Illinois

A gay former staffer of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition claims he was sexually harassed by the founder and president, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, and discriminated against for years until he was fired in 2009. He is now suing the Illinois organization for $448,300 in back pay and damages.

Tommy Bennett, a radio personality and Rainbow PUSH employee from 2007 to 2009, claims in court documents that Jackson, a civil rights leader, subjected him to perform various duties, including delivering mistresses to his hotel rooms and waiting in the car while he had sex with them. Bennett also alleged that Jackson frequently came on to him during trips and meetings.

Bennett is a regular guest on the syndicated radio program “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” and said his homosexual orientation is widely known. For that reason he believes that Jackson often charged him with handling sexual affairs. more >>

Former gang members trying to help save the lives of their peers are being restricted from doing so, at least in the state of Illinois.

Brothers Elias and Saul Juarez and Ruben and Oscar Sanchez are seeking a motion to dismiss a complaint that was filed against them and members of the infamous gang “Latin Kings,” preventing them from sharing the Gospel.

Although the brothers say they are no longer active members of the gang, the complaint filed against them by the state of Illinois and city of Elgin sought to categorize them as such, thereby forbidding them from participating in several activities, including meeting with active members of the gang. more >>

A Chicago Democrat disillusioned with his own party is now throwing his support behind GOP presidential candidate and a former ambassador in President Obama's administration, Jon Huntsman, by producing and purchasing a one-minute ad buy in New Hampshire.

Illinois dentist William DeJean paid almost $11,500 to produce and air a campaign advertisement bolstering Huntsman as the candidate for the White House. The television ads will be aired on CNN and Fox News for five days beginning next week in New Hampshire.

Lifelong Democrat DeJean met Huntsman at a Chicago fundraiser and said he was drawn to his “centrist” views. more >>

An Illinois Circuit Court judge upheld the state's decision to drop adoption and foster care service contracts with Catholic Charities Thursday, ignoring the group’s claims that their contracts were discontinued because of its religion-inspired policies.

Judge John Schmidt upheld the state Department of Children and Family Services decision to drop contracts with several state Catholic Charities chapters, stating the groups are not required by the state to perform adoption services.

Catholic Charities has served the state of Illinois for 100 years and is currently providing for over 2,000 foster children. However, Schmidt asserted the entity does not have a "legally-protected property interest" in the renewal of its contracts. more >>

The oldest American survivor of the Bataan Death March, Major Albert Brown, died on Sunday in Nashville, Illinois, at the age of 105. Brown was also considered to be one the oldest American World War II veterans.

According to his daughter, Peggy Doughty, he died of a heart ailment.

Brown lived and worked in Iowa as a dentist and was also an officer of the Army reserve. He was called to duty in late 1941, as part of the dental corps, but spent most of his service as a Japanese prisoner of war. more >>

Joel Osteen, the pastor of a megachurch in Houston, drew about 37,000 people to a Chicago ballpark for “America’s Night of Hope” Saturday, where he announced that Washington, D.C., would be the next city for the annual event taking place in April 2012.

Infusing hope amid global economic fears that followed the downgrading of America’s credit rating the preceding night, the 48-year-old pastor proclaimed that “a resurrection God” was capable of “breathing new life,” as quoted by Chicago Sun -Times on Sunday.

Joel Osteen’s Facebook page messages poured in from hundreds of participants from around the world who seemed charged with fresh enthusiasm after the event at the U.S. Cellular Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox. more >>