Music

3 days ago in Entertainment, Local, Music

‘Mamma Mia!’ takes the stage at The Muni

Performances the next two weekends at The Muni.

4 days 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.

4 days 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 weeks 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.

2 weeks 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.

Lifestyle

3 days 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.

4 days 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.'

5 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

2 weeks 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.

2 weeks 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.

3 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.

4 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

22 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

White Sox place slugger Munetaka Murakami on IL, call up INF Jacob Gonzalez

Following Friday’s 4-3 win over Detroit in 10 innings, Venable told reporters he thought Murakami might miss “a couple of weeks" after he got hurt beating out a double play in the third inning.

2 days ago in IL State News, Local, National, Sports

Stojakovic returns to Illinois after withdrawing from NBA Draft

Illini wing gives Illinois another major boost heading into 2026-27 season.

2 days ago in History, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, National

In farm country, an old American pickup truck becomes more than a workhorse

Effingham, IL (AP) – In Illinois farm country, there’s a 70-year-old pickup truck waiting on a fresh coat of canary…

2 days ago in Business, Education, History, IL State News, Lifestyle, National

In a city with an iconic skyline, the Obama presidential museum aims to reshape Chicago architecture

Residents have compared it to a grain elevator, ship from “Star Wars” and a mausoleum.

2 days ago in Crime, IL State News, National

Chicago mayor sees Pope Leo XIV as key ally on social justice, migration after Vatican meeting

The mayor said it was comforting to know that someone who comes from the city of Chicago "can speak to justice” and defend “the most vulnerable among us.”

2 days ago in Entertainment, IL State News, National

Top federal prosecutor in Chicago denies investigation into E. Jean Carroll, disputing media reports

Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, issued a statement roughly 24 hours after the first report was published saying that his office “has not opened — and has never opened — a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll.”

Sports

7 hours ago in IL State News, Local, Sports

Hope remains, but time is short, for a Bears bill

Updated
Excited Chicago Bears fan in an orange jersey and beanie throws up a Bears glove while holding a beer at the stadium in celebration.

A budget bill awaits debate and vote.

22 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

White Sox place slugger Munetaka Murakami on IL, call up INF Jacob Gonzalez

Following Friday’s 4-3 win over Detroit in 10 innings, Venable told reporters he thought Murakami might miss “a couple of weeks" after he got hurt beating out a double play in the third inning.

2 days ago in IL State News, Local, National, Sports

Stojakovic returns to Illinois after withdrawing from NBA Draft

Illini wing gives Illinois another major boost heading into 2026-27 season.

2 days ago in IL State News, National, Sports

Bears coach Ben Johnson says he is ‘buying Luther Burden stock’ going into the season

“Yeah, I’m buying Luther Burton stock right now," coach Ben Johnson said. “Just how he’s approached his offseason, it’s been electric. It showed up yesterday. He had numerous explosive plays. ... So he’s in a really good spot.”

3 days ago in Sports

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice continues serving jail sentence as team begins voluntary offseason workouts

While most of the Kansas City Chiefs participated in voluntary workouts this week, wide receiver Rashee Rice was back in Texas, serving his 30-day jail sentence after violating the terms of his probation for his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured.

3 days ago in Sports, Trending

MLB owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since baseball’s 1994-95 strike

Major League Baseball owners made their long-expected salary cap proposal to the players' association on Thursday, a system the union has vowed never to accept, setting the sides on course for a confrontation that threatens the 2027 season and perhaps beyond.

Entertainment

4 days 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.

4 days 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.

5 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.

5 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.

5 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

7 hours ago in IL State News, Local, Sports

Hope remains, but time is short, for a Bears bill

Updated
Excited Chicago Bears fan in an orange jersey and beanie throws up a Bears glove while holding a beer at the stadium in celebration.

A budget bill awaits debate and vote.

22 hours ago in Education, History, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, Route 66 100th Anniversary Guide

Route 66 exhibit opens at Illinois State Museum

Museum officials said the collection includes a variety of Route 66 memorabilia, such as vintage souvenirs, neon signs, fiberglass advertising figures and Burma-Shave signs.

22 hours ago in Entertainment, Local

Fun all around Springfield is on its way in June

Updated

Amy Beadle of Visit Springfield Stopped by The WTAX Morning NewsWatch to discuss all these amazing events.

1 day ago in IL State News, Local

Honoring ‘The Notorious BFC’

Much still undone at the Capitol.

2 days ago in IL State News, Local, National, Sports

Stojakovic returns to Illinois after withdrawing from NBA Draft

Illini wing gives Illinois another major boost heading into 2026-27 season.

2 days ago in History, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local, National

In farm country, an old American pickup truck becomes more than a workhorse

Effingham, IL (AP) – In Illinois farm country, there’s a 70-year-old pickup truck waiting on a fresh coat of canary…

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Trending

3 days ago in Sports, Trending

MLB owners have proposed a salary cap for the first time since baseball’s 1994-95 strike

Major League Baseball owners made their long-expected salary cap proposal to the players' association on Thursday, a system the union has vowed never to accept, setting the sides on course for a confrontation that threatens the 2027 season and perhaps beyond.

4 days 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.