Illinois appears poised to enter a second year without a budget. Lawmakers finished their legislative session Tuesday without agreement on a spending plan, setting up a November electoral showdown while public schools and social service providers brace for an uncertain future. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s suggestion for a last-minute, short-term budget to give the state some near-term stability amid the 11-month impasse also failed to gain traction with Democrats.
John got reaction to the situation in Springfield from Illinois State Representative Ron Sandack from the 81st district. (Listen here)
Peoria Journal Star Political Reporter Chris Kaergard joined John to talk about what’s next in the budget battle, and also gave John an update on his “Budget Beard.” (Listen here)
As of this week, every Chicago police officer responding to calls has been trained on how to properly use a taser. Officers responding to calls will now be issued a taser at the beginning of each shift. The aim of the change is to create “the safest environment possible” for police and civilians.
The highlight from Donald Trump’s press conference on Tuesday? He called a reporter from ABC News a “sleaze”.
A woman is all upset at JetBlue after she was told her shorts were too short to fly. The pilot thought people with young children might be offended. The airline has come out and said they support their pilots decision. Would you even think twice about what someone else is wearing on an airplane?
There’s a doctor in Florida who has decided it’s a good idea to use leeches as a medical treatment. She claims they are good for everything from infertility to migraines, and a more beneficial for their saliva than the blood-sucking.
Mars is closer to Earth than it has been for 11 years: Between now and June 12th, Mars will be about 46.8 million miles from Earth. Yes, that’s still a long way off, but sometimes Mars is 249 million miles from Earth. Michelle Nichols the Master Educator at the Adler Planetarium joined John to talk about the cosmic significance of the close encounter. (Listen here)
Tyler Saladino, starting in place of Jimmy Rollins reached base in all four plate appearances Tuesday and hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning as the White Sox snapped a seven-game losing streak with a come-from-behind 6-4 win at Citi Field. White Sox play-by-play Ed Farmer joined John to talk about the big comeback. (Listen here)
