More Stories From Illinois Newsroom

Grandparents Are Raising Their Grandkids. Blame Opioids.

Getting to Anne Polston’s house is a journey: first, you have to get to Liberty , a town about two hours southeast of Louisville. Then, there’s a…

Illinois Farmers Delay Planting Crops Amid Wet Weather, Low Crop Prices And Trade Uncertainty

Floodwaters on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers may be going down, but rain has continued to soak farmland around much of the state. More rain could…

With Crime-Free Rules, Tenants Evicted After Overdose Calls

In one town in the Metro East, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, police are forcing landlords to evict tenants who have called for help…

It’s Planting Season, Except For Farmers Affected By Major Flooding

The Missouri River swamped Scott Olson’s land in March — the second time in the last eight years. Flooding tore holes in his fields and left mounds of…

Illinois Prison System Requests Huge Increase In Education Funding

The Illinois Department of Corrections requested a massive increase in funding for educational supplies as part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s state budget proposal. The request

Better Jobs in Small Cities, More Investment In Higher Ed Could Stem Illinois’ Population Loss

Illinois continues to lose residents, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released in April. Overall, around 45,000 fewer people lived in…

Can Cannabis Help Patients In Pain Avoid Opioids?

Since February, patients in Illinois have been able to swap their opioid prescriptions for marijuana. And many are doing just that.

A Growing Movement Wants To Loosen Laws Around Psilocybin, Treat Mushrooms As Medicine

Douglas rattles around a collection of glass jars in the storage closet of his Denver apartment. They’re filled with a small grain, like barley, and…

The Fight Over What It Means To Be Homeless — And How That Could Affect Illinois

Just because someone has four walls around them every night, that doesn’t mean they’re housed. That’s what Paul Hamann believes. He’s the president and…

One Way To Make Flyover Country More Welcoming To Migrating Birds

As grassland and prairies gave way to farmland in the Midwest, habitats for some native birds disappeared. There’s a relatively new program in central…

Why Getting Mental Health Care Can Be A Struggle For Refugees

Kazito Kalima was 14 at the start of the Rwandan genocide. Over just a few months in 1994 , hundreds of thousands of Tutsi people in his country were…

Ask the Newsroom: What Are Champaign And Urbana Doing To Create More Affordable Housing

Illinois Newsroom has been covering the struggle to find affordable housing around the state. The lack of funding to build housing for people with low-incomes

New Medicaid Coverage for Transgender Illinoians

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services will soon allow gender confirmation surgery to be covered by Medicaid. That procedure, most…

Is Illinois’ Gas Tax Running On Empty?

While gas prices fluctuate, one charge at the pump has stayed the same since 1990. Illinoisans have paid the same gas tax – the charge per gallon the…

By The Numbers: What The USDA’s Latest Census Tells Us About American Agriculture

It’s been five years since the last ag census. Since 2012, the U.S. has lost about 70,000 farms, saw the average age of farmers go up and prices for…

Schools Can Help Homeless Kids — But Only If They Find Them

Melissa Esparza fled her home in west suburban Chicago two years ago. Then 16, she said her parents became physically violent after years of verbal…

Study: Hepatitis C Not A Barrier To Organ Transplants

For years, transplant surgeons have been reluctant to use organs from people who were infected with hepatitis C, due to fears of spreading the virus….

“There Is Hope”: Series Highlights Stories Of Opioids Addiction

The opioid epidemic has ravaged cities across the United States. And just a couple of years ago, Dayton, Ohio, had one of the nation’s worst overdose…

Silicon Valley Startup Aims For Transparency, One Seed Price At A Time

A Silicon Valley startup is pitting itself against major seed companies, alleging that those companies are price gouging in the Heartland. Farmers…

Why Does Affordable Housing Matter?

News & Brews: Why does affordable housing matter? event on Tuesday, March 26 at Riggs Beer Company in Urbana.

Struggling for Housing

In the course of reporting my previous story on the gap between wages and the cost of housing, I spent time following a case manager with the Southern…

Missouri River Flooding Didn’t Just Damage Farms, It Impacted The Global Supply Chain

Farmers along the Missouri River and its tributaries are still assessing damage from recent flooding. But beyond the farms in parts of Iowa, Nebraska,…

How Can Indiana Support New Moms And Babies? State Health Commissioner Weighs In

Panelists at Side Effects Public Media’s two-part Happier Birth Days conversation answered viewer questions about maternal and infant health disparities…

A Surplus Of Meat And Dairy Puts A Strain On U.S. Markets And Storage

Meat and dairy are piling up across the U.S. It has cold storage places packed to the rafters, and the federal government, which subsidizes the…

For Black Women, Access To Birth Control Comes With Heavy Baggage

Some doctors see access to birth control as a tool in the fight to decrease maternal and infant mortality. Indiana has one of the nation’s worst rates…

Why Transitioning A Farm From One Generation To The Next Is Trickier Than Ever

Family structures—and farms themselves—are much more complicated than they used to be. Today, farm transition and land transfer are now among the…

Ask The Newsroom: Section 8 Housing

In Illinois, there are only 35 affordable housing units for every 100 families considered extremely low-income, according to Housing Action Illinois, a…

‘If You Build It, They Will Come’: Saving Pollinator Habitat With Solar Power’s Help

From bees to butterflies , a worldwide decline in pollinators has entomologists trying to figure out how to help those bugs and the plants that rely on…

For Low Wage Workers Housing Is Out Of Reach

An estimated 10,643 people in Illinois are homeless according to federal data. Many of those are working – but still can’t make ends meet. For the…

Illinois lawmakers may regulate midwives in home births

A small but growing number of U.S. women are choosing to have their babies at home. In more than 30 states, including most of the Midwest, it’s

Trump Administration’s Refugee Limits Leave Meatpacking Plants Struggling To Find Enough Workers

Like many of the refugees who have resettled in Greeley, Colorado, 35-year-old Abul Basar is employed by JBS. It’s a massive meatpacking plant that…

How One Illinois Nonprofit Supports New Mothers, Promotes Safe Sleep

Across much of the Midwest, maternal and infant death rates are high—especially among African-Americans. So doctors, public health agencies and non…

‘Crime-Free Housing’ Rules Spread In Illinois

Many communities in Illinois have rules that say renters can lose their housing if someone in the home is connected to a crime. City leaders who back…

Fentanyl Can Lead To Overdoses In Hospitals, Too

Experts often blame the painkiller fentanyl for skyrocketing overdose deaths among illegal drug users. Now a series of deaths at an Ohio hospital is…

Farmers Dig Deep To Weather Slumping Ag Economy, But Don’t Call It A Crisis

Farm income has taken a long, hard fall, dropping 50 percent since hitting a high point in 2013. Add to that near-record levels of farm debt, and you…

How Ag Programs Fare Under Trump’s Proposed Budget For 2020

President Donald Trump’s 2020 budget proposal is getting a lot of attention for its call for more border protection, but it also makes major changes to…

Ohio Community Fears Pollution From Planned Coal Mine

“I water my horses out of this creek down here,” Jeff Ivers says, resting his hand on his horse’s nose. He looks out over his land: 43 acres, surrounded…

Illinois Bill Aims To Help Children Get Mental Health Services

An Illinois Senate bill aims to help children who are at risk of entering state custody because of issues caused by untreated mental illness. The…

As Type 1 Diabetics Struggle To Afford Insulin, Eli Lilly Announces A Cheaper Alternative

Insulin is not a new drug, but even though it’s been around for nearly a century, its price continues to climb. People with Type 1 Diabetes have to take…

Illinois Gets A Break: New Tax Credit Could Boost Local Housing, Economies, But There’s a Catch

The Quad Cities are divided by the Mississippi River along the Illinois-Iowa border. They all took a big hit during the 1980’s farm crisis, and were…

How Measles Outbreak Threatens A Young Cancer Patient

Measles is a potentially deadly illness that is spreading in many parts of the world. Thanks to vaccines, the disease was eliminated from the U.S….

Public Airs Its Gratitude, Grievances Over Proposed Changes To Federal Waterway Regulations

The water we drink is protected by federal rules, which are at the crux of a long-running fight over how far upstream that protection extends. …

Out of Reach: Illinois’ Affordable Housing Crisis

Affordable housing issues often get media attention when property prices soar due to spiking economic development or when property prices tumble due to dramatic industry

An Illinois Law Aims To Help Homeless Students — Is It Enough?

Last summer, Chantil was forced to leave the townhome she shared with her two daughters and her mother in Des Plaines. (We’re withholding Chantil’s last…

Why Even Illinois’s Department Of Corrections Wants To Fix The Way The State Does Electronic Monitoring

Nicole Davis said her uncle was diagnosed with late-stage cancer after his release from prison in 2014. He was confined to his home because of

To Reduce Chronic Homelessness, A Chicago Hospital Is Treating It As A Medical Condition

The University of Illinois Hospital is one of a few hospitals in the Chicago area that have started providing permanent housing for homeless patients that

Illinois Ag Director Wants Money For Rural Broadband

Slow internet service can slow a business down, adding up to lost time and money. And often the problem is worse in rural areas. That’s one reason John…

How Racism, Trauma And Mental Health Are Linked

Research shows African-Americans are less likely to access treatment for mental illness. Cultural norms and the stigma associated with having a mental…

As Electric Cars Shift Into Mainstream, The Corn Belt Begins To Ponder A Post-Ethanol Future

At Hummel’s Nissan in Des Moines, Kevin Caldwell sells the all-electric Leaf. Driving one is basically the same as driving a typical gasoline or gas…

Why Tackling Obesity Is Harder Than You Think

Obesity is a big problem across the United States. It affects about 40 percent of the population. It’s even worse in Midwest states like Ohio, Illinois…

Jail Overcrowding Exacerbates Problems For Those With Mental Illnesses

The National Alliance for Mental Illness says about two million people with mental illnesses are booked into jails every year. But most counties aren’t…

FDA Says Teen Boys Are Most At Risk Of Using E-Cigarettes

Health officials say teenagers are using e-cigarettes at epidemic rates. Lawmakers in a number of Midwest states, like Indiana, Illinois and Minnesota,…

Study: Benefits of Some Genetically Engineered Seeds Extend Beyond Pest Control

After more than 20 years, an early tool of genetic engineering in crops is doing more than just killing pests. It’s providing environmental benefits,…

Making The Case For A Piece of Illinois’ Capital Plan

Crumbling sidewalks, gas line failures and cracked concrete — the problems at Brookfield Zoo are a metaphor for what’s wrong with public infrastructure…

Why Are There So Few Black Men In Medicine?

Dr. Don Arnold’s home office overflows with medical textbooks, old anatomical prints and six pages of a recommendation letter from his first application…

Why The Chicago Bulls And Other NBA Teams Rely On Sleep Coaches

Increasingly, sports teams, especially in the NBA, are hiring “sleep coaches” to help players. This follows research that good sleep can be as…

How Two Professors Are Helping Students Cope With Violence

Dr. Wanda Thruston and Dr. Barb Pierce are examining what they call a “wicked problem” – helping children deal with trauma and violence. We sat down…

Soybeans Singled Out In U.S.-China Trade War, But Small Farmers Bear The Brunt

In theory, closing off China’s soybean market due to the trade dispute with the U.S. on top of generally low prices for the commodity should affect all…

Rural Hospitals’ Plea To Federal Government: Help Us Stay Open

Rural hospitals aren’t just providers of medicine and health care, but also are often major employers and a massive part of a town’s tax base. However,…

March Madness: If Trade War Continues, The Cost Will Likely Reach Consumers

The U.S. trade war with China has created a financial burden for farmers and companies that import Chinese goods. Consumers, on the other hand, have…

The Messy Technological Roots Of The U.S. Trade War With China

The U.S. trade war with China, now approaching a year, is often framed as hurting manufacturing and agriculture the most. But that’s mainly collateral…

In Post-Treatment Cancer Patients, Depression Can Take A Toll

Two decades ago, Jim Nace was a national ice cream salesman, on cross-country flights 20 days a month. He was on top of the world. “I had a great…

In Their First Week Back On The Job, Federal Workers Play Catch Up To Aid Farmers

At her desk in Greeley, Colorado, Shelly Woods pulls out three thick stacks of manila folders. These files represent dozens of local farmers who’ve…

Pell Grants For Prisoners Could Save Illinois Millions

Illinois could save millions of dollars on incarceration costs if the federal ban on Pell Grants for inmates was lifted, according to a new report

How One Illinois Teacher Uses Art To Empower Students

In highly politicized times such as these, teachers are often warned to remain neutral in the classroom. But at a public primary school in Kewanee,…

Lawsuit: Racial Harassment Is ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ At U Of I

A lawsuit filed Monday in federal court includes numerous allegations of racial harassment of black employees at the University of Illinois at Urbana…

Study: Climate Change Will Affect Soybeans In 2 Ways That Cancel Each Other Out

Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels could have opposing effects on nutrients in soybeans, according to a new study.

Rethinking Cybersecurity Education To Meet Growing Demand

Weasle Forsythe is an information assurance apprentice with SuprTEK – a government contracting firm in O’Fallon, Illinois, outside of St. Louis. In the…

Prisoners With Mental Illness Still Waiting For Treatment

Ashoor Rasho has spent more than half of his life alone in a prison cell—22 to 24 hours a day. The cell was so narrow he could reach his arms out and…

A Story Of Resilience: How Perry Cline Overcame Incarceration, Heroin Addiction To Earn A Degree

Perry Cline’s story is a remarkable one. He’s a formerly incarcerated 51-year-old man who overcame the odds to graduate from the University of Illinois…

Facing Lost Funds And Representation, Illinois Hopes It Can Count On You

Illinois’ population loss could be a warning for larger changes to come. Between July 2017 and July 2018, Illinois lost more than 45,000 people, according

Troubled Pregnancies Can Mean Years of Health Problems

Melody Lynch-Kimery had a fairly routine pregnancy. But when she got to the hospital for delivery, she says things quickly turned dangerous.

Government Says Shutdown Unlikely To Delay Guestworker Visas, But Farmers Still Unsure

More than 240,000 guestworkers, many from Mexico, work on U.S. farms for several months each year as a part of the federal H-2A visa program. This year,…

From Prison To College: How A Formerly Incarcerated Student Overcame The Odds To Graduate

Like many people coming out of prison, Perry Cline never thought he’d get a college degree. “I thought I was just going to be another bum in the streets…

Study: People Opposed To GMOs Don’t Know As Much About Science As They Think

People who most intensely oppose genetically modified food think they know a lot about food science, but actually know the least, according to a peer…

Judge blocks U.S. birth control policy in some Midwest states

Today was the start date for a federal policy that gives companies more leeway to skip insurance coverage for contraceptives. Companies can now limit…

J.B. Pritzker Interview — On Criminal Justice, Higher Ed, Taxes, And Legislative Ethics

J.B. Pritzker is set to becomes the 43rd governor of Illinois on Monday. He won in part by promising to make college more affordable, improve the state…

New Law Helps Police Find Missing People With Disabilities

An Illinois law will make it easier for police to help find missing persons with intellectual disabilities. The law, which went into effect the first of…

How Sharing Stories Of Hope Impacts Addiction Recovery

Storytellers from Side Effects series SOBER: Stories of Recovery and Hope joined WFYI’s No Limits program to discuss the importance of sharing their…

Can Hacking Plants Feed the World? The Research Looks Good

Plants are good at what they do — turning sunlight into food. However, some researchers have found the leaf world could improve, and that could have a…

Mobile home owners fear they may be priced out by rent hikes

Some unlikely advocates have emerged in the fight to lift a 1997 ban on rent control in Illinois – manufactured home owners who are upset with

Court Strikes Down Iowa’s ‘Ag-Gag’ Law That Blocked Undercover Investigations

The industry-backed law was enacted after several investigations brought widespread criticism on Iowa’s agricultural industry. A judge ruled the law violates the First Amendment.

U.S. Farmers Face Planting Season Without A Resolution To Trade War

For crop farmers, winter is the offseason. But that doesn’t mean they take the winter off. It’s meeting season — going to endless seminars or having…

#MeToo? Some Hospitals Allow Pelvic Exams Without Explicit Consent

A law professor in Illinois wants to put a stop to a medical practice that she says treats women’s bodies like cadavers. Across most of the U.S.,…

Federal Government’s Shutdown Ripples Through Farm Country

The ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government, now into its third week, is reaching ever deeper into the lives of people far from the…

What Do You Want To Know About Rebuilding Illinois’ Roads, Bridges And Infrastructure?

The need for new or repaired roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure in Illinois continues to outpace the amount of funding available to complete the

Department of Corrections Director Blames Illinois Lawmakers For Lack Of Spending On Prison Books

Last spring, Illinois Newsroom reported that the Illinois Department of Corrections spent less than $300 on books for all of its prisons the prior year.

Autism And Mental Health Issues Make Finding Care A Challenge

Yvonne Martin keeps detailed notes of two years in her life. It starts on March 1, 2016. That’s the day her son, Daniel, first ran away from the family…

Farm Bill Boosts Money To Rural Areas With Slow Or No Internet

Small internet service providers in Illinois are optimistic after the farm bill – which President Trump recently signed – included more money for…

Experts: Dicamba Will Come For Trees, Specialty Crops In 2019

Dicamba, the controversial herbicide used on soybeans and cotton, is responsible for thousands of acres of damaged crops in recent years. Experts say…

The Fate of Illinois Farmland, An Intergenerational Effort

The fertile soil of Illinois farmland has defined the state for 200 years (hello, bicentennial). And current farmers and aspiring ones are wondering who gets

When Is A Corporate-Environmental Partnership More Than Just PR?

As harvest wrapped up this year and the leaves turned brilliant shades of red and yellow, two of the world’s biggest agribusinesses, Archer Daniels…

A History Of Discrimination Leads To A Lingering Distrust Of Doctors

Few people like going to the doctor. But for some, that fear is compounded by discrimination and history. For black Americans, the pervasive history of…

Experts Offer Tips For Coping With Holiday Stress

Stress is a normal part of life. And there’s even such thing as a “good” level of stress that keeps us going, according to psychology researchers Sanda…

High On The Highway: Challenges With Marijuana DUIs

Come January 14, Illinois will have a new pro-pot-legalization governor and a Democrat-held legislature, leading many to believe the state will legalize recreational cannabis. That’s

How Midwestern National Forests Keep Fires At Bay And Prepare For Climate Change

A stand of trees in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri looks a little more sparse than what is often depicted in a forest. The trees are eight…

Why Illinois Won’t ‘Ban The Box’ On College Applications

Four years ago, Chris Miner decided to apply to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Then 40-years-old, Miner was encouraged to apply by a…

Illinois Newsroom Reporter Awarded Investigative Grant From ProPublica

Illinois Newsroom reporter Rachel Otwell has been awarded a grant from ProPublica for a year-long investigative project in 2019. More than 215 news organizations applied

Answering Your Questions About Cannabis Legalization

The issue of marijuana legalization in Illinois has been hotly debated for years. But assumptions, inaccuracies, and unknowns still fuel arguments on all sides across

Final Farm Bill Shows Hemp’s In, Food-Aid Work Requirements Are Out

The long-awaited final version of the farm bill was unveiled Monday night, and it hews somewhat closely to the previous piece of massive legislation —…

New Report Says Illinois Schools Need More Sexual Violence Response Guidelines

A new report says Illinois lacks comprehensive guidelines when it comes to dealing with sexual misconduct cases in elementary and high schools.

What Happens To Pot Convictions If Illinois Legalizes?

The push to legalize recreational marijuana in Illinois could get a jump-start early next year. State Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat, said this week

Showing Students College Isn’t The Only Option For Success

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, a few high school students are measuring and cutting siding. They’re building a house in the trades class at the Capital…

Illinois Prison Monitor ‘Absolutely Convinced’ Mentally Ill Inmates Abused

The Illinois Department of Corrections continues to flounder in its efforts to care for inmates with mental illness, according to a new report authored…

Neurosurgeon Tells NRA Gun Violence Is His ‘Lane’

Physicians across the country have a message for the National Rifle Association: Gun violence is our concern. It’s part of a battle being fought…

A Hands-On Look At Gene-Editing Technique CRISPR, Which Could Be A Game-Changer For Ag

In a lab at George Washington University, painted lady butterflies flutter in mesh houses. This is where assistant professor Arnault Martin and his…

Illinois Education Funding Fixes Still Top Priority

Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker and a new crop of legislators will take office come January. Those crafting state education policies say they will continue one…

Effort To Eliminate Medical Co-Pay For Prison Inmates Fails

Illinois prison inmates will continue to pay $5 for medical and dental visits, after the legislature tried and failed to get rid of the fee last week….

USMCA: Trump Signs New Trade Agreement With Mexico And Canada To Replace NAFTA

“This has been a battle, and battles sometimes make great friendships,” President Trump said as he signed the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement alongside America’s closest neighbors.

Climate Report Says U.S. Cattle And Crops Will Be Stressed By Hotter, Wetter Weather

A changing climate has major implications for farmers and ranchers across the U.S., according to a federal report. Here’s a select breakdown of the…

Beyond The Farm: A Look At The Wide World Of Ag Degrees

Fields, crops and farm animals are part of the agriculture-industry landscape, but an increasingly small one. The number of farm and ranch managers…

IL Struggles With Lack Of Long-Term Addiction Recovery Options

Earlier this year, we covered the difficulties faced by Illinoisans in recovery – especially those who had successfully detoxed, and were hoping to…

Can This Tiny House Solve Senior Housing Shortage?

If you’re a Baby Boomer, here are a couple of statistics that should concern you. By 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 and over. Yet a Harvard…

Illinois Students Act In Response To Proposed Title IX Changes

Students across Illinois are calling for tougher campus policies on sexual harassment and misconduct as the Trump administration proposes changes to…

As Opioid Backlash Grows, Sickle Cell Patients Fear They’ll Lose Critical Pain Treatment

Long before Eric Kirkwood of Kansas City, Kansas, had his first sickle cell crisis at age 17, he knew about the pain caused by the disease. His uncle…

Reporter’s Notebook: Why We’re Investigating Education And Incarceration In Illinois

Earlier this year, I reported for Illinois Newsroom that the Illinois Department of Corrections spent less than $300 on books for its educational programs across

Where Medicaid Work Requirements Go, Lawsuits Follow

A number of states have tied Medicaid coverage to work requirements. But legal challenges have followed — a sucessful attempt to stop the program in…

How Seeking Justice Retraumatizes Assault Survivors

Rape and sexual assault are issues that have dominated the headlines recently. The response to those stories – whether they are about Brett Kavanaugh,…

Top Illinois Artist Preston Jackson Urges Peers: “Get Some Guts”

Preston Jackson is a martial artist, an accomplished guitar player, an educator and professor-emeritus, and a visual artist who has studios in…

E-Cigarette Use Soars Among Illinois Teens

E-cigarettes are setting anti-smoking efforts back by as much as a decade. That’s what researchers found after analyzing this year’s Illinois Youth…

Cargill’s New Robot Herds Cattle So Workers Don’t Have To

Brad Churchill, a slaughter operations manager at Cargill Meat Solutions, has worked in the cattle industry for more than 30 years. He’s seen many…

Women Make Some Gains In Illinois Elections

This week’s election was expected to bring a second “Year of the Woman” to American politics. After Tuesday, here’s what that looks like in Illinois:…

Rural America is Growing, But Only Near Big Cities And Scenic Areas

For the first time in seven years, rural America’s population is growing. The annual U.S. Department of Agriculture report “Rural America at a Glance”…

Do Campus Sexual Misconduct Policies Allow Harassment To Persist?

Every college campus has standards and policies to prevent sexual harassment. But time and again, repeated complaints are filed against professors for…

Mac Miller Overdose Shows Fentanyl’s Deadly Power

Popular rapper Mac Miller is the latest musician to die after ingesting fentanyl — a grim tribute to the drug’s power. A coroner in Los Angeles says…

Midwest Voters Weigh In On Pot, The ACA And More

Health care was a big campaign issue across the Midwest, and Tuesday’s election results were mixed. Among the winners: medical marijuana.

Reporter’s Notebook: The Road To A Story

I’m used to long roads. I grew up at the dead end of a dirt one in rural Montana. For my latest radio story, I

High Schoolers To Help At Polling Places In Sangamon County

At the county health building in east Springfield, election judge trainees sit through a presentation and comb through packets of information. On…

Non-Profit Sues IDOC Over Censorship Of LGBTQ Publications

Knowing there were other transgender inmates in prisons in Illinois and across the country made Leila Lee feel as though she wasn’t alone. She said it…

Ag Co-ops Are More Than Seeds And Sales, They’re Boosting Rural Economies

Farmers started forming co-ops nearly a century ago, primarily to get better prices for their crops. They pooled their resources, put up storage bins…

Illinois Sex Ed Law Requires ‘Honor And Respect For Monogamous Heterosexual Marriage’

Lily Furgeson had a great experience in sex ed in middle school. Furgeson, who is a 17-year-old senior at a Chicago Public Schools high school, said her eighth grade sex ed teacher made sure to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities as part of their curriculum.

Illinois Early Childhood Educators Share Election Hopes

Preschool is a key part of building a solid foundation for lifelong learning, some experts even say it’s the most important part of a child’s education. And yet, it’s not considered by the state of Illinois to be as important as K-12 education, based on the way funding is allocated.