morning cram [it's more comfortable for you to label me as insane edition]

Today on NPR: A study found psychiatric patients waited an average of 11.5 hours in hospital emergency rooms before being treated or released. That's in part because many hospitals have decided it's not economically viable to keep psychiatric wards open.

Prairie State Politics:

The Illinois House has approved a plan to drop campaign-donation limits in races where super PACs jump in with big money. 

The top Democrat and top Republican in the Illinois House traded jabs yesterday in a heated confrontation over state budget issues.

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says he's dropping his proposal to make state schools and colleges pay employee retirement costs.

Four Rivers Region:

United Steel workers Local 7669 officials say there was a seven minute uranium hexafluoride leak at Honeywell’s Metropolis, Illinois plant earlier this month.

Murray State University breaks ground for its new Paducah campus today.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled the state can go after the houses and property of people who have died, even property left to family members, if money is owed for end-of-life care.