Discussing health issues is usually a topic delicately danced around when, in reality, it's better to dive right in and be nosy, says Dr. Alfred George Jr., a geneticist and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Genomics. The more details - who, what, when - that you know about your family's medical history, the better off your future generations will be.

Chris Britt's editorial cartoon on the new Illinois speed limit and Toyota Priuses.

Authorities have apprehended an alleged attempted murderer who cut off an ankle monitoring bracelet and triggered a nationwide alert Thursday afternoon. Aaron “Garth” Baecker, 63, was indicted Jan. 25 by a Tazewell County grand jury for the attempted first-degree murder of his wife and aggravated domestic battery.

The Department on Aging move from state-owned buildings to rented space will go forward despite complaints from lawmakers that it is a waste of money during the state's budget crisis.

The House voted 114-1 Thursday for Senate Bill 355, which would move the primary election date to the third Tuesday in March - where it was held since the 1970s until 2007.

The state's Green Party gubernatorial candidate believes Gov. Pat Quinn's call for massive cuts to public education was an "artificial device" to push for higher income taxes.

But when it comes to diet and diabetes, diabetes educators say the amount eaten is as important as what is eaten.

Gov. Pat Quinn vigorously denied charges by Republican legislators that he is engaging in scare tactics in order to win passage of an income tax hike.

Oscar parties have been around for years, but for those without invitations — or those of us who’d rather not don tuxes and create themed potluck dishes (steak “Avatar”-tar, anyone?) — missed out on the fun. But this year, people around the world watched the Academy Awards within arms’ reach of a laptop or phone, participating in an ongoing conversation about the telecast on the micro-blogging service Twitter.

Chris Britt's editorial cartoon on Illinois lawmakers ignoring the elephant in the room.

Gov. Pat Quinn delivered a refreshingly short - 20 minutes - relatively to the point and appropriately sober budget address on Wednesday that calls for substantial cuts, especially to schools, unless the Legislature can see its way to approving an income tax surcharge of one percentage point.

Gov. Pat Quinn's proposed budget is an abdication of a governor’s responsibility to persuade the legislature to do the right thing and an unfortunate acceptance of Statehouse gospel that nothing hard gets done in an election year.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget address Wednesday made the state’s financial picture look every bit as bad as we thought it was.

Calling for a tax hike is never a popular move, and it's even less so in the middle of a historic recession and an election year. Nonetheless, Gov. Pat Quinn called on lawmakers Wednesday to do just that. In a brief speech, Quinn also called for cutting state aid to cities, revamping state pensions and giving small businesses a tax break for creating jobs. 

In the spring, the animals come alive and make new little animals, some of which must rely on the care of animal rehabilitation professionals if they're found injured. There are a few things humans can do to keep animal families together until the babies grow up and move and on out of the way.