Lifestyle

1 hour ago in Food Scene, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local

What’s the perfect American hot dog? Depends where you grew up

Fresh
Child wearing a bright hat takes a big bite of a hot dog with pickle and vegetables outdoors, close-up view

Chicago-style hot dogs are grilled over an open flame. The steamed buns almost always have poppy seeds. No ketchup is allowed.

23 hours ago in Agriculture, Education, Farm, Food Scene, Health & Wellness, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local

Bloom where you’re planted; Celebrating a bumper crop of community gardens in Illinois

"It reminds us where our food comes from, encourages healthy lifestyles, and creates opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together."

1 day ago in Health & Wellness, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Pet of the Week

Local Veterinarian urges pet owners to take precautions during holiday heat wave

Pet owners may underestimate how quickly animals can overheat, particularly during periods of high heat and humidity, Peterson said.

2 days ago in Business, Education, Health & Wellness, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Sports

Pritzker signs bills on environmental standards, in-state tuition

Law banning interchange fees also pushed back to at least next year.

2 days ago in Lifestyle

Nutrition apps can help build healthy habits. For some users, their gaming features carry risks

Green means go, red means stop. Trophies or confetti come with good performance, and people who fall behind get nudged to do better. Those brightly colored engagement tactics long ago jumped from smartphone games to everything from online shopping to sports betting and classrooms. So it should come as no surprise that many nutrition-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom also use gaming features to keep users coming back.

National News

3 hours ago in National

The Onion’s new parody of Alex Jones’ Infowars starts with $100,000 to Sandy Hook families

The satirical news site The Onion isn't waiting to take possession of Infowars to launch a parody of Alex Jones ' conspiracy platform. More than a year after first trying to buy Infowars, The Onion on Thursday will debut a send-up under its own website with plans to give some of the revenue to families of the victims in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

3 hours ago in National

US employers pull back on hiring in June amid elevated inflation, global turmoil

U.S. employers slowed hiring last month and added only 57,000 jobs, less than half the previous month's total and a sign companies still have a cautious economic outlook.

1 day ago in National, Trending

Americans step out for their nation’s 250th in a proud moment sown with division and doubt

One of the stars of the American firmament once advised citizens of all stripes how to express their love of country. Mark Twain's long-ago words capture how Americans are stepping out this week to wish their nation a happy milestone birthday.

2 days ago in National

Forecasters cite ‘dangerous’ conditions as heat scorches Midwest while on its way to the East

Nature's oven was on high Tuesday for millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes states as intense heat and humidity baked the regions with no immediate relief before the misery shifts to the eastern U.S.

2 days ago in National, Trending

Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s proposed limits

A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump's executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.

6 days ago in National

Utah restricts fireworks, declares state of emergency as largest US wildfire grows

Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States' largest wildfire mushroomed in size.

Sports

3 hours ago in Sports

Taylor Fritz wins match and style points at Wimbledon. De Minaur also advances

A well-dressed Taylor Fritz impressed again at Wimbledon on Thursday, beating compatriot Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round as Princess Kate visited the All England Club.

4 hours ago in Sports, Trending

U.S. beats Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 to advance to round of 16 and keep its World Cup dreams alive

Malik Tillman stepped up for a free kick with a bloody sock and a new right boot after being stepped on by an opponent as the United States scrambled to protect a one-goal lead, down a man in a World Cup knockout round.

2 days ago in Sports

Haaland scores deciding goal as Norway wins its 1st World Cup knockout game, beating Ivory Coast 2-1

Erling Haaland scored the deciding goal in the 86th minute and Norway won a knockout game at the World Cup for the first time, advancing to the round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Tuesday.

2 days ago in Sports

Serena Williams begins Wimbledon comeback on Centre Court in her return to singles

Serena Williams is back on Wimbledon's Centre Court for her first singles match in nearly four years. The 44-year-old Williams was given a standing ovation Tuesday as she walked onto the grass court where she won seven of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

2 days ago in Sports

LeBron hits free agency: James not returning to Lakers, plans to play 24th season elsewhere

LeBron James is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, which means another decision awaits. A mere 16 years after his first famed "decision" — the one that saw him leave Cleveland for Miami — James is getting ready to change uniforms once again.

2 days ago in Sports

Sportsbooks say World Cup betting has surged past expectations, with US hype driving action

Sportsbook operators anticipated this year's World Cup would set betting records because the major elements were aligned. The world's most popular sporting event is being played in North America, so U.S. audiences can see the games live while the sun is out or in the early evening. The U.S. also has a team that may be its most talented in history.

Entertainment

4 hours ago in Entertainment

California to institute Bruce Lee Day, a first for a Chinese American in the state’s history

Martial arts icon Bruce Lee, who was born in San Francisco, will become the first Chinese American in California history with an annual namesake day.

21 hours ago in Entertainment, Trending

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to host their wedding Friday at Madison Square Garden, AP source says

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will have their wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the security plans.

21 hours ago in Education, Entertainment, History, IL State News, Local

July 4th celebration at the ALPLM

Joe Crain, representing the ALPLM stopped by the WTAX Morning Newswatch to discuss anything and everything that they are doing this Saturday!

1 day ago in Entertainment

Los Angeles medical examiner says former child actor Daveigh Chase died of AIDS

Former child actor Daveigh Chase's death on June 16 was due to AIDS, the office of the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner reported. The cause of death for Chase, 35, was acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, according to online medical examiner records from this week that listed her last name as Schwallier.

Local News from Capitol City Now

30 minutes ago in IL State News, Local, National

Speaker Welch to Rep. Harry Benton: Resign or be expelled

Fresh
Rep. Harry Benton takes a picture during a joint session of the Illinois House in May 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

House speaker’s demand of fellow Democrat comes after months of silence over sexual harassment allegations.

38 minutes ago in Business, IL State News, Local, National

Developer withdraws rezoning request for controversial data center in Hoffman Estates

Fresh
A sign provides notice for a public meeting of the Hoffman Estates Plan Commission to discuss rezoning the 186-acre property at Higgins Road and Route 59. The developer notified the village on July 1 that it would withdraw the rezoning request after community backlash. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Maggie Dougherty)

The project conjured statewide questions about the role of neighboring communities in data center decisions.

1 hour ago in Food Scene, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local

What’s the perfect American hot dog? Depends where you grew up

Fresh
Child wearing a bright hat takes a big bite of a hot dog with pickle and vegetables outdoors, close-up view

Chicago-style hot dogs are grilled over an open flame. The steamed buns almost always have poppy seeds. No ketchup is allowed.

5 hours ago in IL State News, Local

Pritzker: FEMA is limited in how much it can help IL

Governor says cuts have changed agency's focus.

6 hours ago in Business, IL State News, Local

How outdoor workers have dealt with the recent high temperatures

"If you feel like you're doing too much, then get in the truck with the air on, get some water, take breaks," Patterson said.

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Music News

6 days ago in Business, Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music, Sports

Ticket bots, ‘predatory’ loans are in Pritzker’s crosshairs

Governor wants to make it easier for "families to just enjoy a night out."

1 week ago in Entertainment, Music

Usher says tour with Chris Brown is about more than 2 stars. He makes the case for R&B in stadiums

As Usher prepares to launch a stadium tour with Chris Brown, he says the criticism and legal troubles surrounding the singer never factored into his decision to embark on the tour.