 4 so far

Losing Ohio is not going to be a big deal. He romped in Illinois winning 75% of the 69 delegates. Cruz gets 9 and Kasich 8.

Trump wins Illinios per KFI LA per networks.

FL - Polls Close at 8:00pm Eastern NC - Polls Close at 7:30pm Eastern IL - Polls Close at 8:00pm Eastern MO - Polls Close at 8:00pm Eastern OH - Polls Close at 8:30pm Eastern

Overflow crowds in Peoria greeted 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on his third of five Monday rallies in Illinois the day before Tuesday's pivotal primary elections. Cruz commented that republican frontrunner Donald Trump "may be the one person on the face of the planet Hillary Clinton can beat in a general election" according to political reporter Rosie Gray. Cruz mentioned Cook County politics, garnering boos from the crowd in reference to Chicago, Illinois. He slammed Trump over donations to politicians such as the disgraced and imprisoned Rod Blagojevich, the Cook County Democratic Party, and Rahm Emmanuel....

https://youtu.be/Lm6LGITkiz4