Evening briefing: Catch up on Wednesday’s biggest news

Illinois budget crisis could leave state with $8.5 billion in unpaid bills

The state’s Democratically controlled General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner have yet to agree on a budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. The two branches have agreed on money for schools in the state and a court order has dictated all state employees be paid without an approved appropriations bill. Get more details here.

Collinsville man’s body found in pond

Madison County Sheriff John Lakin says two men made “a gentleman’s bet” to see who could swim across the pond. One of those men, a 47-year-old from the Collinsville area, did not resurface. Get more details here.

Exhumations help ID another Gacy victim

An effort to identify remains of young men killed by John Wayne Gacy in the 1970s has led to a break in the case of a teenager found shot to death in San Francisco 36 years ago, the latest in nearly a dozen cases either advanced or closed by the attempt to match DNA with exhumed Gacy victims. Get more details here.

Pope embraces, challenges U.S. during visit

Pope Francis officially launched his long-awaited inaugural visit to the United States on Wednesday with a message that quickly seeped into the nation’s consciousness, embracing America’s heritage while challenging it to do more to solve global problems. Get more details here.

Rare sky show will delight on Sunday

A total lunar eclipse will share the stage with a so-called supermoon Sunday night or early Monday, depending where you are. That combination hasn’t been seen since 1982 and won’t happen again until 2033. Get more details here.

This story was originally published September 23, 2015 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Evening briefing: Catch up on Wednesday’s biggest news."