Media Matters host and journalism scholar Robert McChesney has died at 72
From 2002 to 2012, McChesney hosted the radio program Media Matters on Sunday afternoons on WILL-AM.
Gov. Pritzker visits Urbana as part of statewide tour focused on Trump administration’s impact in Illinois
Governor Pritzker urged Illinoisans to participate in “mass activism” and let Congress know they oppose the Trump administration’s cuts to food and agriculture programs.
Trump administration makes cancellation of Innovation Lab funding permanent, ending the Soybean Innovation Lab at the U of I
The Trump administration has terminated the Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, nearly two months after its funding was paused pending a review. The lab’s funding is set to officially end on April 15.
Closing Market Report turns 40 years old
The Closing Market Report turned 40 years old this year.
Midwest farmers worry about the impacts of tariffs on exported crops and imported fertilizer
The Trump administration’s tariff announcements this week are bringing uncertainty to farmers going into planting season. Farm groups warn that retaliatory tariffs will add an additional “burden” to U.S. producers.
Updated special census boosts Urbana’s official population
City officials say the updated numbers should trigger $600,000 a year in additional revenue from the state.
Activists pressure Budzinski to be a ‘full-throated supporter’, push back against Trump’s cuts to federal agencies
Those rallying said that the congresswoman should expand her efforts to combat cuts made by DOGE, or the Department of Governmental Efficiency.
At a candidate forum, Urbana mayoral and Ward 6 hopefuls express differing views on policing technology
Ahead of Urbana’s Feb. 25 primary election, candidates for mayor and City Council presented to a full house at a forum held in the Urbana City Council chambers.
Danville Election Commission repeats meeting to retain city council candidate on April 1 ballot
The Danville Election Commission voted to keep city council candidate Jaleel Jones on the April 1st ballot, in a repeat of the group’s decision in December.
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is still small but has increased, analysis shows
The amount of American cropland, pastureland and forestland owned by foreign investors continued to increase in 2023, according to a recent analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Champaign County GOP leader hails Trump’s return
The chair of the Champaign County Republican Party was in Washington D.C. Monday to watch President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
The soybean is poised to become Illinois’ official state bean
Lawmakers have put the soybean on track to become Illinois’s official state bean. The Prarie State is the top producer of soybeans in the U.S., with about a quarter of its land used for growing the crop.
How Donald Trump’s tariffs have — and could — affect Illinois agriculture
For his second term, Trump proposed various tariffs on the campaign trail and after his election, including a 60% tariff increase on Chinese imports and an additional 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico.
Farm groups say producers need a new farm bill, but many expect another extension as time runs out
The clock is ticking for Congress to address the expired farm bill. Several groups are urging lawmakers to get an updated bill to the finish line before the end of the year.
Champaign on track to get its first African-American city manager
CHAMPAIGN– Officials in Champaign will decide at a meeting Tuesday whether to promote Deputy City Manager Joan Walls to serve as the city’s chief executive. Walls is a 24-year veteran of Champaign city government, who was appointed to the position in 2013. Under Champaign’s council-manager system of government, the city manager is hired by the…