Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Today’s headlines: Abortion will still be legal in the state of Illinois if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the federal protections enshrined by the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Many of the Republican candidates for Illinois governor are supporting the possible rollback of Roe v. Wade — with one notable exception. …
MARSEILLES, Ill. — There was music, but it wasn’t a celebration. It was a commemoration of those lost in the fight for fair pay and safe conditions. That fight turned bloody 90 years ago in Marseilles. During the throes of the Depression, local laborers protested a company bringing in out-of-state, underpaid workers to build a…
CHAMPAIGN – A fourth grader takes the microphone at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign, to cheers from his classmates. Professional hip hop artists – who go by the stage names Klevah and TRUTH – have set clear rules for the freestyling circle, or cypher, over the course of a week with the students….
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza wants to pay down the state’s pension liabilities more aggressively while building savings at the same time. Educators around the state say students are over-tested, and they feel the state’s proposal to revamp its spring testing program is not a solution. Chicago hip hop group…
Monday, May 2, 2022 Today’s headlines: There’s a debate over debates within the six-way Republican field for Illinois governor. Champaign police say they’re increasing efforts to spread the word about new hiring incentives designed to attract more experienced officers to the force. Elementary schoolers at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy spend one half-day per week…
CHAMPAIGN — A second grader asks the University of Illinois graduate student to test out the egg parachute he’s holding. It’s “Fab Friday” at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy in Champaign, where students spend half the day with visitors from various math and science careers. “I’ve got a lot of kids that don’t think they…
This story was produced in partnership with the Food & Environment Reporting Network Climate change is not a big concern for Lin Warfel. Sure, he’s noticed the increasing rainfall over the 60 odd years he’s been farming corn and soybeans in central Illinois — especially when ponds form in his soybean fields. But he’s pretty…
URBANA — It is a busy week of learning and performing for students in the jazz studies department on the University of Illinois Urbana campus. Listen to Brian Moline’s conversation with Dr. Barrington Coleman here. Jazz bassist Christian McBride and his bandmates have been teaching masterclasses on campus this week, leading up to a performance…
Friday, April 29, 2022 Today’s headlines: A new “report card” from the American Society of Civil Engineers has rated Illinois’ infrastructure a C-minus, and calls it “mediocre and in need of attention.” A University of Illinois research team has discovered a new, faster chemical reaction that can help produce medicine. A union representing graduate assistants…
SPRINGFIELD – Rivian’s all-electric R1T truck is 2022’s “Coolest Thing Made in Illinois.” That was the result of the third annual Makers Madness bracket-style tournament hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association which allows Illinoisans to vote for the “coolest” product made in the state. This year’s winner was announced at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The…
LaChelle Hope’s parents did not know they both carried a genetic mutation that, if inherited, could cause their baby to be born with a serious condition called sickle cell disease. It was only after they had their first-born child — Hope’s older sister — that they found they both carry the trait. Her sister was…
Thursday, April 28, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a handful of measures yesterday he says addresses the state’s teacher shortage. The Farm Bill which funds food and ag programs every five years is set to expire next year. This week is International Dark Sky Week. Local organizers of the event say…
Registration closes Saturday for those wishing to select a school for their Champaign Unit 4 kindergartener. Families rank all 12 of the district’s elementary schools in the registration process. Then a computer algorithm places students based on the ranking and a few other factors, like where siblings attend. Orlando Thomas is the executive director of…
When the push for the University of Illinois to divest from fossil fuels began thirteen years ago, many students said they were hopeful that administrators would listen to their concerns. But students who gathered at the Alma Mater statue on Friday for an Earth Day climate strike on April 22 said they’re still fighting for…
WEST DES MOINES, Ia. — A lot has changed in Jonathan Miller’s life in the past decade, but one thing that’s remained consistent is his house. The brick two-bedroom ranch-style house in West Des Moines, Iowa, is filled with Jonathan’s art, photos, puzzles and a substantial collection of University of Iowa gear, like a handmade…