GOVERNOR

Illinois’ Republican candidates for governor are pitching a tough on crime message as their national party calls the Jan. 6 insurrection "legitimate political discourse."

The governor is one of three Democrats leading states won by Donald Trump in 2020. His wrangles with Republicans have left him popular nonetheless.

In a letter to the state Labor Department, Kassidy Peters said an inquiry and press reports had “successfully destroyed my business.”

The number of bodies recovered from a collapsed high-rise apartment building in Nigeria’s most populous city has risen to 36, an emergency official told The Associated Press

When some suggested the governor did not have the time, he took it personally.

A new poll reveals that support for Gov. Greg Abbott is declining in comparison to his potential challengers Beto O’Rourke and Matthew McConaughey.

Gavin Newsom appears to have survived a rare state-wide vote to remove him with a clear majority.

. .

The governor credited his vaccination for keeping his infection "brief and mild" and encouraged others to consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

His resignation comes one week after an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James that found that he sexually harassed 11 women.

Brittany Commisso speaks out for the first time about alleged groping incidents with New York governor.

Brittany Commisso, identified as “Executive Assistant #1,” in a report last week, said during a television interview that Cuomo was seeking “personal sexual satisfaction.”

Sheriff Craig Apple told the New York Post that the complaint was filed by an executive assistant to Cuomo, one of 11 women who the governor allegedly harassed.

Florida's governor has repeatedly told residents he will not implement a new face mask mandate.

The governor told our Michigan sister station that she'll continue to issue guidance on COVID-19-related matters.

Florida's governor previously outlawed the ability for local leaders to impose mask mandates.

President Joe Biden makes his first official visit to Illinois, meets with Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

President Joe Biden makes his first official visit to Illinois since taking office with a stop in Crystal Lake, a key swing area represented by two Democrats in Congress.

Welcome to The Spin, the Chicago Tribune's politics newsletter.

The governor proposed a weekly $300 payment to new workers.

So far, three Republicans say they’re seeking to challenge Pritzker in next year's election.

The lights at the Texas Governor’s Mansion in Austin will be blue this week in honor of police officers.

Ohio's governor plans to host two weekly drawings for five weeks for vaccinated Ohioans.

Ohio's governor plans to host two weekly drawings for five weeks for vaccinated Ohioans.

On Monday, Florida's governor signed a law giving himself more permanent authority over local pandemic orders.

On Monday, Florida's governor signed a law giving himself more permanent authority over local pandemic orders.

Iowa sent so-called “strike teams” to conduct rapid on-site COVID-19 testing at 17 businesses, including some of the state’s largest and most powerful pork and beef companies

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Monday that he would not be throwing the first pitch at the Rangers' game. He said he is protesting MLB's decision to move the All-Star Game out of Atlanta due to Georgia's controversial voting rights law. Katie Johnston of CBSN Dallas-Fort Worth reports.

HOUSTON – Matthew McConaughey said he was truly considering a run for Texas governor during an interview with Crime Stoppers Houston. “I’m looking into now, what is my leadership role?” asked McConaughey. “Because I do think I have some things to teach and share. Ad“I don’t know,” McConaughey said. It would be up to the people more than it would be me.”Republican Greg Abbott currently holds the governor’s seat in Texas, but re-election in the state happens in 2022.

Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday accused the governor of kissing her without her consent while she served as deputy secretary for economic development in 2018. Boylan made public her harassment accusations against the governor in December, though she did not go into specifics at the time. Cuomo Press Secretary Caitlin Girouard said in a statement, "Ms. Boylan's claims of inappropriate behavior are quite simply false." Boylan wrote that while on a plane from a Western New York event in 2017 with the governor, a press aide and state trooper, Cuomo told her, "Let's play strip poker." Boylan did not claim in her blog post that she was alone on the flight with just the governor, a press aide and state trooper.

If the recent arctic blast and power outages resulted in damage to your home or business, the state of Texas wants to hear from you. Greg Abbott and the Texas Division of Emergency Management are asking Texans to complete a Self Reporting Damage Survey, according to a press release. The voluntary survey does not replace reporting damage to an insurance agency and does not guarantee disaster relief assistance, according to the state. Ad“I urge Texans to fill out the Self Reporting Damage Survey and provide crucial information on the winter weather impacts to their home or property,” said Abbott. The form also asks individuals to identify the type of damage and to upload photos of the damage.

“We need a governor who understands those day-to-day challenges that we all face, a governor who will live by the same rules that the rest of us follow, a governor who will stand up to the entrenched special interest groups that have done so much damage. Most importantly, we need a governor we can trust to do the right thing and make tough decisions,” he said.

New York governor accused of nursing home COVID-19 death cover-up There are bipartisan calls for an investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo after his top aide said that his administration intentionally hid the state's COVID-19 death toll in nursing homes.

New Jersey governor urges people to stay off roads in snowstorm New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged people Tuesday tot stay home if they don't need to go out, as snow continued to fall in the state during a massive winter storm. Watch his remarks.

That took some of the political pressure off of Ryan. But as some of Ryan’s associates were indicted, the governor was wounded so badly by the growing scandal he would have had a difficult time winning reelection. He opted against running for a second term and was indicted after he left office on corruption counts that eventually sent him to prison.

But the governor said Wednesday that the state subsequently learned that the doses, which could arrive between Dec. 13 and 19 if the FDA grants authorization next week, could be made available to the full 109,000 people. The state expects to receive enough additional vaccines to administer the second dose to those people within the required time frame, he said.

While the governor said he’s optimistic that President-elect Joe Biden and Congress will reach a deal on an aid package to help offset the revenue states have lost due to the pandemic, the state is going ahead with more borrowing.

Using Instagram clues to figure out James Harden's Rockets future James Harden caused a bit of a star with a cryptic Instagram video on Monday. 15 Etsy gifts to remind Houstonians of home Houstonians don't need to get on a plane to feel at home this year, shop Etsy instead.

‘Hou-Ville' is coming to downtown Houston Santa is coming to town and bringing an Astros-themed gingerbread house with him. Astros to make Sugar Land Skeeters their Class AAA affiliate It just got a lot easier for Astros fans to see some of their team's top prospects. Houston's unsung heroes come to life in Discovery Green Looking to pay tribute to Houston's heroes? Discovery Green is the place for you.

“The governor needs to go back to what he did earlier in the year, where he stated that we need to have 6.5% cuts in the agencies’ spending across the board,” Durkin said. “There’s a little bit more than $1 billion, we could start there. Cuts are not easy to do, but when you spend and continue to spend above and beyond the revenue that we bring in, this is what’s going to happen.”

HOUSTON – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Iran has increased cyber attacks up to 10,000 times per minute over the last two days against state agency computers. “I have the full faith and trust that our soldiers on today’s battlefield are going to do everything they can to toe that line to protect the United States,” he said. He said in addition to the threat of cyber attacks, Houston is not immune from other threats if the conflict between the United States and Iran escalates. “Petrochemical, Houston Ship Channel, oil and gas industry, how many millions of people could you affect rapidly.”Grantham said, “over at Fort Sam Houston, the army headquarters for north command, that’s in charge of response here in the United States, you know they gotta be on full alert.”

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is back in Flint to meet with officials about the water crisis Friday. He testified Thursday before a House panel. Some members of Congress are calling for Snyder and the head of the EPA to resign over the lead contamination. Adriana Diaz reports.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says it's not unfair of his critics to say the Flint water crisis is his Hurricane Katrina, but he’s rejecting calls to step down. The dangerous water contamination led to protests Monday outside Snyder's home. Flint's water has been poisoned with lead for months. Adriana Diaz reports.

8/21: Inside the failed attempt to free hostages from ISIS; Ex-Virginia governor takes stand in his corruption trial The U.S. government admitted it tried to rescue American journalist James Foley and other hostages in Syria, but failed. Margaret Brennan has details on the unsuccessful raid and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's dire warning about the militant group; and, on his first full day on the witness stand, former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell testified that his marriage was so bad during his four years as governor, he put it "on hold." McDonnell and his wife are charged with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and using their official positions to support businessman Jonnie Williams' health supplement business.