Tammy Duckworth

CHICAGO — Illinois residents heading to the polls in November to register their choices for president and a host of lower offices will also have the option to weigh in directly on three policy issues.

Trump called himself “the father of IVF,” but then admitted he asked Katie Britt to tell him what it is

A consumer advocacy group continued its push this week to drum up support for legislation to establish a state board to regulate the price of many prescription drugs in Illinois.

The state announced $7.9 million slated to go toward new stores in areas that lack access to fresh groceries and to existing stores that applied for funding for equipment upgrades.

Yet again, Congress is unlikely to pass an updated farm bill, leaving farmers feeling left behind, forgotten and frustrated.

Yet again, Congress is unlikely to pass an updated farm bill, leaving farmers feeling left behind, forgotten and frustrated.

By The Associated Press Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are gearing up to take the stage for Tuesday night’s debate in Philadelphia, where they’ll fight to sway 2024 election voters on the biggest stage in U.S. politics. The event, at 9 p.m. Eastern, will offer Americans their most detailed look at a campaign that’s dramatically [...]

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is vowing to force health insurance companies or the federal government to pay for IVF treatments, a proposal at odds with the actions of much of his own party. It reveals the former president’s realization...

Republicans have long opposed government health programs and insurance mandates. Their presidential nominee is now proposing one.

'Yeah, this person should not be president of the United States'

The DNC presents Fox News Channel with a delicate challenge — how to cover a party suddenly enthused about its election chances when much of its audience has a different political view.

Party leaders, strategists, and pundits name three keys to continue momentum and one mistake to avoid.

Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, said Fox programs to its audience in much the same way that Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow say they won't show Trump because of concerns that he'll lie, "but it's because they don't want to watch it."

Republicans are urging their candidate to stick to policy rather than targeting Vice President Kamala Harris for her intelligence, racial identity, appearance and other personal factors that could alienate key voting blocs. Meanwhile, Harris unveiled parts of her economic plan Friday — and earned mixed reviews from economists, prompting her allies to play defense on the eve of the Democratic National Convention over her price gouging plan.Here's what you may have missed when newsmakers hit the airwaves this Sunday, August 18. 1. Sen. Graham: "Showman" Trump could lose Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks with NBC's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" Sunday.Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) argued that Trump could beat Harris in November on policy — but warned that if the GOP nominee positions himself as "the provocateur, the showman," he may not find his way back to the White House.Why it matters: Graham joins a chorus of Trump allies who have publicly urged the former president to focus on policy, not personal attacks. So far, Trump's not listening.What they're saying: "I'm looking for President Trump to show up in the last 80 days to define what he will do for our country to fix broken borders, to lower inflation," Graham said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."Graham, who said he'd be campaigning hard for Trump, continued: "That's what I would focus on: policy. Policy is the key to the White House."Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Trump ally-turned-critic who challenged him for the 2024 nomination, said Trump needed "anger management classes."Christie, speaking on on ABC's "This Week," continued: "Kamala Harris is doing exactly what she should be doing. Donald Trump is imploding, and she's standing out of the way."Zoom out: As the Trump campaign has worked to reorient its attacks toward a new rival ticket, the former president has repeatedly gone off-message.On Saturday, Trump lashed out at Harris' appearance, telling a crowd in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania, "I'm better looking than she is." State of play: Multiple polls released on Sunday showed Harris leading nationally. Sen. JD Vance claimed on "Fox News Sunday" that the media was pushing "fake polls" to hurt Trump.2. Dems defend Harris' price gouging proposals Sen. Chris Coons discusses Vice President Harris' economic plan on "Fox News Sunday."Speaking at a campaign stop Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina, Harris detailed her proposed economic agenda for the first time.Zoom in: One proposal in particular attracted scrutiny from economists and her political foes: banning "price gouging" on food and groceries.The controversial proposal comes in response to pandemic-era price hikes that the Federal Trade Commission found took advantage of consumers."If your opponent claims you're a 'communist,' maybe don't start with an economic agenda that can (accurately) be labeled as federal price controls," wrote Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell.Jason Furman, an economist and former senior Obama administration official, told the New York Times he hopes Harris' proposal "ends up being a lot of rhetoric and no reality," warning the policy could distort the market and raise prices.What they're saying: Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), a co-chair of the Harris-Walz campaign, responded to criticism from a Heritage Foundation economist comparing Harris' proposals to communist ideology, saying: "I don't think there's anything communist about wanting to make housing more affordable and prescription drugs more affordable."Pressed by Fox's Shannon Bream on the vice president's plan to target price gouging, Coons replied: "Presidents of both parties have tried to use the power of the FTC to rein in high prices at the pump, high prices at grocery stores."He continued: "I think picking the one proposal of the many she's put out misses the broader point."Zoom out: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer echoed that sentiment on NBC's "Meet the Press," contending people are "reading too much" into the price gouging proposal, instead highlighting efforts to lower healthcare costs and investments in affordable housing.Asked if she believes the plan is a smart policy, the Michigan governor replied: "I think that any effort we make to keep more money in Americans' pockets is worth walking the path and having the conversations and figuring out how do we make this economy work for everybody."The other side: Republicans including Graham hammered the "price controls" line.3. Sen. Duckworth, Purple Heart recipient, slams Trump's comments about military honors Sen. Tammy Duckworth speaks to ABC's Martha Raddatz on "This Week."Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who lost both her legs serving in Iraq, called Trump "despicable" for his recent comments about the highest award one can receive for military valor.Catch up quick: The former president on Thursday addressed GOP donor Miriam Adelson, whom he awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2018, saying the distinction was the civilian "equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor" but was "actually much better, because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, that's soldiers, they're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many times by bullets, or they're dead."Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Al Lipphardt condemned Trump's comments in a statement released Friday, writing, "These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation's highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty."Driving the news: Duckworth, speaking on ABC's "This Week," said American voters must make a choice: "Do they want a five-time draft dodger who denigrates military men and women and our veterans and calls us suckers and losers, who doesn't want to have his picture taken with amputee veterans of various conflicts, to be the next commander in chief?"She added that Trump is "not fit to be commander-in-chief."Zoom out: Questioned about Republican claims that Walz, a 24-year Army National Guard vet, had overstated his military experience during past campaigns, Duckworth called those attacks "despicable.""Frankly, I don't have a single problem with Tim Walz," she said, adding she thinks his "vast military experience" will be a "very good" asset in the Situation Room.4. "Joyful" convention ahead Gov. JB Pritzker speaks about the upcoming Democratic National Convention with CNN's Jake Tapper.Flashback to Chicago, 1996: An army of Dems including Bill and Hillary Clinton shimmying along to the "Macarena" (some more rhythmically than others) as balloons litter the floor. Fun fact: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, once a member of Harris' VP shortlist, told CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday he was part of that crowd ("Thank God" there is no footage of his choreography, he added).State of play: He predicted a DNC akin to a "rock concert.""This is a candidate who has energized the party in a way I haven't seen since '08," he said of Harris on CNN's "State of the Union."Zoom out: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) echoed Pritzker, saying he's looking forward to a "very joyful" DNC.Reality check: But some have also drawn comparisons between the 1968 Windy City DNC, which is remembered for violent clashes between police and Vietnam War protesters. At this year's gathering in Chicago, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators are set to converge.Pritzker contended the party has "coalesced" in a way it had not in 1968, saying he expects peaceful protests."The protesters are protesting something that is very far away from here — very important, but it's not about people getting drafted from here going abroad," he noted.More from Axios' Sunday coverage:"Fake polls": Vance downplays Harris riseMichelle Obama to address Democratic Convention on TuesdayDNC lineup: Who's speaking and what to expect

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs fighting overseas, sharply criticized former President Trump for denigrating the Medal of Honor in recent remarks. “Donald Trump is despicable. He doesn’t deserve to be commander in chief. And certainly those remarks are consistent with where he’s always been. He thinks that we’re...

"Donald Trump is despicable," the Illinois senator said of the GOP candidate.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday designated a national monument at the site of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois, a seminal moment in the United States' long and difficult history with racial violence targeting Black people.

With their party's national convention starting Monday in Chicago, Illinois Democrats are ready to rally for Vice President Kamala Harris and the promise they see in her nascent candidacy.

"A bipartisan group of members in the House of Representatives introduced The American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act. This critical legislation will ensure that victims are no longer left behind."

It’s time once again to dive into another round of quick takes on the people, places and events that were being talked about over the past week:

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and top Illinois Democrats praised President Biden's record and patriotism, while Republicans noted their previous questions about his fitness and their party's unity behind former President Trump.