Blackhawks GM resigns, team fined after sexual assault probe
CHICAGO — An independent review has found that the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled allegations that an assistant coach sexually assaulted a player during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010. Stan Bowman resigned as the Blackhawks’ general manager and president of hockey operations in the wake of the report by a law firm hired by the […]
Latest congressional maps draw more criticism
SPRINGFIELD – The latest draft of a new congressional district map for Illinois met with much of the same criticism as the first draft during a House committee hearing Tuesday. The latest proposal from legislative Democratic leaders was released Saturday. It divides the state into 17 congressional districts, one fewer than the state currently has due to […]
Parental Notice of Abortion Act repeal passes committee amid faith leader, GOP opposition
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate Executive Committee advanced a measure to repeal the state’s Parental Notice of Abortion Act early Tuesday evening amid staunch opposition from Republicans and religious groups. The repeal bill advanced to the full Senate, which could vote on it as early as Tuesday night. Its future in the House was less […]
Jesse Jackson leads the crowd at Jelani Day demonstration in Peru
PERU – The family of Jelani Day and their supporters — including the Rev. Jesse Jackson — gathered in Peru, Ill., on Tuesday in hopes of pressuring law enforcement investigating Day’s death. Jackson and his Rainbow PUSH Coalition were the lead organizers of Tuesday’s march. Day, an Illinois State University graduate student, was found dead in […]
Yes, investigative and statehouse journalism still exists in Illinois
As we ask Who’s in charge of news?, today, we’re exploring non-profit news organizations focused on hard-hitting investigations and statehouse reporting. We’re joined by representatives from Pro-Publica, the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, and Capitol News Illinois. GUESTS: Brant Houston Journalism Professor, Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Steve Mills Deputy Midwest Editor, ProPublica Jerry Nowicki Bureau Chief, Capitol News Illinois Tony […]
Champaign schools will continue to use private security in the wake of police officer shortages
CHAMPAIGN – Chicago-based security company AGB will continue to guard Champaign public schools this year. The company won out against the other bidder for the work — Stockholm-based Securitas. The Champaign Unit 4 School District Board of Education unanimously approved the contract on Monday, with questions about how the company has done so far. “There’s […]
Who owns local newspapers and TV newsrooms?
There are plenty of choices for you to get national news these days, but coverage of your local community, schools and small businesses is getting harder to find. Today on The 21st, learn about the six companies that own most of the TV stations and newspapers in downstate Illinois and how it affects coverage. GUESTS: David Folkenflik […]
217 Today: Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 Today’s headlines: State employees who work in congregate settings like prisons and group homes for adults with disabilities have until the end of the day today to get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose. But despite progress with Illinois’ largest public employee union, Governor JB Pritzker has reached an impasse on negotiations […]
Rev. Jesse Jackson disputes Jelani Day’s autopsy report ahead of planned rally in Peru
NORMAL — Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson said Monday he doesn’t believe an autopsy report released Monday which indicated Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day drowned in the Illinois River with no signs of injury before his death. Jackson disputed the report and called for state and federal authorities to take lead in […]
As newspapers struggle, some areas are becoming ‘news deserts’
URBANA – The term “news desert” describes an area with a shortage of news coverage. According to research by Penelope Muse Abernathy, 28 Illinois counties have just one newspaper apiece, while two counties (Hamilton and Pulaski in southern Illinois) have none. As a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Abernathy […]