If Roe falls, many in the Midwest will have to travel to access abortion
Kentucky lawmakers have been hard at work to erode access to abortion in the state — long before the leak of a draft opinion on May 2 indicating the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade and remove federal protections for abortion as early as June. In April, the Republican-led legislature overrode […]
Biden visits Illinois; Sees bigger role for US farms due to Ukraine war
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden wants to put a spotlight on the spike in food prices from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Democrat plans to travel on Wednesday to an Illinois farm to emphasize how U.S. agricultural exports can relieve the financial pressures being felt worldwide. The war in Ukraine has disrupted supply of that […]
Irvin, Aurora’s 1st Black mayor, makes GOP bid for governor
SPRINGFIELD — Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin has joined the gubernatorial fray. He entered the race on Monday as a Republican challenger to incumbent Democrat J.B. Pritzker. Irvin was elected the first Black mayor of Illinois’ second-largest city in 2017. He is the fifth candidate seeking the GOP spot on the November ballot and has been […]
A new Illinois law will ban rules on students’ hairstyles – but many Black people say it’s coming far too late
URBANA – When Victor Figueroa got home from his private school in Chicago and started to wash his hair, he said he kept finding small pieces of paper in it. Puzzled, Figueroa said he didn’t know where they were coming from. One day while sitting in class, he turned around. He saw students holding small […]
Chemical created during water disinfection could affect reproduction, according to University of Illinois researcher
URBANA — In order to make water safe to drink, it has to go through a process called chemical disinfection. This process, however necessary, creates byproducts. University of Illinois researcher Lois Raetzman says it is possible that one chemical byproduct could have serious health effects. “So we’re absolutely not saying you should not disinfect water. […]
I-74 bridge over Mississippi replaces one dating to 1935
SPRINGFIELD — Officials from Illinois, Iowa, and the federal government are celebrating the completion of a new bridge carrying Interstate 74 over the Mississippi River. State and local politicians and Federal Highway Administration staff members gathered on the structure recently to publicize its opening to traffic sometime this month. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the […]
New accommodations allow many guests to see — and hear — the Gettysburg Address for the first time in Illinois
Ann Crain has volunteered at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield for four years. She greets guests and answers questions about the exhibits– which all focus on the life, and legacy, of President Abraham Lincoln. Every year, the museum brings out its copy of the Gettysburg Address around the anniversary of its […]
Illinois Census racial data at the national, state and county level
A lawsuit challenging Illinois’ new legislative district maps will go to court in December
A three-judge federal court panel on Friday set the week of Dec. 6 as the time it will hear three consolidated cases challenging the new legislative district maps that were drawn by Democrats and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker earlier this year. During a status conference held by teleconference Friday, U.S. District Judge […]
No pumpkin shortage this year, but climate change could squash Halloween harvests to come
MORTON — The great pumpkin shortage of 2021 is turning out to be as real as Linus’ Great Pumpkin. Neither ever showed. Instead, despite some national headlines about a pumpkin shortage this year, Midwestern farmers say there’s nothing to worry about. “God granted us quite a bounty this year,” says John Ackerman, who grows pumpkins […]
How Being A Chaplain Gave One Pastor A Sense Of Urgency In The COVID Fight
CHAMPAIGN — Keith Thomas wears many hats in the Champaign-Urbana community. He’s a full-time pastor at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. And he’s also been on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, working as a hospital chaplain at OSF HealthCare. Thomas says the hardest situations he’s been in — as a local chaplain — have […]
The Delta Variant Is Dominating Illinois’ Latest COVID Surge. Here’s What You Need To Know
SPRINGFIELD – COVID-19 cases are rising once again in Illinois — and most of the U.S. — with the more contagious delta variant now making up the vast majority of new coronavirus cases, according to federal and state data. In Illinois as of mid-August, the delta variant makes up more than 90% of new COVID-19 […]
Urbana Shootings In 2021 Soar Past Last Year’s Numbers, And Leaders Are Looking For Change
URBANA – Halfway through 2021, Urbana had already surpassed the total number of shootings that took place in 2020. Last month, the Urbana Police Department reported 55 shootings had occurred so far this year — more than the 53 that occurred in all of 2020. This follows a trend of heightened gun violence throughout the […]
New Campaign Aims To Help Formerly Incarcerated People Through Laws, Outreach
CHICAGO — When Marlon Chamberlain was asked by his son’s teacher to volunteer as a field trip chaperone, he happily applied. But Chamberlain’s application was denied because of his 25 year-old prison record. “There are hundreds of laws that restrict [formerly incarcerated] people, who are denied opportunities for employment, housing and educational opportunities,” he […]
Animal Activists Encourage Non-Lethal Methods For Controlling Urbana Goose Overpopulation
URBANA- Subdivisions and parks throughout Champaign County have been trying to control the goose population for years– using methods ranging from hazing dogs to culling, or killing, geese. Now, a new goose rights organization named Friends of Geese is recommending non-lethal methods for controlling the population. Susan Parenti, a Friends of Geese activist, says the […]