2 hours ago in National

Utility’s idle transmission tower caused 2025 Eaton fire that killed 19, Los Angeles officials say

Sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison caused the 2025 Eaton fire in the Los Angeles area that killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses, Los Angeles County fire officials said in a report released Tuesday.

2 hours ago in Entertainment, Trending

Ariana Grande on decision to withdraw from the public eye: ‘Not a reactive or impulsive thing’

Ariana Grande chose to "clear the air about a few things" during her concert Monday night, following the news that she will be taking a break from being in the public eye after the conclusion of her "Eternal Sunshine" tour.

3 hours ago in Education, IL State News, Local, National

Jordan: District 186’s cell phone ban ‘stricter’ than new state ban

Jordan says the district's policy -- which does include some rules for emergencies -- is more "forward-thinking" than state law.

5 hours ago in IL State News, Local

Gov Pritzker questioned about Benton report

Pritzker says there's a need to outline a process for reporting complaints.

6 hours ago in IL State News, Local, National

Durbin, voting against AG nomination, says Todd Blanche can’t be trusted

Senator Dick Durbin said prior to Tuesday's vote there are loopholes in that deal with holdout Republicans.

7 hours ago in IL State News, Sports

Safety Coby Bryant leaves Chicago Bears practice with injury as running back Kyle Monangai returns

Running back Kyle Monangai returned to practice briefly after missing three straight workouts with a soft tissue injury, but starting safety Coby Bryant went out during one-on-one drills with an apparent leg injury and left the field in a cart.

7 hours ago in IL State News, National, Sports

Cubs restock staff at deadline, acquire pitcher Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from Mets

Chicago acquired right-hander Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the last-place New York Mets on Monday for touted infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. The Cubs also added reliever Ryan Zeferjahn and left-hander Braxton Garrett in two other deals ahead of Monday's deadline.

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

School backpack overload: Heavy bags can strain kids’ bodies

The American Academy of Pediatrics is based in Illinois.

9 hours ago in Lifestyle

Fishing closures are becoming routine as record heat warms rivers in the US West

Trout need cool water to survive, but record heat this summer has driven water temperatures to lethal levels for fish. Wildlife officials are banning fishing during certain hours on rivers and streams across the U.S. West, following an exceptionally dry winter and amid widespread drought.

9 hours ago in Sports

Alec Burleson hits 3 homers for Cardinals at Yankee Stadium after trade deadline passes

After the frenzy of Monday's trade deadline, Alec Burleson hit a trio of two-run homers off three different pitchers, including a drive into the second deck in right field that capped a seven-run eighth inning as St. Louis outslugged the New York Yankees for a 13-7 victory despite blowing a six-run lead.

9 hours ago in World

Firefighters scramble to contain fires outside Athens before winds and high temperatures return

Firefighters west of Athens raced to exploit a break in high winds on Tuesday, working to strengthen containment lines as forecasters warned that stronger gusts and rising temperatures would return in the coming days.

9 hours ago in National

Musk likely to face tough questions during SpaceX’s first earnings call as a public company

Investors in Elon Musk's space company get a chance to question him Tuesday after SpaceX issues its first quarterly earnings since going public.

9 hours ago in Entertainment

Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos lead $200M project to save 100 of globe’s most threatened species

Foundations funded and co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos have launched an initiative committing $200 million to revive 100 of Earth's most threatened species, including endangered lemurs, salamanders, pangolins, pigs and echidnas.

9 hours ago in Sports

Top FIFA officials Wenger and Grafström distance themselves from Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan

Two senior FIFA executives — coaching great Arsène Wenger and CEO-like secretary general Mattias Grafström — distanced themselves Tuesday from their boss Gianni Infantino's failed plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private investors.

9 hours ago in Lifestyle

School backpack overload: Heavy bags can strain kids’ bodies

Backpacks can be fashionable and functional, but they can also be too heavy — weighed down by digital devices, musical instruments, sports equipment and more. Some kids carry home a laptop or tablet and textbooks, too.

11 hours ago in Business, IL State News, National

25 states sue over Trump’s new tariffs, calling them ‘pretext’ to replace his old ones

Illinois has joined the lawsuit.

11 hours ago in Business, Food Scene, IL State News, Local, National

McDonald’s posts strong second quarter profit, names new chief of US operations

The Chicago burger chain earned $2.36 billion, or $3.32 per share, for the three months ended June 30. A year earlier it earned $2.25 billion, or $3.14 per share.

11 hours ago in Business, IL State News, Local

Taylorville approves ordinance regulating battery storage facilities

"It's a pretty restrictive ordinance. So, I don't know offhand if there's any place in Taylorville that would meet the requirements of the ordinance to house the battery storage," said Mayor Bruce Barry.

12 hours ago in Education, History, IL State News, Local, National

UIS to author 1908 Springfield Race Riot history

The 1908 events helped lead to the founding of the NAACP the following year.

12 hours ago in Education, Local

How parents can help prepare their households for back-to-school

Gradually adjust bedtimes and wake-up times; also, emphasize reading.