Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 24, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike are holding daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen
Champaign, Urbana Schools Donate Thanksgiving Meals To Families In Need
CHAMPAIGN – During a typical school year, Laura Dees says families in need rely on food drives held at school buildings in the Champaign
COVID-19 Update: ‘Cautious Optimism,’ Pleas To Stay Home Ahead Of Holiday Weekend
The state’s rolling seven-day average COVID-19 case positivity rate decreased by a half point Tuesday to 10.4 percent as hospitalizations continued to…
Homeless Shelters Grapple With COVID Safety as Cold Creeps In
CHICAGO — Ben Barnes has slept in abandoned buildings, hallways and alleys. For the past year or so, he’s been staying at the city’s largest
Biden Administration Takes Shape
Editor’s Note: This is an updated post on President-elect Joe Biden building his administration. Biden will be sworn in as the nation’s 46th president in
COVID Surge in Nursing Homes Takes Toll On Loved Ones, Workers
On their last phone call, Chelsea Reed says her “proud” mother broke down, distraught about fears of dying alone in her long-term care facility,…
Senate Committee To Ask About 27 Dead Residents After COVID-19 Outbreak At LaSalle Veterans’ Home
Twenty-seven residents of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home have died in the last few weeks since the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs reported a COVID…
Here’s How To Celebrate Safely With Your Family This Thanksgiving
For many families, this Thanksgiving will look like no other.
IDPH Preps For Expected Initial 400,000 Doses Of Vaccine
After Pfizer submitted its application for a COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week, Illinois public health officials have…
Trump Administration To Begin Biden Transition Protocols
President Trump tweeted Monday that he’s recommending the General Services Administration and others in his administration begin “initial protocols.”
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 23, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike are holding daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen
Should Ethanol Go Back To Business As Usual After COVID-19?
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, ethanol producers feared the worst: a world indefinitely stuck at home. As Americans hunkered down for…
Food Banks Brace For Cold Weather, Holiday Season
URBANA – Since March, Eastern Illinois Foodbank has distributed almost nine million pounds of food. At this point last year, that number was just over
Thanksgiving Will Look Different This Year, But Small Turkey Farmers Say They’ll Be OK
Many families are heeding the advice of health officials and inviting fewer people to Thanksgiving dinner. The trend has hurt turkey sales, especially…
Illini Top Mistake-Prone Huskers 41-23
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Fighting Illini football team used five Nebraska turnovers to top the Cornhuskers 41-23, in what head coach Lovie Smith called a
Thank An Insect: Hundreds Of Jobs Tied To Protein Venture
DECATUR — Archer Daniels Midland and a French company announced plans to produce protein from insects in Decatur, a venture that is expected to create
IL Teen Charged In Killings Posts Bond; Poses With ‘Silver Spoons’ Actor
KENOSHA, Wis. — An Illinois 17-year-old accused of killing two people during a protest in Wisconsin was seen smiling in a photo with his lawyer
Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down City Of Sparta’s Policy On Police Citations
SPRINGFIELD — The state’s highest court has struck down a southern Illinois city’s policy that partly evaluates police officers on the number of citations officers
State Reports 126 More COVID-19 Deaths As Tier 3 Mitigations Take Effect
SPRINGFIELD – The state reported another 126 COVID-19-related deaths Friday as Tier 3 mitigations took effect statewide and virus-related hospitalizations continued to increase. That brought
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 20, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike are holding daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen
What The University Of Illinois Learned From Reopening Amid The Pandemic
When University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign officials decided to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they launched an ambitious plan to…
U.S. Dept. Of Education Opens Investigation Into Alleged Anti-Semitism At U Of I
URBANA – The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating the University of Illinois’ response to reports of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionist incidents
Pritzker Calls On Madigan To Resign If He Can’t Explain Role In ComEd Bribery Scheme
House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) is in jeopardy of losing his bid for a 19th term as speaker when the new General Assembly is inaugurated in…
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 19, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike are holding daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen
Lawsuit Aims To Target Coal Ash Groundwater Contamination In Middle Fork River
CHICAGO – Environmental advocacy group Earthjustice held an oral hearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit last week to argue against
State COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 11,000
As the state surpassed 11,000 COVID-19-related deaths Wednesday and the disease became the third leading cause of death in the state, health officials…
Key Madigan Ally, ComEd Lobbyists And Official Indicted In Federal Bribery Scheme
SPRINGFIELD – A longtime confidante of House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) was charged along with two other former Commonwealth Edison lobbyists and the CEO of
Central Illinois Hospitals Seeing Steady Increase In COVID-19 Patients
URBANA – Three large hospital systems in central Illinois — Carle Health, Memorial Health System and OSF HealthCare — are seeing more COVID-19 patients than
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 18, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike are holding daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen
University of Illinois Students Hold Vigil To Raise Suicide Awareness
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include information about the number of counselors and funds for mental health services provided by the University
With Cases Surging, Colleges Turn To Students For Help
As Thanksgiving break approaches, many schools are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases. Some campuses are using students to work the phones as contact tracers.
COVID-19 Worsens Mental Health, Sparks Overdoses
The continued stress from COVID-19 has heightened mental health problems nationwide. And some experts say that has led to an increase in drug overdoses.
State Issues Stricter Mitigations Amid Hospitalization Surge
Gov. JB Pritzker announced the entire state would enter Tier 3 of his mitigation plan starting Friday as he noted the best way for Illinoisans to avoid…
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 17, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is returning to his daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen to the
Judge Finds Pritzker Acted Lawfully To Mandate Health Guidance For Schools
A Sangamon County judge on Monday ruled Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration has power under state law and the state constitution to issue executive orders…
Experts: Gobble All You Like, But Do It With The Turkeys In Your Own Household
With COVID-19 cases soaring lots of people are conflicted about Thanksgiving plans. Experts are recommending we spend the holiday with just the people who live in our homes this year.
State And Federal Efforts To Help Small Meatpacking Plants May Take Time
A joint effort by federal and state governments to help small meatpacking plants increase their capacity is encountering some bumps. Earlier this year,…
Macon County Health Officials Urge Schools To Transition To Remote Learning
DECATUR – The Macon County Health Department is urging all schools within the county to switch to remote instruction at least through January 15 as
Edgar: Budget is ‘In Far Worse Shape’ Than In His Time
A former Illinois governor says the failure of the proposed graduated income tax leaves some incredibly difficult choices for state lawmakers.
COVID-19 Surges: ‘We Are In For A Rough Ride For The Next 3 Months’
Illinoisans should stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings and rethink their Thanksgiving plans as hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to…
January 1 Start Date For New WIU President
The Western Illinois University Board of Trustees voted 8-0 Monday to hire Dr. Guiyou Huang as the school’s 12 th president.
Simon Institute, Edgar Fellows Partner For ‘Simon-Edgar Award’
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIUC is partnering with the University of Illinois Institute for Government and Public Affairs’ Edgar Fellows…
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Nov. 17, 2020
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is returning to his daily COVID-19 press briefings as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen to
COVID-19 Surge Strains Midwest Hospitals
This story was produced by Side Effects Public Media , a news collaborative covering public health. The recent COVID surge was enough to push BJC…
‘Painful’ Funding Cuts For Illinois Schools Loom Following Fair Tax Rejection
SPRINGFIELD – After voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have increased taxes on the state’s highest earners, Illinois school district officials and advocates expect
U Of I Researchers: Coronavirus Mutations Are Important To Track As Pandemic Continues
URBANA – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it will be important for scientists to track how the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV2, is mutating, say researchers at
Illini Football Garners First Win In 23-20 Nail-Biter At Rutgers
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — The third time was the charm for Illini placekicker James McCourt. McCourt drilled a 47-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to
Gettysburg Address To Be On Display At Lincoln Museum
SPRINGFIELD — A handwritten copy of Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech speech will be on display in Springfield later in the week. Officials with the
Research Suggests The Key To Stopping Dicamba Drift Is At The Molecular Level
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are looking at the controversial weed killer dicamba, specifically how its molecules bond with other…
Even With A Coronavirus Vaccine, Midwest Airports Will Likely Need Years To Recover
WICHITA, Kansas —Katie Hansen’s recent trip from Columbus, Ohio, through Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Wichita felt pretty familiar. Sure,…
Amid COVID, Programs Scramble To Provide Moms With Milk, Diapers And More
Earlier this year, Aime’e Elliot couldn’t keep any solid foods down while pregnant with son Jacion. So the 28-year-old Indianapolis woman called a…
Illinois Closing Driver Services For 3 Weeks As Virus Surges
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ drivers services facilities will close for in-person business for three weeks starting Tuesday because of the statewide surge in COVID-19 cases. Secretary
Pritzker Extends Eviction Moratorium, Secretary Of State To Close Driver Facilities
As the state once again reported a one-day high for COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Gov. JB Pritzker announced he would extend a temporary ban on…
Blakeman Concedes To McGrath In Circuit Clerk’s Race
URBANA – Two-term incumbent Katie Blakeman has conceded to Democratic challenger Susan McGrath in a tight race for Champaign County Circuit Clerk. “Today I called
New Supreme Court Justice Brings Decades Of Experience To Bench
When Justice Robert Carter, who is slated to become the newest member of the Illinois Supreme Court when he is sworn in in December, was a chief circuit…
New Restrictions Begin In Champaign-Urbana Due To Rising COVID-19 Rates
CHAMPAIGN – From schools to restaurants to hospitals, restrictions are once again underway around Champaign County as COVID-19 cases rise. Friday will be the last
Where Can You Get Tested for COVID-19 In Central Illinois?
For health questions about COVID-19, call the Illinois Department of Public Health hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov. IDPH has also compiled a list of
Illinois Urges Residents To Stay Home For 3 Weeks
Illinois residents are being urged to stay at home as much as possible for at least the next three weeks as the second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks…