Lifestyle
5 hours ago in Lifestyle
Do you really need a water filter? Here’s what experts say
U.S. tap water is generally safe and high quality. But that doesn't mean every glass tastes the same, or that every building's plumbing delivers identical water to the faucet.
2 days ago in Lifestyle
Challenging your brain helps keep it healthy. Here’s how to do it
One recent study linked a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline to lifelong learning, meaning intellectually stimulating experiences — reading and writing, learning another language, playing chess, solving puzzles, going to museums — from childhood into retirement.
6 days ago in Lifestyle
What to say if you’re in recovery and your workplace encourages social drinking
Picture this: It's lunchtime in the 1960s, and you're out with co-workers enjoying not one, not two, but three cocktails with your meal. While the three-martini lunch seems improbable today, workplaces still can be boozy places. After-work happy hours, corporate parties and client meetings at fancy bars are still expected in many areas of American corporate culture.
7 days ago in Lifestyle
Apple’s ‘big week’ launches a pair of $599 devices aimed at budget buyers
Apple CEO Tim Cook promised a "big week" of product announcements has seen the introduction of a new budget-friendly iPhone trim, an entry-level MacBook tier, updated iPad Air models, refreshed monitors and higher-end chipsets. All of which was on display at hands-on media events held Wednesday in New York, London and Shanghai.
1 week ago in Lifestyle
The weight loss boom is reshaping American aesthetics
An estimated 63% of weight loss drug patients now seeking facial treatments have never set foot in a cosmetic clinic before. Thirty-one million Americans are now taking GLP-1 weight loss medications, according to KFF polling data from November 2025.
1 week ago in Lifestyle
Starter home hotspots: These metros are best for first-time buyers
moveBuddha highlights top starter home cities for first-time buyers, with Oklahoma City leading in affordability, availability, and livability.
2 weeks ago in Lifestyle
Are expensive shampoos worth it? Here’s what the experts have to say
Ornate packaging paired with enticing advertisements that claim expensive shampoos are elixirs to all hair woes can leave one wondering: Are the higher prices really worth it? Should I abandon my $8 drugstore mainstay for a $42 premium brand?
3 weeks ago in Lifestyle
How the rich pass on their wealth. And how you can too
Death and taxes may be inevitable. A big bill for your heirs is not. The rich have made an art of avoiding taxes and making sure their wealth passes down effortlessly to the next generation. But the tricks they use – to expedite payouts to heirs and avoid handing money to the government – can also work for people with far more modest estates.
Entertainment
1 day ago in Entertainment
‘Dancing with the Stars’ pro Mark Ballas leaps back to Broadway in ‘Chicago’
Mark Ballas is returning to Broadway in "Chicago" and the "Dancing with the Stars" pro will be reuniting with an old friend. Ballas, playing slippery lawyer Billy Flynn starting April 6, will share the stage with his Roxie, Whitney Leavitt, the "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star who was his dancing partner on "Dancing with the Stars" last year.
2 days ago in Entertainment
Multiple gunshots fired near Rihanna’s LA home and a woman is taken into custody
Los Angeles police took a woman into custody after she fired gunshots outside Rihanna 's gated home, according to authorities and news reports on Monday.
2 days ago in Entertainment
Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ bounds to No. 1 as Warner Bros.’ ‘The Bride!’ is on life support
Disney and Pixar's environmental adventure "Hoppers" topped the North American box office this weekend with $46 million in domestic ticket sales in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
2 days ago in Entertainment, Music
‘Country’ Joe McDonald, ’60s rock star, proud protest counterculture icon, dies at 84
"Country" Joe McDonald, a hippie rock star of the 1960s whose "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" was a four-lettered rebuke to the Vietnam War that became an anthem for protesters and a highlight of the Woodstock music festival, died Sunday. He was 84.
5 days ago in Entertainment
After 5 years, Sarah J. Maas returns to ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ with 2 untitled books
Romantasy favorite Sarah J. Maas has given her millions of fans a plot twist they had long been waiting for — two more books over the next 11 months in her blockbuster "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series.
Local News from Capitol City Now
1 hour ago in Business, IL State News, Local, Sports
IHSA boys state basketball tournament returns to Champaign this week
More than 34,000 fans expected as 16 teams compete at State Farm Center March 12–14.
1 hour ago in Business, Education, Food Scene, History, Lifestyle, Local
Former Pillsbury plant part of new exhibit at ALPLM
The plant opened in 1930 and closed in 2001.
2 hours ago in Education, Health & Wellness, Local
Ball-Chatham Schools receive new sensory technology in elementary schools
The panels are installed in each of the schools' calming rooms.
Crime of the Week: Help needed solving Illiopolis burglary
$1,000 worth of tools stolen from a job site.
2 hours ago in Health & Wellness, IL State News, Local
Thousands more Illinoisans with disabilities now have access to savings accounts
ABLE accounts allow people to save more money that can be used for their care.
2 hours ago in Health & Wellness, IL State News, Local, National
Illinois abortion clinics gain renewed support despite Republican, pro-life pushback
Abortion access is strengthened through independent clinics, recent funding measures.
Rewind Spotlight
Donations Needed at Central Illinois Food Bank
Can you help? Central Illinois Food Bank on E. Cook Street is in need of, well, food. YOU can be…
Central Illinois online news site CapitolCityNow.com is here!
The ultimate local news experience for Central Illinois is here with CapitolCityNow.com! Stay informed with trusted reporters and anchors from…
Save big on your favorite Springfield places with Springfield Real Deals!
Springfieldrealdeals.com is your chance to get half off some of your favorite Springfield places! Deals go on sale most Fridays…
Central Illinois Community Calendar
Check out all the fun events happening in Springfield, IL! Visit our CapitolCityNow.com community calendar
Friends and Neighbors Apply Now!
We love being a part of (and supporting) Central Illinois charities and non-profits! Are you a nonprofit organization with an…
Talking Business over Coffee
Check out “Talking Business over Coffee!” Capitol Radio Group GM/VP Chris Bullock talks to local businesses about how they started,…
Trending
Iran names Khamenei’s son to succeed him, signaling no letup in war as oil prices surge
Iran named the hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader on Monday, signaling no letup in the war launched by the United States and Israel. Oil prices surged as Iran attacked regional energy infrastructure and the U.S. and Israel bombed targets across Iran.
5 days ago in Sports, Trending
Ohtani has grand slam, 5 RBIs as Japan routs Taiwan 13-0 in its WBC opener
Shohei Ohtani doubled on the first pitch of the game, then hit a go-ahead grand slam and an RBI single in a 10-run second inning to lead defending champion Japan over Taiwan 13-0 Friday night in its World Baseball Classic opener.