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The Salvation Army building in Springfield on Clear Lake Ave.

13 minutes ago

Donut Day happens Friday, brings awareness to Salvation Army

A donut eating contest supporting the Salvation Army is scheduled for Friday, June 5.

Fresh
Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

2 hours ago

‘Love my woke pope’: Why Leo’s first encyclical went viral and how it speaks to his papal approach

History’s first U.S.-born pope has demonstrated a willingness to embrace aspects of contemporary culture.

5 hours ago

‘100 Deadliest Days of Summer’ ramps up for teen drivers

According to AAA statistics, nearly one-third of all teen driving deaths in 2024 occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

21 hours ago

Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner are married

Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner are married, local officials in London confirmed to The Associated Press. They tied the knot Sunday at Old Marylebone Town Hall.

1 day ago

A guide to the bookstores owned by your favorite authors

Amazon remains the dominant force, but physical, brick-and-mortar stores have rebounded — and stores owned by authors such as Ann Patchett are now a niche unto themselves, found everywhere from Brooklyn to New Mexico.

1 day ago

YouTuber box office boom: ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ draw Gen Z to theaters

Young audiences turned out in droves to movie theaters around the country this weekend. It wasn't for the big budget "Star Wars" movie, "The Mandalorian and Grogu, " which fell sharply in its second weekend, however, but for a small budget horror from a 20-year-old first-time filmmaker that began on the internet.

3 days ago

Fun all around Springfield is on its way in June

Amy Beadle of Visit Springfield Stopped by The WTAX Morning NewsWatch to discuss all these amazing events.

4 days ago

Top federal prosecutor in Chicago denies investigation into E. Jean Carroll, disputing media reports

Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, issued a statement roughly 24 hours after the first report was published saying that his office “has not opened — and has never opened — a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll.”

4 days ago

ABC stations call FCC’s early call for license renewal ‘unconstitutional’

The FCC's move in April to begin early reviews of the broadcast licenses of ABC-owned stations in eight local markets attracted particularly close attention.

5 days ago

‘Mamma Mia!’ takes the stage at The Muni

Performances the next two weekends at The Muni.

5 days ago

Summer Baseball is back

Summertime Baseball is back! Jamie Toole Chief Storyteller of The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes stopped by The WTAX Morning NewsWatch

6 days ago

Matthew Perry’s assistant gets more than 3 years in prison for central role in his ketamine death

Matthew Perry's live-in personal assistant, who had a central role in the "Friends" star's descent into ketamine addiction and injected him with the fatal dose of the drug, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and five months in prison.

6 days ago

Thank you for being a friend: ‘Golden Girls’ to perform in Springfield

The Springfield show is, so far, the only Illinois stop as part of a fall tour starting September 30 and continuing through November 28.

6 days ago

The Chicks announce intimate ‘Taking the Long Way’ 20th Anniversary Tour. ‘This is our lives’

Call it a comeback, a crossover moment, or both. Twenty years ago, The Chicks released their blockbuster 2006 album "Taking the Long Way" — their first full-length after the country music industry turned their backs on them — and one of the biggest of their career.

7 days ago

What tastes like a Korean pancake and is purple all over? An Oreo inspired by K-pop group BTS

Oreo is teaming up with K-pop supergroup BTS for a bit of marketing dynamite that capitalizes on consumers' growing interest in global flavors.

1 week ago

Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

The best young spellers in the English language are competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, continuing a more than century-old tradition. The three-day competition began Tuesday and concludes Thursday night.

1 week ago

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop opens for tours. Here’s what’s inside the once-hidden puppet studio

Deep in a cavernous New York City warehouse, the artisans behind some of the world's most beloved children's characters have been fashioning costumes and puppets for years in relative anonymity. Now Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the workshop founded by the legendary creator of the Muppets, is drawing back the curtain.

2 weeks ago

Lawmakers frustrated over delay in distribution of after-school program funds

$18 million was not released until April, and programs were given limited time to spend it.

2 weeks ago

The game’s afoot as armchair detectives mark Sherlock Holmes Day

From 221B Baker Street in central London to a cliffside waterfall in the Swiss Alps, generations of armchair detectives are celebrating International Sherlock Holmes Day on Friday.

2 weeks ago

Paul McCartney helps Stephen Colbert say goodbye to ‘The Late Show’ in ambitious final show

Stephen Colbert chatted with Paul McCartney and joined him on stage for a raucous performance of "Hello, Goodbye" on the final broadcast of CBS' "The Late Show" on Thursday night, a bittersweet farewell for a canceled show that still had a few barbs left for the network that ended its 33-year run.

Recent Headlines

13 minutes ago in Entertainment, Food Scene, Lifestyle, Local

Donut Day happens Friday, brings awareness to Salvation Army

Fresh
The Salvation Army building in Springfield on Clear Lake Ave.

A donut eating contest supporting the Salvation Army is scheduled for Friday, June 5.

2 hours ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, National

‘Love my woke pope’: Why Leo’s first encyclical went viral and how it speaks to his papal approach

Fresh
Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

History’s first U.S.-born pope has demonstrated a willingness to embrace aspects of contemporary culture.

4 hours ago in Sports, Trending

Golden Knights and Hurricanes built their Stanley Cup Final teams in different ways

On the eve of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, one of the general managers involved laid out his thinking when making roster moves.

5 hours ago in Entertainment, IL State News, Lifestyle, Local

‘100 Deadliest Days of Summer’ ramps up for teen drivers

According to AAA statistics, nearly one-third of all teen driving deaths in 2024 occurred between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

21 hours ago in Sports, Trending

Last call? States look to extend bar and restaurant hours during the World Cup

World Cup fans in a growing number of U.S. cities won't have an issue finding a well-poured pint to go with their late-night match. State leaders across the U.S. are signing off on extending bar and restaurant hours during the world's most-watched sporting event.