Monday, August 1, 2022 Today’s headlines: An unusually tense process to select the next Democratic Party of Illinois chair ended Friday when its current chair withdrew her name from consideration. The Democratic Party of Illinois has a new leader after an internal power battle settled this weekend. Illinois’ share of a national opioid settlement with…
URBANA – Meteorologists are warning that dangerous heat will return to Central Illinois this week. The National Weather Service in Central Illinois says daily afternoon highs will be in the 90s by midweek. Combined with high humidity, the heat index, or what it will feel like outside, will range from 100 to 110 degrees. Forecasters…
The vote for state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez as the Democratic Party of Illinois’ first Latino chairwoman was unanimous and uneventful Saturday morning – the drama had occurred in the days prior in a power struggle of some of the state’s most prominent Democrats. Hernandez was backed Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris”…
CHAMPAIGN — A few years ago, Rabbi Alan Cook of Sinai Temple heard about a group that transforms donated guns into gardening tools. He thought it was a powerful idea, and said it was akin to the Jewish principle, tikkun olam. “We emphasize the idea of tikkun olam, literally repairing the world and making it…
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Summer Piano Institute has returned to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The institute concludes with two concerts featuring piano concertos performed with Sinfonia da Camera. Institute faculty Timothy Ehlen and Hie-Yon Choi will perform piano concertos by Florence Price and Brahms, in addition to the…
Friday, July 29, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois state lawmakers met on Thursday to discuss closing a loophole that allows people with revoked gun permits to still buy ammunition. The developers of a multistate carbon capture pipeline this week submitted an application to build the Illinois portion. A weekend-long effort to combat local gun violence starts…
URBANA – US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Thursday morning that he will work remotely after testing positive for COVID-19. In a statement, the 77-year-old said he is vaccinated against the illness. “Thankfully, I am fully vaccinated and double boosted and only experiencing minor symptoms,” said Durbin. “Consistent with CDC guidelines, I will quarantine and…
URBANA — The annual county fair marks the beginning of summer’s end in Champaign County. The Champaign County Fair opened its gates on Friday evening to begin its 169th year after being canceled two years ago due to COVID-19. For some fair attendees, it was nice to return to the normalcy of pre-pandemic county fairs. …
Thursday, July 28, 2022 Today’s headlines: Google is expanding In Chicago – it’s taking over the Thompson Center. The state’s largest solar project could be up and running in Fulton County by 2025. Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller met in April with the head of a group called Iranian Americans for Liberty. The second probable case of…
WASHINGTON — In April, Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller met with Bryan Leib, Executive Director of Iranian Americans for Liberty, for a “meet and greet.” There was little reporting about the meeting — despite its potential implications on the world stage. While the interview lasted 27 minutes, Miller discussed her views on Iran for only a…
Kim Floren has spent the last several weeks trying to comfort people panicking about the end of Roe v. Wade. “Everybody has been on the spectrum from just being in tears to total panic about what they’re going to do,” said Floren, who runs South Dakota’s Justice Through Empowerment Network, one of more than 100…
SPRINGFIELD – After years of failed efforts that spanned multiple administrations, the state has finalized the sale of the controversial James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to a company that will make it the new Chicago home of tech giant Google. Gov. JB Pritzker made the announcement during a news conference at the building, along…
Native American tribes and communities are creating formal programs that focus on their traditional foods to not only combat systemic food insecurity, but also connect people to their culture. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s60/audio/2022/07/foodsovereigntyweb.mp3 Listen to this story here. KANSAS CITY — While on a foraging trip through a wooded area of Kansas City, Jojo Blackwood discovered a plant…
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 Today’s headlines: Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey is still refusing to answer questions related to last year’s Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. At least one person is dead following the historic rainfall across the St. Louis region on the night of July 25. The University of Illinois has…
HAZELWOOD, Mo. — Camila Cage woke to the sound of her phone rumbling on her nightstand early Tuesday, its glow piercing the darkness as a severe weather advisory pops up on the screen. “I just thought it was normal,” the 31-year-old said. “You know, a normal severe thunderstorm warning. I didn’t think it’s going to…