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   NEW YORK (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton touted the efforts of a group combatting malnutrition and blindness during an awards speech in New York City.

   Clinton delivered the remarks on Wednesday while being honored with the 2013 Helen Keller Humanitarian Award from Helen Keller International.

   Clinton praised ground-tested approaches to fighting the maladies, like distributing Vitamin A supplements and teaching villagers in impoverished countries to grow nutrient-rich food in home gardens.

   Earlier this month, former President Bill Clinton said speculating on his wife's political future was a waste of time and that the nation should be more focused on fixing its problems.

   He also said the former New York senator was writing a book and "having a little fun being a private citizen for the first time in 20 years."

   O'FALLON, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois Army National Guard veteran and former sports journalist says he's running for a southern Illinois congressional seat.

   The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Republican Doug Bucshon is seeking the 12th Congressional District seat held by Bill Enyart, a Democrat who was elected to his first term last November.

   A 20-year veteran of the state's National Guard, Bucshon has never held political office. Since retiring from active duty, he has covered University of Illinois basketball and football.

   The 12th District stretches from the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis to the state's southernmost tip.

   Enyart succeeded Democrat Jerry Costello, who retired after more than two decades in office.

   SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Illinois Senate has again approved a plan to address so-called Smart Grid technology over the objection of Gov. Pat Quinn.

   Senators voted 44-11 Tuesday to override Quinn's veto earlier this month. Quinn claimed the bill undermined oversight and would force automatic rate hikes.

   Senate President John Cullerton disputed those claims. A three-fifths majority was needed. It now heads to the House.

   ComEd pushed the bill as a way to clarify 2011 legislation allowing utilities to raise rates to fund a high-tech system. But executing it has been tricky.

   The Illinois Commerce Commission and ComEd disagreed over implementation. ComEd filed a court appeal over technical matters and faces a class-action lawsuit over installation delays.

   The proposal clarifies some of those issues and hastens installation.