WSIU News Morning Update June 3, 2026 in Carbondale, IL

This is Morning Edition. I'm Leah Lerner reporting WSIU News. The Southern Illinois leaders' breakfast returned Tuesday for the first time in nearly 10 years. The breakfast, presented by Southern Illinois Now and hosted by the SIEU Foundation, brought representatives from dozens of organizations to S IU Carbondale's new Tedric Welcome Center to focus on regional growth and collaboration. Executive Director Deb Barnett said the event was designed to unite leaders behind a shared vision for Southern Illinois. I am thrilled to share that we have more than 150 attendees representing 85 companies and organizations primarily all 17 counties throughout the region, and that coming together is rare and is something we can all be proud of.

Keynote speaker Jay Scott Heathman, CEO of the Wedge Innovation Center and a retired Air Force Colonel urged attendees to develop personal leadership mantras rooted in resilience. Heathman drew on his military career and his recovery from a 2019 brain tumor earning a standing ovation. Organizers say the breakfast return signals growing momentum for cooperation and economic development across southern Illinois. Illinois's two Democratic U.S. senators are calling on Chicago's embattled top federal prosecutor to resign his post. Dave McKinney has more. In an extraordinary move, U.S. senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are pushing U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros to step down. In a joint statement, the senators described Boutros' tenure as having been, quote, riddled with chaos, deep internal

dysfunction, and alleged misconduct. Their call comes nearly two weeks after the prosecution collapsed involving a group of Operation Midway Blitz protesters known as the Broadview Six. That happened amid claims of misconduct by Boutros' prosecutors involving grand jury proceedings. Butros was temporarily appointed to his job last year. Dave McKinney, WBEC News. The Illinois Department of Labor is reminding employers and workers that a new state law, the family neonatal intensive care leave act, is now in effect. The measure took hold June 1st and guarantees unpaid job protected leave for parents with a newborn

admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit. You can find details on the Illinois Department of Labor, website.