Music

21 hours ago in Entertainment, Music

Ella Langley leads Country Music Association Awards nods, with mentor Miranda Lambert close behind

Ella Langley, riding the wave of her crossover megahit "Choosin' Texas," leads the nominations for the 2026 Country Music Association Awards with nine nods, followed by her mentor Miranda Lambert with six.

7 days ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music

‘STOMP’ coming to UIS PAC to kick off 2027

"STOMP uses everything but conventional percussion instruments."

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Dolly Parton estate announces 2-day festival ‘Dollyfest’ to celebrate her legacy

Dolly Parton is not done yet. The estate behind the icon, who died of cancer last week at age 80, has announced Dollyfest, a two-day festival to be held in Nashville and London across two consecutive weekends in 2027.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Illinois State Fair Guide, Local, Music

Dolly Parton’s central Illinois connections

From Petersburg to the Illinois State Fair to the former Assembly Hall in Champaign, "I don't think there will ever be another Dolly Parton."

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music, National

Dolly Parton, music star, actor and beloved figure who spanned generations, dies at 80

Parton died peacefully Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, her publicist said in a statement.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Australia’s music industry bans AI-generated tracks from official charts

Australia's recorded music industry will bar tracks wholly generated by artificial intelligence from official charts as burgeoning generative technologies threaten artists' livelihoods, a representative said on Tuesday.

3 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

After losing a friend and writing ‘Say So,’ Dan + Shay are back with the autobiographical ‘Young’

The lead single from Grammy Award-winning duo Dan + Shay's forthcoming album "Young" is a hard pivot from the wedding songs that make up so much of the country pair's discography.

3 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Frank Beard, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77

Frank Beard, the drummer for the Texas boogie-rock trio ZZ Top who kept the tempo for the band's biggest hits like "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs" and "Gimme All Your Lovin,'" has died. He was 77.

Lifestyle

20 hours ago in Lifestyle, Trending

Girl Scouts’ first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January

Man's best friend is getting some love from the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts of the USA said Tuesday its first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January.

2 days ago in Lifestyle, Trending

New Apple CEO unveils latest iPhone lineup, including a foldable model called Duo

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its latest generation of iPhones, including a widely anticipated foldable version called Duo.

2 days ago in Lifestyle

Families’ interest in their kids’ education is falling around the globe as scores drop, test shows

Families' interest in their kids' education is falling in many high-income countries as school systems struggle with plunging test scores, according to newly released results from a standardized test taken by 15-year-olds around the world.

7 days ago in Lifestyle

Nod if you’ve heard this: Bobblehead dolls are an American favorite

Any head can bobble - entertainers, athletes, politicians, animals, fictional characters, even your own if you get one personalized. Kitschy, kind of funny, kind of clever, ubiquitous as giveaways at places like baseball games, who doesn't love a bobblehead? America most definitely does.

2 weeks ago in Lifestyle, Trending

How to reset your child’s sleep schedule for back-to-school season

After a summer of vacations and late nights, it's time to set those back-to-school alarms. A good night's sleep helps students stay focused and attentive in class. Experts say it's worth easing kids back into a routine with the start of a new school year.

3 weeks ago in Lifestyle

3-year college degrees grow more popular in the US, saving time and cash. But critics aren’t sold

Condensed college programs have exploded in popularity. As of this spring, 26 U.S. states have a college that offers at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's, according to the nonprofit research group RAND. Advocates say these programs are a solution to the college affordability crisis and a godsend for non-traditional students.

3 weeks ago in Lifestyle

Fall books: Fiction takes the spotlight in bookstores during the midterm season

Midterm election news will fill the headlines this fall, but, among book buyers, fiction will likely have top billing.

3 weeks ago in Lifestyle

The best fabric for extreme heat? It’s more complicated than you think

When it's really hot out, getting dressed seems pretty simple: Wear something light, loose and made for summer. But textile researchers say it's actually a little more complicated than that.

National

13 hours ago in IL State News, Local, National

Illinois governor’s race shifts to Texas

Bailey, Pritzker both working the sidelines of midterm Republican convention for support, money.

13 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

Big Ten expanding its enhanced replay review coverage beyond Friday games

The Big Ten had announced last week it would offer these enhanced replay reviews during Friday night telecasts. The Big Ten adjusted that plan Wednesday by saying it will cover all conference games, as well as home nonconference matchups that have Big Ten officiating crews.

13 hours ago in Health & Wellness, IL State News, Local, National

The push to remove lead pipes is on. Thousands of water systems still don’t know where theirs are

The City of Springfield continues to replace lead water service lines as well.

17 hours ago in History, IL State News, Local, National

Remembering 9/11

Special 9/11 coverage Friday on WTAX.

23 hours ago in Crime, IL State News, Local, National

Sangamon County sheriff seeks registered sex offender, another arrested

The Sangamon Co. Sheriff’s Office learned Randall Knott left Illinois without authorization in July after Tulsa detectives encountered him.

2 days ago in National, Trending

Anthropic researcher resigns with warning about the dangers of AI development

An Anthropic researcher said he is resigning from the company over concerns the artificial intelligence firm and its competitors are not acting responsibly in AI development, echoing concerns raised inside and outside of the industry about the technology's potential to elude human control.

Sports

13 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

Big Ten expanding its enhanced replay review coverage beyond Friday games

The Big Ten had announced last week it would offer these enhanced replay reviews during Friday night telecasts. The Big Ten adjusted that plan Wednesday by saying it will cover all conference games, as well as home nonconference matchups that have Big Ten officiating crews.

20 hours ago in Sports

Rivals Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark having ‘fun’ playing together for US and not against each other

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark' s interactions are a subplot of the women's FIBA World Cup, the WNBA season and if you spend enough time on social media, a divided country. Clark and Reese have shown their relationship on the court is thriving.

21 hours ago in Sports, Trending

Seahawks pick off Drake Maye 3 times to beat Patriots 13-10 in Super Bowl rematch

Sam Darnold left the game injured, the offense was stagnant and sloppy mistakes put Seattle in a hole through three quarters. Then the Dark Side defense took over, Drew Lock made a few big plays and the Seahawks capped a Super Bowl banner-raising night with another win against the New England Patriots.

2 days ago in Sports

Coco Gauff rallies to reach the US Open semifinals against new women’s No. 1 Elena Rybakina

Coco Gauff fought off a couple match points in a tiebreaker and beat Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 on Wednesday to set up a U.S. Open semifinal matchup against new No. 1 Elena Rybakina.

2 days ago in IL State News, Local, Sports

Clinton High School cancels remainder of varsity football season

School says low participation and injuries created safety concerns; junior varsity games will continue.

2 days ago in IL State News, National, Sports

Caleb Williams elected as one of Bears captains for the 3rd straight season

While being a team captain is nothing new for Williams, the expectations for the 24-year-old quarterback are higher than ever.

Entertainment

21 hours ago in Entertainment, Music

Ella Langley leads Country Music Association Awards nods, with mentor Miranda Lambert close behind

Ella Langley, riding the wave of her crossover megahit "Choosin' Texas," leads the nominations for the 2026 Country Music Association Awards with nine nods, followed by her mentor Miranda Lambert with six.

2 days ago in Entertainment

It’s ‘Pitt’ vs ‘Pluribus’ in drama and ‘Hacks’ vs ‘Widow’s Bay’ in comedy at the upcoming Emmys

It's "The Pitt" versus "Pluribus" and "Hacks" against "Widow's Bay" at the 78th Emmy Awards on Monday night. The stars of all four shows — Noah Wyle in "The Pitt," Rhea Seehorn in "Pluribus," Jean Smart in "Hacks" and Matthew Rhys in "Widow's Bay" — look to be runaway favorites for the top acting awards.

3 days ago in Entertainment

An Elon Musk documentary and a Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem thriller premiere at Venice

A slew of high-profile films are debuting Tuesday at the Venice Film Festival, including Alex Gibney's Elon Musk documentary, a psychological thriller with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, and a drama from Casey Affleck.

7 days ago in Entertainment

Fall movie season has arrived. Here are 5 early Oscar predictions

It might be only just September, but the jockeying for next March's Academy Awards is well underway. Movies first started revving up their Oscar campaigns at the Cannes Film Festival in May. But now that the fall festivals, in Venice, Telluride and soon Toronto, are in full swing, so is the prognosticating about what's in the mix for awards.

7 days ago in Entertainment

Psychedelic ‘Furthur’ bus rolls back into San Francisco for new Grateful Dead exhibit

Ken Kesey's school bus — once painted in bright, swirly colors and driven across the country on a psychedelic journey — is back in San Francisco after 60 years as the centerpiece of a new exhibition celebrating the legacy of the Grateful Dead, a band that rose from the city's famed hippie movement.

Local News from Capitol City Now

13 hours ago in IL State News, Local, National

Illinois governor’s race shifts to Texas

Bailey, Pritzker both working the sidelines of midterm Republican convention for support, money.

13 hours ago in IL State News, Local

DCFS tells judge it will comply with records request in 2024 death of foster child

Agency director required to explain missed court dates at rescheduled hearing in October.

13 hours ago in Health & Wellness, IL State News, Local, National

The push to remove lead pipes is on. Thousands of water systems still don’t know where theirs are

The City of Springfield continues to replace lead water service lines as well.

15 hours ago in Crime, Local

Springfield man pleads guilty to 2025 murder

Justin Pickrell, shot and killed Camren White April 7, 2025.

15 hours ago in Crime, IL State News, Local

Jacksonville man arrested for alleged sex crime

Police: Sims allegedly knew the teenage victim.

17 hours ago in History, IL State News, Local, National

Remembering 9/11

Special 9/11 coverage Friday on WTAX.

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Trending

20 hours ago in Lifestyle, Trending

Girl Scouts’ first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January

Man's best friend is getting some love from the Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts of the USA said Tuesday its first cookies for dogs will go on sale in January.

21 hours ago in Sports, Trending

Seahawks pick off Drake Maye 3 times to beat Patriots 13-10 in Super Bowl rematch

Sam Darnold left the game injured, the offense was stagnant and sloppy mistakes put Seattle in a hole through three quarters. Then the Dark Side defense took over, Drew Lock made a few big plays and the Seahawks capped a Super Bowl banner-raising night with another win against the New England Patriots.