President Barack Obama has named a unique Chicago neighborhood as a national monument, recognizing Illinois' history in the railroad industry and a unique part of the birth of the labor rights movement in the United States.

Professional chorus group Conspirare, conducted by University of Illinois alum Craig Hella Johnson, won a Grammy on Sunday for Best Choral Performance during the show’s 57th annual awards.

While its origins can be traced to the Mississippi Delta in the Deep South, large cities in the North and Midwest played a huge role in the development and evolution of blues music.

Chicago, with its large number of African-American migrants, would become known for its own distinct style of blues called the electric blues.

Madison Keys, a 19 year-old tennis player native to Rock Island, Illinois, advanced to the Grand Slam semifinals at the Australian Open yesterday after beating legendary tennis player Venus Williams.