Music

23 hours ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music, National

Thank you for being a friend: ‘Golden Girls’ to perform in Springfield

The Springfield show is, so far, the only Illinois stop as part of a fall tour starting September 30 and continuing through November 28.

1 day ago in Entertainment, Music

The Chicks announce intimate ‘Taking the Long Way’ 20th Anniversary Tour. ‘This is our lives’

Call it a comeback, a crossover moment, or both. Twenty years ago, The Chicks released their blockbuster 2006 album "Taking the Long Way" — their first full-length after the country music industry turned their backs on them — and one of the biggest of their career.

1 week ago in Agriculture, Entertainment, Farm, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music

Ziggy Marley to headline Illinois State Fair Grandstand August 18

Grammy-winning reggae artist brings decades of music, positivity, and humanitarian work to Springfield.

1 week ago in Entertainment, Music

Ella Langley dominates the ACM Awards and Cody Johnson wins entertainer of the year

Cody Johnson won entertainer of the year, but it was Ella Langley's night from the start. The first honor of the Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday was for the coveted song of the year, given to Langley for the crossover hit "Choosin' Texas," presented to her by Michael Bublé.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

New Wings exhibit traces Paul McCartney’s reinvention as husband, father and bandleader

The largest collection of Paul McCartney's personal artifacts ever publicly displayed is part of a new exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame centering on his life after The Beatles.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Shakira and Burna Boy release official 2026 FIFA World Cup Anthem, ‘Dai Dai’

As the song demands: "Let's go!" The Colombian superstar Shakira and Afrobeats icon Burna Boy have teamed up for "Dai Dai," the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

After the Kendrick Lamar beef, can Drake come back with ‘Iceman’?

Drake has returned as the "Iceman." And the stakes couldn't be higher. His ninth studio album — and his first since his extravagant loss in a very public feud with Kendrick Lamar — arrives Friday.

2 weeks ago in Entertainment, Music

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan and Vince Gill recordings enter national registry

The new inductees into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress include Swift's blockbuster 2014 pop album "1989," Beyoncé's era-defining 2008 anthem "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," Khan's genre-blending hit "I Feel for You," Vince Gill's emotional ballad "Go Rest High on That Mountain" and The Go-Go's groundbreaking debut album "Beauty and the Beat."

Lifestyle

2 hours ago in Lifestyle

Why your co-worker might be listening to music tuned to 432 hertz

Music recorded in 432 hertz (cycles per second) is taking off on social media platforms and music streaming services, where users can find an increasing number of tracks and playlists employing the alternate tuning, everything from meditation soundscapes to reggae songs recorded by Ziggy Marley.

19 hours ago in Lifestyle

Independent bookstores are multiplying, although many people still think they’re dying out

Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, is used to strangers expressing sympathy when they learn what she does for a living. "It's all so funny," she says. "When I tell them I run the trade association for independent stores, they'll say, 'It's just so sad that they're disappearing.'

2 days ago in Lifestyle

You should be dancing, yeah. Moving to music offers all kinds of benefits as you age

Moving to music is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Medical professionals say it doesn't matter if it's Western line dancing, ballroom steps, salsa, tap, Zumba at the gym, or with a group

1 week ago in Lifestyle

Plastic bags don’t go in the recycling bin. What should you do instead?

Soft, stretchy plastics can make up grocery bags, bubble wrap and more. They're impossible to avoid and harder still to properly dispose of. If thrown in the trash, they can take up to hundreds of years to degrade in landfills and release harmful microplastics into the environment.

1 week ago in Lifestyle, Trending

Summer travelers who relied on Spirit Airlines may struggle to find budget alternatives

Days after Spirit Airlines shut down in the middle of the night, a lawyer for the defunct budget carrier stood before a bankruptcy judge and apologized to the price-conscious customers who might struggle to find affordable flights in its absence.

2 weeks ago in Lifestyle

Pediatricians group finds kids of all ages need regular recess for physical and mental health

Recess isn't just a fun break for grade schoolers. It's crucial to good health and good grades for kids of all ages. That's the message from a leading pediatricians group, which just released the first new guidance in 13 years about this unstructured time at school and how it needs to be protected.

3 weeks ago in Lifestyle, Trending

Olivia and Liam top the list of most popular US baby names for the seventh year running

Olivia and Liam for a seventh year in a row topped the list of names for babies born in the United States in 2025. The Social Security Administration annually tracks the names given to girls and boys in each state, with lists dating back to 1880.

3 weeks ago in Lifestyle

Restaurants celebrate authentic Mexican culture and history this Cinco de Mayo

Nayomie Mendoza has become accustomed to how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the U.S.: the platters of tacos, the pitchers of margaritas and the jubilant sounds of mariachi bands.

National

2 hours ago in National

Justice Department opens investigation into E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of assault: AP source

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who has said Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store 30 years ago, lied during the course of civil litigation against the Republican president, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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

IL lawmaker proposes 100% tax on money received from Jan. 6 ‘slush fund’

"I will file a bill to do the same in Illinois."

18 hours ago in IL State News, Local, National

Durbin: ‘My life has been genuinely enriched by helping people’

Retiring U.S. Sen. Durbin talks tobacco, elections in "farewell speech" to ILGA.

23 hours ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Music, National

Thank you for being a friend: ‘Golden Girls’ to perform in Springfield

The Springfield show is, so far, the only Illinois stop as part of a fall tour starting September 30 and continuing through November 28.

23 hours ago in Crime, IL State News, National

‘Broadview 6’ defense accuses Chicago’s top federal prosecutor of having contact with grand jury

U.S. attorney says he hasn’t presented evidence to grand jury, but doesn’t deny being present.

24 hours ago in Business, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, National

Bipartisan AI safety, privacy bills await action in Illinois House

While some people hate the idea of AI, lawmakers know the technology is here to stay and Illinois must regulate it.

Sports

2 hours ago in Sports

Baseball players ask for expanded free agency, salary arbitration rights, almost doubling minimum

Baseball players fired the opening salvo Wednesday in what is expected to be long and contentious labor negotiations, asking for expanded free agency and salary arbitration rights along with almost doubling the major league minimum and increasing the money high-revenue teams share with the less-wealthy clubs.

2 hours ago in Sports

Hurricanes beat the Canadiens 4-0 to move within a victory of the Stanley Cup Final

Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal and Logan Stankoven scored in a 2:47 span late in the first period and the Carolina Hurricanes moved within a victory of the Stanley Cup Final, beating the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Wednesday night.

4 hours ago in Entertainment, Lifestyle, Local, Sports

Summer Baseball is back

Summertime Baseball is back! Jamie Toole Chief Storyteller of The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes stopped by The WTAX Morning NewsWatch

24 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

White Sox place Noah Schultz on 15-day IL, recall prospect David Sandlin from Triple-A

“It's just something that you want to catch before it gets worse,” said Schultz, who added that he tried playing through a similar injury last season.

24 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

Cubs All-Star left-hander Matthew Boyd is scheduled for the first of two rehab starts on Sunday

Boyd has been on the injured list since May 4 with a torn meniscus in his left knee that required surgery.

1 day ago in Sports

Iga Swiatek improves career record at French Open to 42-3 as she reaches 3rd round

Iga Swiatek has improved her career record at the French Open to 42-3. The four-time champion eliminated 35th-ranked Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round on Wednesday.

Entertainment

19 hours ago in Entertainment, Trending

Matthew Perry’s assistant gets more than 3 years in prison for central role in his ketamine death

Matthew Perry's live-in personal assistant, who had a central role in the "Friends" star's descent into ketamine addiction and injected him with the fatal dose of the drug, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and five months in prison.

1 day ago in Entertainment, Music

The Chicks announce intimate ‘Taking the Long Way’ 20th Anniversary Tour. ‘This is our lives’

Call it a comeback, a crossover moment, or both. Twenty years ago, The Chicks released their blockbuster 2006 album "Taking the Long Way" — their first full-length after the country music industry turned their backs on them — and one of the biggest of their career.

2 days ago in Entertainment

What tastes like a Korean pancake and is purple all over? An Oreo inspired by K-pop group BTS

Oreo is teaming up with K-pop supergroup BTS for a bit of marketing dynamite that capitalizes on consumers' growing interest in global flavors.

2 days ago in Entertainment

Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, continuing a more than century-old tradition. The three-day competition began Tuesday and concludes Thursday night.

2 days ago in Entertainment

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop opens for tours. Here’s what’s inside the once-hidden puppet studio

Deep in a cavernous New York City warehouse, the artisans behind some of the world's most beloved children's characters have been fashioning costumes and puppets for years in relative anonymity. Now Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the workshop founded by the legendary creator of the Muppets, is drawing back the curtain.

Local News from Capitol City Now

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

IL lawmaker proposes 100% tax on money received from Jan. 6 ‘slush fund’

"I will file a bill to do the same in Illinois."

4 hours ago in Entertainment, Lifestyle, Local, Sports

Summer Baseball is back

Summertime Baseball is back! Jamie Toole Chief Storyteller of The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes stopped by The WTAX Morning NewsWatch

4 hours ago in Health & Wellness, Local

Sangamon County Mental Health Committee holds first meeting

The committee, and a sales tax increase to pay for mental health services, were approved by voters in the March primary election.

6 hours ago in Health & Wellness, IL State News, Local

Lawmakers pass youth birth control bill

Sponsor says the bill merely codifies what is already being done.

17 hours ago in Crime, Local

Man in custody following Logan County police standoff

The suspect was charged with multiple domestic battery and weapons charges.

18 hours ago in IL State News, Local, National

Durbin: ‘My life has been genuinely enriched by helping people’

Retiring U.S. Sen. Durbin talks tobacco, elections in "farewell speech" to ILGA.

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Trending

19 hours ago in Entertainment, Trending

Matthew Perry’s assistant gets more than 3 years in prison for central role in his ketamine death

Matthew Perry's live-in personal assistant, who had a central role in the "Friends" star's descent into ketamine addiction and injected him with the fatal dose of the drug, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and five months in prison.

1 day ago in Sports, Trending

The Blue Wave from tiny Curaçao is making World Cup history

Before the tournament even begins, Curaçao has already crafted a story like none other in World Cup history. A tiny island country — autonomous territory, if you prefer — of about 156,000 residents in the Caribbean is now the smallest, both in terms of population and land mass, to make it to soccer's biggest stage.