COVID-19 Spikes In Rural Areas, Where Hospitals Face Financial Struggle

One by one, COVID-19 outbreaks popped up in April and May at meatpacking plants across the country, fanning fears that the infectious coronavirus could…
Farmers See Wildly Different Yields In Derecho-Damaged Corn Fields

Farmers are wrapping up the harvest in much of the Corn Belt and finally seeing how much they can get out of derecho-damaged fields. The August…
Widespread Drought On The Great Plains Could Impact 2021 Growing Season

Much of the Great Plains is experiencing drought: So far, at least half of Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa, and Oklahoma are abnormally dry, with large areas…
Voices From Illinois’ 15th Congressional District

Illinois’ 15th congressional district is one of two in the state where no incumbent is running. But this article is about the district itself, not candidates. All congressional districts are required to have roughly the same population, but there are no limits on territory. Illinois’ 15th District covers 14,696 square miles, or more land than […]
Pritzker Back To Daily Briefings As Pandemic Picture Worsens

SPRINGFIELD — Hospitalizations for COVID-19 and the rolling seven-day test positivity rate for the virus increased again in Illinois on Monday, mirroring national trends. Gov. JB Pritzker said at a Jackson County news conference Monday the state would increase mitigations in southern Illinois and announced he would once again hold daily weekday COVID-19 briefings until […]
Judge: Municipalities Exempt From Election Day ‘Holiday’

A Sangamon County judge has ruled local units of government are exempt from a law the General Assembly passed this year declaring the Nov. 3 general…