In The News
Pacific allies are ready to help fix US shipbuilding, senators say, but confusion is standing in the way
US allies in the Pacific are ready to help fix American shipbuilding. But the problem is that Washington hasn't been clear on what support it needs or how to coordinate it, US lawmakers say. Shrinking yards, delayed programs, and spiraling costs have left the US shipbuilding industry struggling to maintain and sustain the Navy's fleet, as well as support commercial endeavors. Meanwhile, rival China's state-backed yards are turning out warships and commercial vessels at an alarming … Continue Reading
September 07, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Trump "essentially just declared war" on Chicago, but there's no "indications" of deployment
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said Sunday that President Trump "essentially just declared war on a major city in his own nation" referring to his recent remarks about Chicago. But she outlined that "we don't have any indications" that the administration is getting ready to send troops into the nation's third-largest city, despite signals in recent weeks that he is preparing to do so. "This is not normal," Duckworth said of Mr. Trump's statements on "Face the Nation with Margaret … Continue Reading
September 06, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth locked out from meeting with DHS officials about Trump's immigration enforcement plan
After touring the Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago on Friday, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they gained some clarity but are still largely in the dark on details of President Donald Trump’s plan to use the base for an immigration roundup over the next month. The Democratic senators and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-IL, tried meeting with Department of Homeland Security officials Friday at the base, but DHS “refused” to meet and instead sent their officials home and … Continue Reading
September 05, 2025
Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth discuss use of Naval Station Great Lakes by ICE agents
U.S. Senators for Illinois Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), were in Chicago's northern suburbs on Friday to discuss the plans to use nearby Naval Station Great Lakes as a base for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The lawmakers said they did get some answers from the U.S. Navy, but when they tried to get more information from the Department of Homeland Security, they were turned away. "DHS fled. They fled, and they're hiding, and … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Senators and congressman visit Naval Station Great Lakes ahead of ICE influx: ‘This is just political theater’
Three members of Illinois’ congressional delegation arrived at Naval Station Great Lakes Friday morning, hoping to meet with naval personnel and officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They ended up only meeting with the Navy. U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, got to the base and saw the office building DHS and ICE will be using, but there was no one around. “The office was locked … Continue Reading
September 04, 2025
Durbin, Duckworth ask feds for details of Trump's Chicago deployment plan
Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are requesting detailed information from the FBI, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department about President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy the military in Chicago. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel, the two Illinois Democrats call the effort a “political game” that is justifying sending troops to American cities, “while … Continue Reading
August 25, 2025
'Stay out of our city': Chicago officials slam Trump’s threat to target the city
CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday said Chicago will likely be the next target of his efforts to crack down on crime, homelessness and illegal immigration. Trump indicated that the Midwestern city could receive similar treatment to what he’s done in Washington, D.C., where he’s deployed 2,000 troops on the streets. “I think Chicago will be our next,” Trump told reporters at the White House, later adding, “And then we’ll help with New York.” The comments came as the Pentagon on … Continue Reading
August 20, 2025
Duckworth heads to Japan to boost Illinois' quantum chances in race against China
Sen. Tammy Duckworth landed in Japan early Wednesday on a trip aimed at bolstering Illinois’ relationships around quantum technology, supply chain and national security. And a huge focus is beating China in the race to create a functioning quantum computer. The trip marks Duckworth’s 11th trip to Asia and 14th congressional member delegation trip since 2018. Her trip began in South Korea with a meeting with SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, whose SK Group and its subsidiary companies announced plans … Continue Reading
August 17, 2025
US seeks shipbuilding expertise from South Korea and Japan to counter China
WASHINGTON (AP) — American lawmakers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies’ shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., who are scheduled to land in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, plan to meet top shipbuilders from the world’s second- and third-largest shipbuilding countries. The senators want to examine the … Continue Reading
August 05, 2025
Senate Democrat questions FAA on recent airplane evacuations
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) questioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over recent airplane evacuations in a Tuesday letter. In her letter, Duckworth referenced three recent evacuation incidents, all previously noted by the FAA, and stated, “fortunately, for all three incidents, professional and highly trained flight crews were able to guide all passengers to safety with minimal injuries.” “While FAA has yet to disclose how long any of the referenced passenger evacuations took, … Continue Reading
August 05, 2025
Sen. Tammy Duckworth demands answers from FAA on airplane evacuation safety
Following the dramatic video of an American Airlines flight evacuating on a Denver runway last month, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is sending a letter to new FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford demanding answers on evacuation safety. "The FAA needs an evacuation standard that reflects the reality of flying today," Duckworth told CBS News in a statement. "The American people deserve to know whether the FAA is taking this responsibility seriously and complying with the law to ensure the flying … Continue Reading
July 30, 2025
Senate votes down Israel arms sales ban, despite growing Democrat support
The Senate on Wednesday voted down a resolution to bar U.S. arms sales to Israel, exposing new divisions among Democrats and highlighting rising frustration with the country’s conduct in Gaza. The first of two votes pushed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders — which came to 27-70 — renewed efforts to halt American weapons transfers in protest of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Democrats split on the vote, with 12 new supporters who previously backed arms … Continue Reading
July 25, 2025
Local Leaders Commemorate Emmett Till's Birthday, Preservation of Church Building Where Funeral Was Held
Ollie Gordon described her older cousin Emmett Till as her protector growing up. “I can remember he was like our guardian angel,” Gordon said. “He can do whatever, but nobody on the street better do anything because they were going to have to answer to him.” Gordon was 7 years old when Till was murdered. She was living in a house with Till and his mother at the time Till was abducted. For all the talk about his death, Gordon said she wants people to remember that Till was also a fun, loving, … Continue Reading
July 16, 2025
Duckworth additions to National Defense Authorization Act to benefit Rock Island Arsenal
The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last week and it now goes to the full Senate for consideration. Several provisions added by committee member Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) will benefit workers at the Rock Island Arsenal. Duckworth spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to explain how the bill helps the Arsenal. “Overall, brave Illinoisans need to know, when they serve our nation at home and overseas, that … Continue Reading
July 16, 2025
Senators Demand Answers After Case Dropped Against Navy Federal for Charging Troops Overdraft Fees
A group of senators says they have "profound alarm" and are demanding answers over the unprecedented decision by the government's consumer watchdog to drop its case against Navy Federal Credit Union for charging its members -- almost exclusively service members, veterans and their families -- millions in illegal overdraft fees. "This decision appears to prioritize financial institutions over the very service members the bureau is charged with protecting," the five Democratic senators wrote in … Continue Reading
July 15, 2025
Mike Waltz faces post-Signalgate 'brutal' grilling from Dems in UN ambassador hearing
Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is poised to face members of the Senate Tuesday to get the ball rolling on his nomination to represent the U.S. at the United Nations. Waltz’s appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee comes months after he exited his job at the White House amid controversy surrounding his role in a Signal group chat with other top administration officials. Waltz is expected to call for reforms at the U.N. and is expected to say that it's time to … Continue Reading
July 14, 2025
Can female crash test dummies improve safety? A bipartisan group of senators push for equality in testing
Women make up more than half of U.S. drivers, but are 73% more likely to suffer serious injuries in a crash than men, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are 17% more likely to be killed, data shows. A group of bipartisan women senators is pushing for more diversity in crash test dummies, hoping it will help solve the problem. "Whether driving or as passengers, we wanna make sure that women are safe when they get in a vehicle," said Republican Sen. Deb … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Trump's S'pore ambassador nominee grilled during Senate hearing over knowledge of region
U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee for Ambassador to Singapore, Anjani Sinha was grilled by Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) in a Senate confirmation hearing on Jul. 9. In a video of the hearing posted on Duckworth's YouTube channel, she criticised his apparent lack of knowledge about Singapore and called him not "particularly qualified for the role". Senate confirmation hearings in the U.S. are held as a review of a president-nominated ambassador or other official candidates … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
Tammy Duckworth Torches 'Unqualified' Singapore Ambassador Nominee: 'Do Some Homework!'
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) absolutely tore into President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Singapore, scolding him as “unqualified” after he appeared unable to answer questions about the nation and its relationship with the U.S. The questioning by Duckworth on Wednesday was contentious from the jump, as she grilled Dr. Anjani Sinha, a Florida orthopedic and sports injury surgeon, about tariffs, Singapore’s role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and its … Continue Reading
July 10, 2025
'You need to shape up': Trump's pick for Singapore envoy grilled in Senate
The nominee for the US ambassador to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, drew criticism during his Senate confirmation hearing when he struggled to answer questions about the island-state. On Wednesday Dr Sinha was grilled by Senator Tammy Duckworth on the US's relationship with Singapore and the island-state's role in South East Asia. At one point Ms Duckworth told him he was "unqualified" for the posting, and that he needed to "shape up and do some homework". The exchange has since gone viral in … Continue Reading