Soybean Farmers Win Big In $12 Billion Federal Aid Package
The details of the federal government’s $12 billion aid package for farmers affected by trade disputes are out — and soybean farmers are the major…
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Lawsuit Alleges Former JBS Employee Harassed By Coworkers Due To Religion, Race
Major meatpacking company JBS USA faces another religious discrimination lawsuit. The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, alleges…
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For Shrinking Illinois Towns, A ‘Smarter’ Approach
Farm towns in Illinois have been shrinking for decades, and the trend doesn’t show signs of reversing. By 2025, rural counties with populations of less than 10,000 people will see 7.4 percent of their residents leave, while counties with populations between 10,000 and 25,000 will lose 5.4 percent. That’s according to projections from the Illinois Department…
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Confronting Our Racist Past: The 1908 Springfield Race Riots
It’s been 110 years since the 1908 Race Riot erupted in Springfield. The violence and its aftermath inspired the founding of the NAACP, the prominent civil rights organization. A number of groups in the city recognized and remembered the violence and lives lost in a series of public events earlier this month. There are also…
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Researcher: Higher Wages, Student Loan Forgiveness Solves Shortages
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law a slew of legislation this month intended to alleviate Illinois’s teacher shortage. But some teachers and union leaders doubt the measures are enough. Illinois Newsroom’s Lee Gaines spoke with Linda Darling-Hammond to find out what legislative fixes actually work. Darling-Hammond is the president and CEO of the Learning Policy…
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Illinois Families, Kids With Disabilities Suffer Without Childcare
Michelle McAnarney said she realized her daughter Darby was different than other children soon after she was born. “She was always a little delayed…
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Women’s Suffrage Memorabilia Grows In Popularity – And Price
Just before noon on a recent Saturday, a group of political memorabilia collectors jostled for a spot around an exhibit table, checking their final bids…
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Why Is ICE Arresting Undocumented Immigrants In A Sanctuary City
The answer lies within the Russian nesting doll structure of our government and law enforcement jurisdictions. The City of Urbana sits within Champaign County which sits within the State of Illinois which sits within the United States of America. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal agency that enforces federal immigration laws, and its…
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As Shootings Rise, Local Leaders Grapple With Gun Violence
In a community with as many resources as Champaign-Urbana, why does gun violence persist? That’s the question Donte’ Lotts, a community liaison for CU Fresh Start — an initiative created in 2015 to mitigate gun violence — asked a group of about 50 Champaign-Urbana residents, social service providers, university employees and other community leaders on…
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What Will It Take To Fix Illinois’s Teacher Shortage?
There were more than 2,000 teaching, administrative, support staff and other positions across the state that went unfilled during the 2016-17 school year, according to a report from the Illinois State Board of Education.
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Community Works Towards Solutions For Traumatized Students
How many people would come to discuss the topic of students and trauma? No guests had been confirmed, but social media activity suggested high turnout for Illinois Newsroom’s first event News & Brews: How Schools Can Better Help Kids Cope. Now it was a question of capacity. The tap room in Riggs Beer Company in…
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Shortage Of Rural Veterinarians Puts Farmers, Food Supply At Risk
Thirty-eight calves, between two and four months old, moo and kick at the dirt floor in a steel barn in Brush, Colorado. One by one, a handler leads…
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If It Ain’t Got That Zing: A Weekend At The International Horseradish Festival
Two counties in southwestern Illinois grow the majority of the nation’s — possibly the world’s — horseradish. The city of Collinsville, population 25…
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U Of I Students Design Virtual Reality For Incarcerated People
Simple, everyday tasks – like ordering coffee, crossing the street, or getting gas – can be an obstacle, or an intimidating challenge for people recently released from prison. This is especially true for people who have spent many years behind bars.
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U.S. County Jails Step Up Mental Health Screening To Keep Inmates From Coming Back
DeVonte Jones began to show signs of schizophrenia as a teenager. His first public episode was nine years ago at a ball game at Wavering Park in Quincy,…
