Illinois Secretary of State launches distracted driving awareness campaign
Moving forward under the campaign, student drivers will need to watch a video showing the consequences of distracted driving.
Watch CBS News
Moving forward under the campaign, student drivers will need to watch a video showing the consequences of distracted driving.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said REAL ID applicants just need to walk in.
The deadline for obtaining REAL ID is coming up on May 7, and right now, only about 30% of people have one.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias emphasized that REAL IDs are not something mandatory like filing taxes. Noel Brennan reports.
Illinois is the only state in the country that requires seniors to have their driving skills tested on a regular basis.
Arguing age alone should no longer determine whether some seniors get to keep their driver's licenses, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pushing to increase the age at which Illinois drivers must take a behind-the-wheel driving test from 79 to 87. Megan Hickey reports.
Residents will be able to access their driver's licenses and state IDs using their iPhone or Apple Watch.
Giannoulias visited Jordan Temple Baptist Church in west suburban Hillside Sunday morning for National Donor Sabbath.
Giannoulias visited Jordan Temple Baptist Church in west suburban Hillside Sunday morning for National Donor Sabbath. Observed two weeks before Thanksgiving, the day is meant to raise awareness about organ and tissue donations.
Teens are encouraged to host events and spread the word about the importance of signing up to be an organ donor.
The Lifesaving Education and Awareness on Donation, or LEAD, program intends to increase engagement among teens.
The commission will accept ideas from the public as well as work with schools and libraries about the process and encourage everyone to participate.
Joining Joe Donlon, Irika Sargent, and political analyst Lori Lightfoot, Giannoulias also talked about his decades of knowing former President Barack Obama—and whether he himself would consider a run for governor or U.S. Senate.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says the money will go to six law enforcement agencies across the state, including Joliet, Chicago, and the Illinois State Police.
Employees have been cross-trained between driver services, and the secretary of state says he wants to implement this at other DMVs in the state.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias touted how it will now serve several communities including Chinatown, Pilsen, Bronzeville, Bridgeport, and the South Loop.
"You can't eat this stuff in Europe. You can't eat this stuff in Japan, but we just jam it down our kids' throats here in the United States of America."
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who oversees the state's driver services centers, is trying to cut down on wait times by offering more services online.
Giannoulias will unveil new enhancements to the state's website which could eliminate the need for a DMV visit for some driver and vehicle services.
The opening came after CBS 2 reported on frustrated seniors having trouble securing appointments online.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of a seniors-only Department of Motor Vehicles branch in Bridgeview on Tuesday.
Dart estimates as many as 10,000 people could qualify each year.
Cook Co. Sheriff Tom Dart said about half of people who cycle through Cook County Jail leave without a state-issued ID for various reasons and that can be a roadblock as they try to get their lives back on track.
The goal is to make it easier for people to rejoin society, and hopefully reduce the rate of recidivism in the criminal justice system.
Not only did CBS 2 hear from more upset customers since we first reported on this issue, but also from the Illinois Secretary of State, Alexi Giannoulias. CBS 2's Lauren Victory explained how her reporting inspired action that'll affect everyone in the state.
Two men were killed and a woman was critically injured after a shooting in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood.
Thursday night's tornado outbreak in the Chicago area continues a concerning trend of increasing tornado frequency in the Upper Midwest.
Long before rainbow crosswalks, pride parades, and openly LGBTQ+ elected leaders, the faces of the community lived in the shadows.
They approach you, claim they need money for a loved one's funeral, and then disappear with thousands of your dollars. Now, new video is giving Chicago police and Chicagoans a closer look at the tap to pay scam.
Northwest Indiana was hit by at least three tornadoes on Thursday evening as powerful storms swept through the Chicago area, with Merrillville among the hardest-hit areas.
Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery would not harm U.S. consumers or weaken competition, DOJ antitrust enforcers said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill Friday that restricts the sale of intoxicating hemp products to the same ages as recreational marijuana.
The Pentagon on Friday released a new group of documents and videos related to UFOs, or UAPs, with 72 more documents, images and recordings.
Multiple floors of the Pentagon were locked down for several hours Thursday morning and hazmat crews were deployed for what authorities had described as a "hazardous materials incident."
The House on Thursday defeated a last-ditch effort to extend a key spy authority until early July.
An Illinois law banning "swipe fees" on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a federal judge that once permitted it issued a permanent injunction against it this week.
A new study from the Cook County Treasurer's office underlines growing concerns about the impact the Illinois megaprojects bill could have on the county's property tax base and overall fiscal health.
As thousands of Chicagoans wrap up road trips over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, gas prices in the city have reached the highest levels seen in four years.
Consumer and environmental advocates said Monday that they found overcharges buried in the most recent rate-hike request by Nicor.
One week away from Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, with gas prices remaining high, negotiations were set to resume Monday at the largest oil refinery in the Midwest.
Dr. Peter Stafford was working with a missionary group in the Congo when he came down with the virus last month.
While 330 Ebola infections are confirmed in central Africa and huge challenges remain, hundreds more suspected cases "have been cleared out," the WHO says.
June is World Infertility Awareness Month, and Northwestern Medicine on Monday shared the story of a woman who is celebrating the birth of her second child after a tumor disrupted her fertility.
The Centennial Park Aquatic Center in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park has been closed to the public after two recent cases of E. coli infection.
Menopause can feel like a major turning point for millions of women, with symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, and brain fog can make women feel like their bodies aren't their own.
Daley's Restaurant, known as Chicago's oldest, has served Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood for more than 130 years.
Walgreens is set to close in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood on Thursday, and there's growing concern about where families will get their medications.
The owners of Gene & Georgetti steakhouse are suing a concessions operator over their expansion at Midway International Airport.
DraftKings announced Monday that it is closing its sportsbook operation at Wrigley Field after only about two years.
After more than 80 years, there will be no Ann Sather restaurant location in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview community, effective in June.
Forty years ago last weekend, crowds turned out for the Chicago Blues Festival — an event studded with a roster of stars for a spectacle that's still talked about today.
Visitors will soon be able to check out the set from CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in Chicago, at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
"Schmigadoon!" — which was tied for the most nominations, with 12 — won Best Musical, and "Liberation" took home the honor of Best Play at the 2026 Tony Awards.
Anthony Head played librarian and mentor Rupert Giles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and recently appeared in "Ted Lasso."
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is on the cover of Madden NFL 27, the first Bear ever to grace the primary cover of the massively popular video game.
Two men were killed and a woman was critically injured after a shooting in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood.
Meteorologist Carl Lam is tracking storms tonight.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
The history of LGBTQ+ activists and organizers is deeply connected to the evolution of Chicago. Long before rainbow crosswalks, pride parades, and openly LGBTQ+ elected leaders, the faces of the community lived in the shadows.
They approach you, claim they need money for a loved one's funeral, and then disappear with thousands of your dollars. Now, new video is giving Chicago police and Chicagoans a closer look at the tap to pay scam.
Two men were killed and a woman was critically injured after a shooting in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood.
The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornado touchdowns on June 11 across Illinois and Indiana.
Thursday night's tornado outbreak in the Chicago area continues a concerning trend of increasing tornado frequency in the Upper Midwest.
Long before rainbow crosswalks, pride parades, and openly LGBTQ+ elected leaders, the faces of the community lived in the shadows.
They approach you, claim they need money for a loved one's funeral, and then disappear with thousands of your dollars. Now, new video is giving Chicago police and Chicagoans a closer look at the tap to pay scam.
The Crisis Alternative Response Evanston, or CARE, team responds to calls that, before July 2024, would have been lumped into police calls.
The system will provide all heating, cooling, and ventilation for the high school's new physical education facilities and contribute to the school system, saving the district nearly $400,000 a year.
The forecast for a summer reopening of West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park is growing cloudy, as negotiations continue between the owners and landlord, after the safety net hospital abruptly shuttered its doors in March.
The Obama Presidential Center has been built with sustainability literally in its foundation. But its infrastructure for clean energy, environmentalism and climate change resiliency will also help the communities around it on Chicago's South Side.
A driver in Carol Stream says a band of hungry squirrels caused nearly $30,000 in damage to three different luxury vehicles because of plant-based parts they view as a tasty snack.
Chase Meidroth had three hits and two RBIs, and the Chicago White Sox beat the depleted Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 in a matchup of division leaders.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears had one final minicamp practice on Thursday before they split from Halas Hall to enjoy their last taste of freedom ahead of next month's real training camp.
Seiya Suzuki hit his third career grand slam, Alex Bregman added a two-run homer and the Chicago Cubs snapped a three-game skid with a 9-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony festivities got underway a little over an hour before the first kickoff in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.
The Cubs have lost 22 of their past 29 games after starting the season 27-12.
It's the second time this year that authorities detained a stowaway holding a huge stash of drugs in the same harbor.
Police in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking and choking a woman this past weekend.
A fourth man has been charged in connection with a string of burglaries targeting video gambling terminals in Chicago's west and southwest suburbs since late last year.
A man has been charged with multiple acts of mail theft and burglary in the Chicago area dating back up to three years.
Chicago police on Wednesday released a surveillance image of someone they said was spotted fleeing the scene as a cross burned in Grant Park.
