Kevin Bessler

4 days ago | thecentersquare.com | Kevin Bessler

(The Center Square) – Illinois’ unpredictable weather is throwing a curveball to the state’s farmers. Some areas of the state are significantly behind in rainfall and early indications are that the conditions will persist this summer.  “It has just been super dry from Springfield and Peoria up to Rockford and especially over the Chicago area we have had half of our normal rain, a third of our normal rain,” CBS Chicago meteorologist David Yeomans said during an Illinois Soybean Association webinar.

6 days ago | thecentersquare.com | Kevin Bessler

(The Center Square) – A bill that seeks to control the rising cost of prescription drugs while also offering financial help for many small, independent pharmacies has passed both chambers of the Illinois legislature.  The Prescription Drug Affordability Act puts in place new regulations and imposes new fees on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs act as third-party intermediaries in the insurance industry who manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of insurance plans.

1 week ago | thecentersquare.com | Kevin Bessler

Sailor arrested after mass shootingA 19-year-old U.S. Navy sailor is behind bars in Illinois in connection to a mass shooting in South Carolina. Shawon Williams, who was assigned to Naval Station Great Lakes, was taken into custody in Lake County. Cellphone video shows the chaotic shooting scene from Memorial Day weekend. Ten people were shot as they got off a boat in Little River, South Carolina.

1 week ago | thecentersquare.com | Kevin Bessler

(The Center Square) – The Trump administration's attempt to trim Medicaid of fraud and waste has prompted action in the Illinois Legislature. Illinois Democrats in the House of Representative passed a resolution Thursday that calls upon the U.S. Senate to table the health care cuts bill and instead pursue reforms such as the Illinois' Healthcare Protection Act, which provides taxpayer-funded health care to illegal immigrants.

1 week ago | thecentersquare.com | Kevin Bessler

Chicago officer shot, man killedA man was killed and a Chicago officer was wounded in a police-involved shooting late Thursday night. Police said tactical officers were on patrol when they tried to stop a man in an alley in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Police said during an attempt to detain the suspect, a struggle ensued and the man’s weapon discharged, hitting an officer in the leg. One of the other officers then shot the man, who later died.