In the News
Argonne National Laboratory will get a new supercomputer that's over 17 times faster than its existing one — the result of a $200 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, officials announced Thursday.
The supercomputer, named Aurora, is slated to begin operating in 2018 and will replace Mira, Argonne's current supercomputer, which is now the fifth-fastest in the world.
Aurora will be able to tackle many of the complex challenges in the world today, including materials science, biological science and renewable energy, officials said.
Several U.S. House Democrats from the suburbs participated in a multi-hour, high-profile sit-in to try to pressure Republicans for a vote on federal gun control legislation.
The rare, raucous floor display included Democratic Reps. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates, Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, Bill Foster of Naperville and Mike Quigley of Chicago and Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield.
JOLIET – Not even a gray, overcast sky and light rain could dampen the enthusiasm of Star Wars fans who crowded downtown Joliet on Saturday to celebrate the nearly 40-year-old science fiction adventure saga.
The seventh annual Star Wars Day attracted fans of all shapes and sizes, from those dressed as Wookies, Tusken Raiders and Stormtroopers to one fan who played Palpatine running for emperor.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, toured the waterways in Lemont on Friday to help plan transportation infrastructure and to get more federal dollars for it.
"This is an important part of the economy," he said.
Foster said Illinois loses about $40 billion annually because state residents pay about $20 billion more in federal taxes than the national average for residents in other states, and "also lose about $20 billion because we get a lot less back in federal spending" than national averages.
JOLIET – U.S. Congressman Bill Foster, D-Naperville, is stepping up the fight against the deadly opioid epidemic sweeping Illinois and the rest of the nation.
Brewing is a growing business in the Aurora area that is beginning to get some attention.
The Flores family of Bolingbrook had a special guest Friday evening.
Seated with them at the dinner table was U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville. Foster came to their home – along with several members of the media – to discuss immigration programs that would have benefited Pedro Flores, the father of the family, who is an undocumented immigrant.
JOLIET – U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, announced Wednesday that more than $3.2 million in grant funding from the Department of Health and Human Services will be awarded to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet Inc. for the continuation of the organization's Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
"Making sure our children have access to learning opportunities in the years before traditional education begins should be a top priority," Foster said in a news release from his office.
The programs serve 750 families in the Joliet area.
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, has launched a contest to invite residents of the 11th Congressional District to submit a question for a live discussion with International Space Station astronauts.
The 11th District includes part of the Aurora area.
As U.S. lawmakers today begin debating the agreement the United States and five other nations have reached with Iran to limit its nuclear weapons program, the only physicist serving in Congress has announced he will support the deal.