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 decline, but that narrative is incomplete. Lack of affordable housing affects communities of all types and sizes. Social service and health providers across the state pointed to housing insecurity as…
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 an electronic monitoring device strapped to his ankle. He missed many necessary doctor appointments before he died, Davis said. She said that’s because he couldn’t get permission from his parole…
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…
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…
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…
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,…