State

Pritzker's handling of pandemic likely to be key issue in 2022 contest

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks at a news conference in Springfield on Tuesday, June 1, 2021.  Courtesy of BlueRoomStream

• Democratic leaders seek to dismiss redistricting lawsuits

• Pritzker signs law to add media literacy to high school curriculum

• Study: Legal cannabis boosts home values

• SIU report shows booting Chicago would leave Illinois poorer

• Illinois ranked 48th in new home construction the last decade

Nation

Harvey Weinstein extradited to Los Angeles to face second rape trial

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was extradited from New York to Los Angeles on Tuesday to face trial on rape and sexual assault charges. 

• U.S. life expectancy fell year and a half in 2020 due to COVID-19 -CDC

• Drugmakers, pharmacies next targets for U.S. opioid settlements

• Man linked to Oath Keepers admits joining U.S. Capitol attack

Government, Politics, Campaigns  & Elections

Biden's town hall at Catholic university riles bishop, abortion opponents

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the White House in Washington, U.S. July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

• How safe is the U.S. president's 'nuclear football'? Pentagon watchdog to find out

• Pressure on Big Tech builds as Biden picks another critic for key Justice post

• Work-in-progress U.S. infrastructure bill faces test on Senate floor

  • U.S. infrastructure deal teeters after Republicans reject IRS funding

• Senator Warren questions Lockheed's antitrust solution to buy Aerojet

• Federal judge blocks enforcement of Arkansas ban on most abortions

• Republican fundraising arm outraises Democratic counterpart in June

• Trump ally Barrack arrested on foreign lobbying charges -U.S. Justice Department

International

Police in Nigeria secure release of 100 kidnapping victims

A flag of the Nigeria Police Force flies next to the Nigerian national flag at the Louis Edet House, headquarters of the police in Abuja, Nigeria December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

• Germany sets out flood relief funding, hopes of finding survivors fade

• At least 25 dead in Chinese province's heaviest rains in 1,000 years

• Senior U.S. diplomat Sherman to visit China - State Department

• Israel's National Security Council 'looking into' NSO spyware allegations

Migrants' hunger strike puts Belgian government in danger

Yassine Azhari, 24, an asylum seeker from Morocco who is among several hundred migrants requesting to be regularised by the Belgian government to have access to healthcare, lies in bed with sewed lips, as he takes part in a hunger strike for more than 7 weeks while dozens started a thirst strike on July 16, at the ULB University campus July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman

• No health pass, no cinema or museum: France tightens COVID-19 rules

  • Delta variant is the majority COVID-19 variant in France, PM says

• Poland postpones contested media law debate amid coalition splits

• UNESCO strips English city of Liverpool of its world heritage status

ODD & Extraordinary

• A tie in Washington eating contest: 34 burgers in 10 minutes

Science, Medicine, Technology & Environment

'Road to space': billionaire Bezos has successful suborbital jaunt

Billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos is launched with three crew members aboard a New Shepard rocket on the world's first unpiloted suborbital flight from Blue Origin's Launch Site 1 near Van Horn, Texas , U.S., July 20, 2021. REUTERS/Joe Skipper