Illinois
Musk makes joke about Gov. Pritzker’s weight on social media, Pritzker fires back
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Elon Musk’s gesture at inaugural event stirs controversy
Elon Musk’s gesture to Donald Trump supporters at post-inauguration rally stirs controversy.
The Governor of Illinois fired back after Elon Musk personally insulted him on social media Wednesday.
“Nothing is more dangerous than getting between JB Pritzker and the buffet table!” Elon Musk wrote from his personal account on the X platform that he owns. X is formerly known as Twitter.
Gov. JB Pritzker responded to the message by posting an image of himself purchasing a hot dog at a famous Chicago hot dog stand – the Wieners Circle. “I salute @The WienerCircle, not Nazis.”, he wrote.
Musk’s message containing the insult also included a video clip of Pritzker at a news conference reacting to a temporary freeze on federal funding that the White House announced Tuesday. Pritzker in the clip reiterated his promise to Illinois residents that he would defend their freedom, health, and security from the Trump administration.
Musk has been criticized for gestures he made during President Donald Trump’s inaugural parade that resembled Nazi salutes.
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@gannett.com.
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Illinois
What channel is UCLA women’s basketball vs Illinois? Time, TV channel, streaming for Bruins-Illini
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The UCLA women’s basketball team is no longer undefeated, having suffered its first loss of the season in a 71-60 rivalry matchup with USC.
Many of the Bruins’ biggest and grandest goals remain, though, with that larger journey continuing Thursday.
Watch UCLA women’s basketball vs. Illinois live with Fubo (free trial)
Having fallen from its perch as the No. 1 team in the country, No. 3 UCLA will take on Illinois Thursday at historic Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Coach Cori Close’s team won its first 23 games of the 2024-25 season, a run that included victories against ranked South Carolina, Maryland, Ohio State, Baylor, Michigan and Louisville teams, before it fell to then-No. 6 USC last Thursday, with Trojans phenom JuJu Watkins scoring 38 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. The Bruins, however, were able to respond in their next game, defeating then-No. 22 Michigan State behind 18 points and 12 rebounds from Janiah Barker.
UCLA played against the Spartans without star center Lauren Betts, who was sidelined with a right foot injury. The 6-foot-7 Betts leads the team in scoring (19.5 points per game), rebounding (9.9 per game) and blocks (2.8 per game).
Her team may very well need her against Illinois. The Fighting Illini are one of the hottest teams in the country, entering Thursday’s showdown with eight consecutive victories. Guard Adalia McKenzie has been integral in the past three of those wins, averaging 20 points and eight rebounds per game during that stretch.
This will be the first and only meeting of the regular season between the teams.
Here’s what you need to know to watch UCLA women’s basketball’s game against Illinois, including the TV channel, start time and streaming information:
What channel is UCLA women’s basketball vs Illinois on today?
The game between the Bruins and Fighting Illini will air on the Big Ten Network.
Streaming options for the game include the Fox Sports app and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
UCLA women’s basketball vs Illinois start time today
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 20
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles)
UCLA and Illinois are scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20 from Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
UCLA women’s basketball vs Illinois picks, predictions, odds
This section will be updated.
Prediction: UCLA 77, Illinois 61
A margin of victory like this depends on if Betts can play, but the Bruins showed against Michigan State that they can win against ranked opponents without her. Illinois has been on a nice run and has had a superb season, but UCLA’s a different kind of challenge.
UCLA women’s basketball schedule 2024-25
Here’s a look at UCLA’s past five results. See the Bruins’ full schedule here.
- Sunday, Feb. 16: UCLA 75, Michigan State 69
- Thursday, Feb. 13: USC 71, UCLA 60
- Sunday, Feb. 9: UCLA 62, Oregon 52
- Wednesday, Feb. 5: UCLA 65, Ohio State 52
- Sunday, Feb. 2: UCLA 79, Minnesota 53
Illinois women’s basketball schedule 2024-25
Here’s a look at Illinois’ past five results. See the Fighting Illini’s full schedule here.
- Sunday, Feb. 16: Illinois 77, Nebraska 68
- Thursday, Feb. 13: Illinois 67, Penn State 55
- Sunday, Feb. 9: Illinois 74, Wisconsin 51
- Thursday, Feb. 6: Illinois 73, Northwestern 60
- Sunday, Feb. 2: Illinois 66, No. 14 Maryland 65
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Illinois
From Madigan’s Conviction to ComEd’s EV Rebate Program: How Illinois is Shaping Its Energy Future | Great Lakes Now
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Catch the latest energy news from around the Great Lakes region. Check back for these biweekly Energy News Roundups.
Chicago Democrat Michael Madigan — known for being the longest-serving legislative leader in United States history — was convicted last week of conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud. The 23-count indictment accused Madigan, 82, who served as the Illinois House Speaker for all but two years between 1983 and 2021, of using his influence to pass favorable legislation for companies including ComEd, Illinois’ largest utility. Madigan was convicted of 10 counts and acquitted of seven. The jury deadlocked on the remaining six counts after more than 10 days of deliberation.
Meanwhile, ComEd announced $100 million in new rebates for electric vehicle purchases and charging installations. The rebates include about $53 million for business and public sector EV purchases, $38 million for non-residential infrastructure upgrades and $9 million for residential charging. ComEd’s rebate program comes as part of Illinois’ push to have a million EVs on the road by 2030. It is independent from the federal government, the utility said, meaning that it will not be impacted by the Trump administration’s attempts to block billions of dollars in grants and loans.
Federal funding for climate science is drying up under the Trump administration, too. That has imperiled research and development initiatives across the Great Lakes region, including several projects led by Indiana University professor Gabriel Filipelli, director of the school’s Environmental Resilience Institute. Proposals containing language related to diversity, equity, and inclusion — such as those related to environmental justice — are particularly at risk.
“I think what people don’t fully recognize,” Filipelli told Grist, “is that if you disrupt funding on a wide scale, even for a short time, the hangover effect lasts for a long time.”
Ohio’s top utility regulator said the state should prioritize building more “base load” power generation sources, like coal, natural gas and nuclear, as opposed to intermittent sources like renewables. Jenifer French, chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, told state lawmakers that the growth of manufacturing and data centers coupled with closures of aging fossil fuel plants “is leading to a supply and demand imbalance” on the electric grid.
The Chicago area is poised to double the size of its electric bus fleet. A $58 million state grant will help pay for 57 new electric buses, including 30 for the Chicago Transit Authority in the city and 27 for Pace in the suburbs. The transit agencies had previously purchased about 25 electric buses each and are aiming to fully electrify their bus fleets by 2040.
More energy news, in case you missed it:
Catch more news at Great Lakes Now:
For clean energy in the Great Lakes region, 2025 is off to an uneasy start
Energy sector holds its breath as nuclear power inches forward
Featured image: Time lapse electricity pylons at dusk. (Photo Credit: Great Lakes Now)
Illinois
Illinois Lottery player wins $1 million on online ticket
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While the freezing cold temperatures have kept many in the Chicago area indoors this week, one lucky Illinois Lottery player won $1 million without leaving their home.
The player won $1 million on Monday’s Lotto Million 1 drawing, matching all six numbers to win the seven-figure prize.
An Illinois-only game, Lotto holds three drawings a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, with a current jackpot of $2.6 million.
In addition to the regular drawings, Lotto Million 1 and Lotto Million 2 games are also offered, which give players the chance to match six numbers for a $1 million prize.
Illinois Lottery players have won over $14.7 million in prizes on Lotto games so far in 2025, with more than 930,000 tickets sold, according to the Illinois Lottery.
More information on games offered can be found here.
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