Pritzker announces new IDPH pick, further scales back COVID-19 orders
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois will soon have a new Department of Public Health director and its first electric vehicles coordinator after Gov. JB Pritzker announced those appointments in recent days. Dr. Sameer Vohra, a Springfield pediatrician, will still need approval from the state Senate to become the permanent replacement for former Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who […]
First probable case of monkeypox reported in Champaign County
On Tuesday, the first probable case of monkeypox was reported in Champaign County, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD). The World Health Organization describes monkeypox as a potentially serious viral illness, fatal in 3 to 6 percent of cases. CUPHD administrator Julie Pryde said that monkeypox is spread in numerous ways, though her department […]
PFAS can still be incinerated in Illinois
SAUGET — llinois Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed a new law limiting the ways so-called “forever” chemicals can be disposed of in the state. But the sheer volume of these chemicals continues to present significant challenges. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s528/audio/2022/07/0712pfasf.mp3 Listen to this story here. PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are shorthand for a family of over […]
U of I Black facilities workers push for protection from racial discrimination
URBANA — Black facilities workers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are trying to end racial harassment on the job – through a class action lawsuit. Friedman & Houlding lawyer Shilpa Narayan is representing the Black facilities workers in the case. She says that after three years of reviewing internal university documents, she’s found a […]
217 Today: A new law limits disposal of long-lasting chemicals in Illinois, but there are still challenges
Wednesday, July 13, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has appointed a new director of the state’s public health department. Dr. Colleen McNicholas testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday on what her clinic has experienced since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Black facilities workers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have taken a major […]
