Una mujer con chaqueta verde y pelo castaño liso habla en un podio.
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El cónsul general de México en Chicago se prepara para la segunda administración de Trump

CHAMPAIGN — En las semanas previas a la toma de posesión de Donald Trump como presidente de Estados Unidos, Reyna Torres Mendivil anima a los mexicano-estadounidenses a hacerse ciudadanos si pueden. Torres dirige el Consulado General de México en Chicago. La oficina proporciona pasaportes, certificados de nacimiento y ayuda legal a los mexicanos en Illinois…

woman sitting in a chair
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Danville school district says superintendent will return to on-site work following alleged racist threats

Members of the Danville District 118 School Board say they’ve reached an agreement with Superintendent Alicia Geddis to have her return to working in person. Geddis has been working remotely amid claims that she faced threats from white supremacists.

One group of Illinoisans can’t vote this November – those serving felony convictions
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One group of Illinoisans can’t vote this November – those serving felony convictions

DANVILLE — People in prison can vote in Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C. It’s a right that one incarcerated Illinois man would like to have.  “The incarcerated community is probably the largest group of people who have the most skin in the game, yet we’re not acknowledged as stakeholders,” Raúl Dorado said. About 29,000 people are…

After Biden’s apology for Indian boarding schools, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Illinois urges support for language revitalization

After Biden’s apology for Indian boarding schools, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Illinois urges support for language revitalization

DEKALB — Joseph Rupnick’s mother was a toddler when federal agents took her away from her parents and sent her to a Catholic boarding school out of state.  After that, she never spoke her first language again.  “She didn’t speak much about it. Most of what we were told was that the nuns weren’t very…

State breaks up classes in Stateville prison closure
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State breaks up classes in Stateville prison closure

GALESBURG — For the first time in two decades, Robert Curry has a window. Curry is one of over 400 men transferred out of Stateville Correctional Center before its closure at the end of September. “I am able to see the world,” he said. “I’m able to see things like the highway from the yard….

A woman holds a microphone. People with SEIU shirts and signs stand in the background.
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UPDATE: University of Illinois food and building service workers vote for new contract, officially ending strike

Updated at 4 PM on Oct. 3, 2024 CHAMPAIGN — Custodial and dining workers at the University of Illinois have voted to accept the administration’s contract proposal instead of going back on strike.  The new contract will last three years. Hourly wages will go up by one dollar the first year, 90 cents the next…

At least 50 people hold "On Strike" signs and listen to a speaker. Many wear purple "SEIU" shirts. They stand on a lawn in front of a domed building.
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U of I students feel the effects of SEIU strike, other campus unions rally with building and service workers

  URBANA – The University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign has closed a dining hall and stopped serving hot food at campus stores while building and food service workers are on strike.  Students say lines are longer and the food options are limited at what remains open. Sophomore Sauntrel Johnson has been missing his favorite part of his meal,…

A Vietnamese dining hall worker holds a "On Strike" sign. Other workers are behind him on the sidewalk at an intersection.
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University of Illinois dining and custodial workers go on strike

Food and building service workers, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 73, at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign went on strike Monday morning. Wages are a major issue. “They give us just a little bit every year,” said building service worker Liem To. “A lot of departments get a lot more money than…