A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan — halting any debt from being erased. But the administration is encouraging people to continue submitting their applications. The Friday evening ruling comes less than a week since the application portal went live. Already, nearly 22 million people — more than half…
Who is allowed to care for patients? And when, where and how can they do it? Those questions have been the focus of more than 450 bills and 200 executive orders introduced in state capitols since COVID-19 hit. “This is the wild west,” said Bianca Frogner, director of the University of Washington Center for Health…
Friday, October 22, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers in Washington are renewing calls on Congress to pass protections for Afghan refugees before the end of this year. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is helping nearby counties strengthen their relationships with refugee, immigrant and migrant service providers. The University of Illinois student government is working with…
Both congressional candidates in Illinois’ 13th district — Republican Regan Deering and Democrat Nikki Budzinski — say they support lowering prescription prices and capping the cost of insulin. But they disagree on a new federal law meant to achieve those goals. Deering opposes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Biden signed in August. Budzinski…
The Normal Town Council narrowly voted Monday night to add a pair of Rivian electric vehicles to the town’s fleet — but not before spending an hour debating the matter. “As the only location of where these cars are built, to have an example of their truck and the SUV is something that I think…
URBANA — The 14th annual C-U Folk and Roots Festival gets underway Thursday night at several different venues in Urbana. One of this year’s festival headliners is the multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, who has appeared at this event on several occasions, including 2021. Listen to this story here. Flemons, who calls himself “the American Songster,” is a…
Thursday, October 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: With only three weeks before the November election, Illinois Democrats in several statewide races are out-raising their Republican opponents. Student test scores in Illinois on state reading and math exams plummeted last year during the pandemic and are rebounding slowly. Both congressional candidates in Illinois’ 13th district say they…
It was the second and final debate between the two gubernatorial hopefuls Tuesday night, and both came prepared for combat, ready to dish it out — and not take any of the other’s jabs lying down. CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker blasted his Republican challenger as an “extremist” and a “threat to democracy” who “shouldn’t…
CHICAGO — As states around the country adopt stricter restrictions on abortion with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, more than half of Illinois voters say abortion should remain legal here, according to a new WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times Poll. About 52% of likely voters polled said abortion should be legal in most or all cases, with…
CHAMPAIGN — Two open houses at Champaign Unit 4 schools this week yielded the same response – parents don’t want their children to change elementary schools next fall. Parents and grandparents assembled in the Garden Hills Academy gym on Tuesday to discuss the proposal to reassign students to help desegregate the district. Like the first…
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: The two major candidates for Illinois governor met for their last public debate before the November 8th election. A native of Central Illinois will launch a live call-in talk show on nearly 500 public radio stations Wednesday night. Two open houses at Champaign Unit 4 schools this week yielded…
GRANITE CITY — On a Friday morning in June, Dr. Erin King was working with patients at the Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized the right to an abortion nationwide. She and her staff immediately knew they had to tell…
URBANA – A Central Illinois native will launch a live call-in talk show nationwide on Wednesday night. Jeremy Hobson is a former host of Marketplace Morning Report and WBUR/NPR’s Here and Now. His new show “The Middle” is a limited talk show series. It will air weekly on WILL-AM 580 and FM 90.9 at 8:00…
SPRINGFIELD – Much of the talk from supporters of the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform has in recent days centered on how it will or won’t be amended before Jan. 1, when cash bail will be abolished in Illinois as part of a provision known as the Pretrial Fairness Act. Everyone from Gov. JB Pritzker to…
URBANA — Congresswoman Robin Kelly is up for re-election in Illinois’ 2nd congressional district. She’s running against Republican challenger Thomas Lynch. Illinois Newsroom’s Harrison Malkin spoke with Kelly about ways to curb gun violence, the Green New Deal, and a range of other policy issues. Malkin: First, I wanted to ask you a little bit…