WCBU Newscasts - 6:04am 6-16-2026

From the WCbU Newsroom, I'm Rich Drager. The new Patriot Plaza Memorial in Springdale Cemetery honoring Revolutionary War veterans with ties to Peoria is now open to the public. Attendees at the Flag Day Dedication Ceremony saw the hoisting of a 13-star Betty Ross American flag at the site near Soldier Hill. Sarah Varns is president of the Springdale Historic Preservation Foundation. She says they're still raising funds to aid accessibility improvements. Patriot Plaza isn't just about preserving history. It's about making sure everyone has the opportunity. opportunity to experience it. The event included presentations of proclamations from Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Rita Ali. Gas prices in Greater Peoria are trending down with a possible end insight to the war in Iran. The fuel cost tracking website GasBuddy shows a per gallon average of 436 in the Peoria market. That's down more than 20 cents from last week, nearly 60 cents from a month ago, but still more than a dollar higher than last year. GasBuddy lead analyst Patrick DeHan says oil prices drop sharply on reports of an agreement to end the war. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says a bipartisan solution is needed to ensure Social Security remains solvent. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is partnering with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to urge congressional action. The senator recalls when he first started on Capitol Hill in the 1980s, Social Security faced a similar challenge. It was under President Ronald Reagan and a Democratic Congress, worked with that president, and bought 50 years of solvency for Social Security. 1983 to 233. The latest estimates show early next decade shortfalls of the system will require cuts, possibly more than 20%, unless something is done. The National Weather Service has preliminary confirmation of nine tornadoes in central Illinois last week. The list includes what the Weather Service calls a high-end EF-3 tornado near Washburn early Thursday evening and an EF-1 twister which tracked through Morton. An EF-Zero tornado touchdown in McLean County southeast of Saybrook. I'm Rich Drager. Each story you hear on Planet Money starts with a question. What happens if we refund tariffs? Why are groceries so expensive? At NPR, we stand for your right to be curious because the forces shaping our world can be hard to seek. Follow NPR's Planet Money wherever you get your podcast and start seeing how the economy really works.