Illinois news and stories by mail.com

Illinois

Illinois double slaying called 'brutal, heinous'
Police say the strangulation and attempted dismemberment of two Illinois men, allegedly at the hands of four young adults, is one of the most heinous ...
Will longer school year help or hurt US students?
Did your kids moan that winter break was way too short as you got them ready for the first day back in school? They might get their wish of more ...
A snapshot of influenza activity in all 50 states
Here is a snapshot of flu activity in all 50 states and the District of Columbia: Alabama: Like many states, Alabama is having an earlier and busier ...
Hospitals crack down on workers refusing flu shots
Patients can refuse a flu shot. Should doctors and nurses have that right, too? That is the thorny question surfacing as U.S. hospitals increasingly ...
Family quarrels add intrigue to lotto winner death
In the week since news surfaced that a Chicago man was poisoned to death with cyanide just before he was to collect a lottery payout, surprising ...
Prosecutors approve search for Gacy victims
Detectives who have long wondered if John Wayne Gacy killed others besides the 33 young men he was convicted of murdering may soon get to search for ...
Jackson Jr.'s wife leaves Chicago City Council
The wife of former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. announced Friday that she was resigning from the Chicago City Council, saying she could not adequately ...
USDA: Drought cut corn crop by about one-fourth
For farmers like Earl Williams, last year couldn't have started out better or ended much worse as a warm, sunny spring that let him plant early gave ...
Maryland, Illinois top 2nd night of Miss America
Miss Maryland and Miss Illinois have picked up prizes in the second day of preliminary Miss America competition in Las Vegas. Miss Maryland Joanna Guy ...
Documents show battle over lottery winner's estate
The widow of a Chicago lottery winner who authorities say was poisoned with cyanide has battled with his siblings over control of his estate, ...
Muti to miss Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra says music director Riccardo Muti (MOOT' ee) will miss three concerts and a student engagement because of flu-like ...
New day, new lawmakers, same Ill. pension fight
New day. New lawmakers. Same old pension-reform dispute. Illinois legislators failed to deliver a solution Tuesday to a ballooning, $96 billion ...
Bucks beat Suns 108-99 in Boylan's first game
Brandon Jennings glanced over and expected to see coach Scott Skiles on the end of the Milwaukee Bucks' bench. Instead, he saw Jim Boylan sitting in ...
Bucks coach Scott Skiles out, Boylan to fill in
Once again, an NBA team has parted ways with head coach Scott Skiles. Once again, veteran assistant Jim Boylan is being asked to pick up the pieces.
Sears Holdings announces CEO is stepping down
Sears Holdings Corp. announced late Monday that CEO Louis J. D'Ambrosio is stepping next month due to health issues involving his family. The company, ...
McDonald's expands test flight for chicken wings
First there were McNuggets. Then there were Chicken McBites. Now McDonald's could be adding "Mighty Wings" to its chicken menu. The world's biggest ...
Your medical chart could include exercise minutes
Roll up a sleeve for the blood pressure cuff. Stick out a wrist for the pulse-taking. Lift your tongue for the thermometer. Report how many minutes ...
2nd recaptured bank robber appears in court
Shackled in chains and pushed in a wheelchair by U.S. marshals, a bank robber who was captured more than two weeks after fleeing a high-rise Chicago ...
Gay marriage remains a tough sell in Illinois
The stalling of Illinois' gay-marriage push — at least for now — shows the difficulty of approving legislation to legalize it, even with a nudge from ...
Feds: 2nd inmate who escaped Chicago jail captured
Weeks after a pair of bank robbers made a daring escape from a downtown Chicago high-rise jail, police said Friday they captured the last of the two ...
Army Corps tamps down barge worries on Mississippi
Efforts taken to keep a crucial stretch of the drought-starved Mississippi River open to barge traffic should be sufficient to avert a shipping ...
Victim's family seeks records in Rivera air crash
The family of a makeup artist killed in a plane crash that also claimed the life of singer Jenni Rivera is trying to force the aircraft's manufacturer ...
Gay marriage supporters look to next session
With a vote to legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois looking less likely to happen in the next few days, supporters of marriage equality are looking ...