President Trump claimed these violent felons did not attack anyone after issuing a blanket pardon to Daniel Rodriguez and others after the attack of Michael Fanone.
byTerry Hansen Guest Commentary
Jack Smith, the former special counsel who oversaw the investigation into President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, recently testified publicly for the first time before the House Judiciary Committee.
Committee member Joe Neguse (D-CO) warned: "Mr. Smith...Republicans are trying to rewrite history. ... Perhaps the Chairman could muster the courage to call the four witnesses who I see...standing behind you, Mr. Smith. The four police officers who risked everything, life and limb...to protect the Republican members on the dais."
Former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone was one of those protectors present in the hearing room. On January 6, 2021, Daniel Rodriguez repeatedly drove a stun gun into Fanone's skull, causing him to lose consciousness and suffer a heart attack. Rodriguez was sentenced to over 12 years in prison. The judge called him “a one-man army of hate."
After issuing his blanket pardon of Rodriguez and his fellow cop-beaters, President Trump claimed these violent felons did not attack anyone, and that, in fact, they were the ones who had been attacked. He further stated that pardoning them was "a great thing for humanity."
Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny, argues that democracy cannot exist without history because it depends on citizens who can recognize patterns from the past, accept responsibility for what their nation has done, and choose better paths for the future.
Today, we are watching the Trump administration distort the facts surrounding the fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents Renée Good and Alex Pretti by U.S. Border Patrol agents. This revisionism isn’t just cynical—it’s dangerous. When politicians deny what happened in plain sight, they erode the public’s ability to tell truth from propaganda.
And when the truth is lost, so is our capacity to hold power to account.
Terry Hansen is a retired educator from Grafton, WI, who writes frequently about climate change and on human rights. He lives in Grafton, WIsconsin.
Illinois will receive $193 million a year for the next five years to expand health care access in rural areas. The funding comes from a new federal program created to offset Medicaid cuts included in H.R. 1.
by Nikoel Hytrek
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD - Illinois will receive $193 million for each of the next five years to expand health care access for the approximately 1.9 million people in rural areas — or about $101 annually for every rural Illinoisan.
The money comes from the $50 billion federal Rural Healthcare Transformation Program fund, which Congress created to offset federal Medicaid spending cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1, that passed last summer.
But health care organizations said the money will not be enough to compensate for Medicaid cuts.
Photo by PEXELS/RDNE Stock Project
Illinois has 85 small and rural hospitals that serve as hubs for access to healthcare. Hospitals could be forced to reduce services like obstetrics, cut staff, or close entirely if government funding isn't sufficient.
“These funds are good, and we're going to put them to good use, but it's not a solution,” said Jordan Powell, senior vice president of health policy and finance for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association. “It's not going to mitigate the impact of the significant Medicaid cuts that are coming our way.”
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services said between 190,000 to 360,000 Medicaid recipients are at risk of losing coverage in Illinois because of new work requirements.
H.R. 1 also imposes a tighter cap on how much money states can raise for their Medicaid programs through provider taxes. The new limits will be phased in, starting in fiscal year 2028, and could reduce total Medicaid funding in Illinois by $4.5 billion a year by fiscal year 2031.
“Long term, we know a number of HR 1 provisions will have a devastating impact on healthcare in our state and present significant challenges with respect to maintaining equitable access to high-quality healthcare coverage for all Illinois residents,” the department said in a statement.
Illinois has 85 small and rural hospitals that serve as hubs for access to care for people who can’t travel long distances. Nearly 30% operate at a deficit, though, and most of the patients they serve are on Medicare or Medicaid, according to the Health and Hospital Association.
Photo: Anna Shvets/PEXELS
Increasing the workforce at rural hospitals is a priority that needs to be addressed.
Powell described the new federal money as a bandage, not a permanent solution for the cuts Illinois hospitals will face. As Medicaid reimbursement decreases, he said, hospitals could be forced to reduce services like obstetrics, cut staff, or close entirely.
Rural population is only a small part of grant consideration
The amount each state received ranged from $147 million for New Jersey to $281 million for Texas, and rural population appeared to be only a small factor in the equation.
That means states like Texas, with the largest rural population in the country, got far less per rural resident than states like Rhode Island, which has the smallest. Texas received $66 per rural resident and Rhode Island, with a total award of $156 million, received $6,305 per rural resident.
Half of the total $50 billion was awarded to states equally, but the other half was awarded based on specific factors such as a state’s current or planned policies for rural health care and proposed ideas that align with federal Make America Healthy Again priorities.
Among its neighbors, Illinois has the second-lowest award amount. Michigan, with its $173 million award, is the only state with less.
In the Midwest, Michigan’s rural population is slightly larger than Illinois’, but it received only $83 per person compared to Illinois’ $101. Iowa, with fewer rural residents than Illinois, got $139 per rural person.
Illinois’ Priorities
When filling out the application to the federal government, Illinois’ HFS consulted provider associations, rural hospitals, community health centers, community mental health centers, universities and community colleges, legislators and vendors.
According to the department, the state’s application focused on:
Increasing the number of health care workers in rural areas with education, scholarships, training and incentive programs.
Removing the barriers that rural residents face to getting health care by investing in mobile and telehealth services.
Changing the way rural health care systems run by creating regional partnerships.
The federal government indicated a preference for “transforming systems,” not just supporting ongoing operating expenses.
HFS said the hospital transformation grants will be a good tool for expanding its existing Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives to rural areas. The state launched the collaborative effort in 2021 to improve health care outcomes and reduce disparities across the state. It involves providers sharing resources to meet the health needs of multiple communities and expand access to services like preventative and specialty care.
“Team-based care, in partnership with hospitals and primary care practices, looks to improve access to care for rural residents by building out infrastructure and technology in order to increase access to specialty services, transform healthcare delivery, and overcome known geographic barriers for these communities,” the agency said in an emailed statement.
Powell said increasing the workforce and cybersecurity at hospitals are some of the top priorities. After that, he said, expanding rural broadband internet and upgrading electronic health records are important.
“Workforce and technology were two of the main things that we heard from our members,” he said. “I think the state wants to emphasize better partnerships and collaboration between providers.”
‘Not a long-term fix’
Despite allowing rural hospitals and health systems to make needed improvements, Powell said he still doesn’t think the money will be enough to make up for losing Medicaid payments.
“It’s kind of like supplemental funding that’s going to help them survive just a little bit longer,” he said. “I would actually say a significant portion of them are facing slim to negative margins, as is. And so this is funding that, again, will maintain some stability and viability for these organizations. But it's not a long-term fix.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
More on Illinois politics
TAGS: Illinois rural health care funding, Medicaid cuts impact Illinois hospitals, rural hospitals Illinois federal grants, Illinois Medicaid work requirements health care, Rural Healthcare Transformation Program Illinois
The Illinois House met Wednesday, passing several Democrat-introduced symbolic resolutions against the current administration's federal policies. House Republicans opposed the measures, characterizing them as unproductive.
by Georgia Epiphaniou & Erika Tulfo
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD - Illinois House Democrats kicked off their spring session this week in a mostly symbolic fashion, denouncing President Donald Trump’s policies in a series of resolutions criticizing immigration raids and cuts to health care and child care programs.
“The session was an opportunity for us to emphasize how these policies in the federal government impact Illinois,” House Rep. Lillian Jiménez, D-Chicago, said.
The Democrat-led symbolic resolutions targeted Trump’s tariffs, excessive use of force by federal immigration agents, the freezing of affordable child care funds and the expiry of Affordable Care Act subsidies. They even denounced the administration’s push to acquire territory overseas while Illinoisans face affordability challenges at home.
Photo: Capitol News Illinois/Jerry Nowicki
Rep. Lilian Jiménez speaks on the House floor during the October 2025 veto session.
They all passed overwhelmingly over Republican objections.
“We basically did nothing but allow Democrats in the General Assembly to grandstand on things that are happening in D.C, that we have zero impact on,” House Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, told Capitol News Illinois.
House Rep. Jaime M. Andrade Jr., D-Chicago, kicked off the Wednesday session by calling out aggressive actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, citing the killing of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park in September last year and Renee Good in Minnesota early this month.
Andrade filed House Resolution 622 which condemned the use of “excessive and deadly force” by ICE agents, and called for an independent investigation into the Department of Homeland Security for killings and deaths of detainees in custody. Democrats also called for the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over her handling of immigration enforcement.
Democrats then focused on the impact of federal funding cuts.
Jiménez filed House Resolution 621, which called for the immediate unfreezing of federal child care funds, saying the session was a way to signal to constituents what their priorities are.
House Resolution 620 called on Congress to reinstate health care subsidies that expired on Dec. 31, 2025, and end what they called the “Trump healthcare affordability crisis.”
Democrats voted to approve House Resolution 624, filed by Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, condemning “Trump’s efforts to acquire territories and titles overseas, while leaving working families at home to pay the bill.”
She told Capitol News Illinois that taxpayer money was being used to fund operations that could be used to prioritize the needs of Americans.
It came just hours after President Trump spoke to global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. He made the case earlier that day for why the U.S. should own Greenland, a self-governing territory under NATO ally Denmark.
But the resolutions met fierce pushback from House Republicans, who slammed the proposals as symbolic rather than productive and characterized them as theatrics.
Only one actionable joint resolution passed, which confirmed the House and Senate will convene in a joint session on Feb. 18 for Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address.
Georgia Epiphaniou and Erika Tulfo are graduate students in journalism with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and fellows in its Medill Illinois News Bureau working in partnership with Capitol News Illinois.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
More on Illinois politics
TAGS: Illinois House symbolic resolutions, Illinois Democrats Trump criticism, Illinois General Assembly spring session, GOP response Illinois House resolutions, Trump policies Illinois legislature
The Maroons are back at state for the second straight season as they take the floor in Bloomington on Friday afternoon in the hunt for a state title.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Members of the 2025 Central Dance Team perform during the preliminary round at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals. The Maroons will compete against 29 of the best Class 2A squads from around the state this weekend.
CHAMPAIGN - Champaign Central’s competitive dance program returns to the state stage Friday with both experience and opportunity on its side. With more experience and nearly 12 months of practice under their belts, the Maroons' dance squad hopes to establish themselves as the new kids on the block.
The Maroons will compete in the preliminary round of the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals at Grossinger Motor Arena in Bloomington, looking to advance to Saturday’s Class 2A championship round after qualifying for state for the second consecutive season. Central finished 30th overall a year ago and enters this weekend aiming to break into the top 12 teams from a field of 30 qualifiers.
The Class 2A landscape remains formidable, with seven of last year’s top 10 teams back in the mix. Defending champion Geneva, runner-up Burlington Central and third-place finisher Lake Zurich all return and are widely viewed as favorites to again occupy the podium. However, the absence of past contenders Benet Academy, St. Charles North and Libertyville has opened the door for programs like Champaign Central to climb higher in the standings.
Central is scheduled to take the floor at 1:17 p.m., following the Unity Rockettes of Tolono, who are making their ninth state appearance in Class 1A. Later in the session, St. Joseph-Ogden will perform at 1:45 p.m. as the third Champaign County school competing Friday, also seeking a spot in the 1A finals after finishing 16th last season.
After all 60 performances across Classes 1A and 2A are completed, the IHSA will announce the 12 finalists in each division who will advance to Saturday’s championship rounds.
Returning for the Maroons this season are Aurelie Gerini, Azaria Lewis, TyShauna Leinhart, Summer Aker, Kai’mere Beard, Tesla Burack and Leyla Allison. The roster also features four newcomers in Mekhi Gray, Ayden Hepler, Charlotte Hartsock and Aisha Emniser, adding depth to a program continuing to establish itself on the state level.
Admission to the state finals is $17, with tickets available in advance through Ticketmaster. Live coverage will also be available on the NFHS Network.
TAGS: Champaign Central competitive dance state finals, IHSA Competitive Dance Class 2A preliminaries, Champaign Central dance team Bloomington, Grossinger Motor Arena dance finals, Champaign Central second state appearance
Family Features - Walking in the door to the smell of homemade chili is sure to warm you up from the inside-out, but if you forgot to set up the slow cooker before heading out the door in the morning, don’t fret – a hearty bowl of beans, beef and stewed goodness can still await.
For a quick and easy version of the comfort food classic, consider this Quick Homecooked Chili that’s made in a skillet and ready in half an hour. Just brown ground beef with a chopped onion, stir in beans, tomato sauce, cubed sweet potato and a few simple seasonings and you’re well on your way to a winter warmup.
Find more easy ways to feed your family by visiting Culinary.net.
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 sweet potato, cubed
water (optional)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 pinch garlic powder
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
sour cream (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)
In large saucepan over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender, 5-7 minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce, kidney beans, stewed tomatoes with juices, diced tomatoes with green chilies and cubed sweet potato. Add water to reach desired consistency.
Season with chili powder and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring to boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and sliced avocado, if desired.
The Rockettes are part of a crowded Class 1A field featuring several perennial power programs. Only the top 12 teams will advance after Friday’s preliminary round.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Members of the Unity competitive dance team performs during half of the football team's home playoff game against Monticello. Finishing third at the Champaign Sectional on Saturday, the Rockettes advance to Friday's preliminary round at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals in Bloomington.
TOLONO - For the eighth time in program history, the Unity dance team will perform under the lights of the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals on Friday, taking the floor at Grossinger Motor Arena with a place in Saturday’s Class 1A championship round on the line.
The Rockettes are scheduled to perform at 1:13 p.m. Friday at Grossinger Motor Arena in Bloomington as part of the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals. Unity will compete in the Class 1A preliminary round, where the top 12 teams advance to Saturday’s championship finals from a field of 30 qualifiers.
Unity’s routine will follow performances by Quincy Notre Dame at 12:57 p.m. and Fieldcrest at 1:05 p.m. Area fans remaining in the arena after the Rockettes take the floor will also have a chance to support Champaign Central next during its Class 2A performance, with St. Joseph-Ogden going under the lights in the afternoon at 1:45 p.m.
Advancing will not come easily. Class 1A is expected to be highly competitive, with nine of last year’s top 10 finishers returning to the state series. Established programs from Jacksonville, Morris and Highland headline a field where a single mistake could be the difference between advancing and an early exit.
After all 60 performances across both classes are completed, the IHSA will announce the 12 finalists in each division who will move on to Saturday’s title rounds.
Unity’s 2025 state roster includes Olivia Egelston, Ella Darnall, Vanna Schriefer, Taylor Daly, Faith Lampe, Katie Knoll, Madison Spohn, Jauniyah Lisanby, Skylar Savona, Za’Brya White, Jordan Hamilton, Mallory Tiemann, Lily Beailes and Makayla Goff. The Rockettes are coached by Maddy Wilson. She is assisted by Briget Hooker.
Friday’s appearance continues a long history of postseason success for the program. Unity has qualified for the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals eight times since the series began, with state trips in the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. The Rockettes also captured sectional championships in back-to-back years during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.
With experience, depth and a proven track record, Unity will look to put together a clean performance Friday afternoon and earn another spot among the state’s final 12 teams.
Admission is $17, with tickets available online through Ticketmaster. Live coverage of the event will also be available on the NFHS Network.
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TAGS: Unity Rockettes IHSA dance state finals preview, Unity High School competitive dance Class 1A, Grossinger Motor Arena dance state meet, IHSA Competitive Dance Class 1A preliminaries, Unity dance team state history
A roster of 10 dancers helped St. Joseph-Ogden secure another trip to the state finals. As the Spartans prepare for their next shot at a state title, here is a look back at last year's performance.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Members of the SJO Dance Team perform their routine during the preliminary round at the state championships in 2025.
ST. JOSEPH - For the fourth consecutive season, the St. Joseph-Ogden competitive dance team will take the state stage.
The Spartans secured a return trip to the Illinois High School Association Competitive Dance State Finals after finishing fourth Saturday at the Champaign Central Sectional. St. Joseph-Ogden posted a score of 81.20, earning one of the Class 1A qualifying spots and advancing to Friday’s preliminary round at Grossinger Motor Arena in Bloomington.
This year’s SJO squad is made up of 10 dancers, blending underclass talent with experienced upperclass leaders. Freshmen Ava Buhr, Jillian Davis, Darby Manion and Leah Stephenson make up nearly half of the roster, joined by sophomore Ava Gallo. Juniors Lilly Sollars, Hadley McDonald and Alivia Learned bring prior state-level experience, while seniors Gracyn Sjoken and Abby Getty round out the lineup.
The Spartans’ qualification continues a steady presence at the state level. Last season, St. Joseph-Ogden advanced out of the St. Anthony Sectional with a fourth-place finish before placing 16th out of 30 teams in the state preliminary round, falling four spots short of qualifying for the championship round. Under IHSA format, the top 12 teams in each division advance to Saturday’s finals.
Also advancing from the Champaign Sectional in Class 1A were the Unity Rockettes, who finished third with a score of 83.93. Morton claimed the sectional title with an 89.30, while Clinton placed second at 88.57. Eureka and Fieldcrest completed the top six qualifiers.
In Class 2A competition, sectional host Champaign Central earned the final state berth by finishing sixth with an 80.83, edging Mascoutah for the last qualifying position. Washington won the Class 2A title, followed by Bradley-Bourbonnais, Triad, Dunlap and Ottawa Township.
Preliminary competition for the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals begins at 10:15 a.m. Friday in Bloomington. Admission is $17, with tickets available online through Ticketmaster. Live coverage of the event will also be available on the NFHS Network.
Below is a look back at the SJO's performance at state dance in 2025.
Individual standouts powered Unity’s run through the tournament. Hunter Shike and Chason Daley both finished 6-0, recording multiple...
On This Day
Discover the headlines published on each of these days from our news and sports coverage from Champaign‑Urbana and the wider community. From local news and sports to community events, politics, and opinion pieces, The Sentinel archives capture the stories that shaped life in Champaign County year after year.
