Local band Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets has been entertaining crowds for over four decades with their repertoire of 1950s and 1960s pop rock standards and zany on-stage props. This 40-plus year reality was thrown into question after both longtime drummer Jeff Evans and founding member Mark Rubel passed away within months of each…
Prior to high school and as a freshman, Robert Gao was really into math. He dabbled in math competitions, like the AMC and Math Counts. It made sense because Gao comes from a family of doctors: His father is an internal medicine physician, and his sister and brother-in-law are both medical residents. When the COVID-19…
A display outside of the Illini Union on the University of Illinois Urbana campus Monday featured artwork calling for awareness of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas one year ago. The exhibit was first shown during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year. The Israeli American Council, a non-profit organization, organized it. Since then,…
This election, Champaign County residents are voting on whether to eliminate the elected position of county auditor. If the referendum passes, the results of the auditor election will effectively be overridden, and the county will begin the process of hiring for the position, according to local officials. “Regardless of who wins the election, [if the…
With back-to-back hurricanes canceling hundreds of blood drives in Southeastern parts of the United States in recent weeks, the American Red Cross is calling for help from other parts of the country, including Central Illinois. The Red Cross will host numerous blood drives in Champaign County over the next month., Dozens of students attended a…
What does a true democracy look like? And what does it take to achieve that? The speakers at this week’s Friday Forum at the University Y in Urbana hope to provide some guidance on those questions. Harry Boyte and Marie Ström, cofounders of the Institute for Public Life and Work based in Minneapolis, will give…
With the election less than a month away, deepfakes are a growing concern. AI-generated images, videos and audio recordings are being used to spread misinformation, at a time when voters are relying on digital media to learn about candidates and their campaigns. University of Illinois digital humanities librarian and assistant professor Mary Ton said she…
The Champaign Park District hosted its 8th annual Halloween costume giveaway on Saturday, offering people of all ages the chance to find something fun for the fall season. Throughout the past month, community members donated their old costumes to the drive, resulting in over one hundred options to choose from this year. Lynne Franco, program…
A few years ago, traci kato-kiriyama found herself in an exchange with an online seller, trying to recover a trunk that belonged to their family. The trunk was property of kato-kiriyama’s grandfather, a Japanese incarceree of World War II American concentration camps. After a year-and-a-half of back-and-forth, she and the seller came to an agreement…
Nearly 50 students gathered at the Illini Union Tuesday night to watch the Vice Presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. NPR reports the candidates discussed issues including the economy, immigration and health care, keeping a tone that was largely collegial. The event was hosted by the Office of Civic Life at…
The Main Quad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign usually stays sleepy on weekend mornings without the hustle and bustle of students walking to class. Many students are tucked away in their dorms or apartments after participating in late night activities. This year, however, Sunday mornings on the Main Quad look different. At 10…
With the 2024 election approaching, Braver Angels, a non-profit organization, is working to bridge the partisan divide and bring Americans together by teaching them how to listen. Political polarization has always been part of American politics, but not enough effort has been made to ease that tension, says Chuck Stone, a blue-leaning state coordinator for…
The non-profit journalism organization Invisible Institute has launched a new tool that allows people to look up police employment history. The National Police Index, created in partnership with Innocence Project New Orleans and Human Rights Data Analysis Group, compiles data obtained from state police training and certification boards. The tool currently shows data in 17 states, including…
The eleventh annual Immigrant Welcome Awards will be held at the Urbana Free Library this Sunday. Six awards will be presented to honor people and businesses that are working to make Champaign County a welcoming space for immigrants. Ricardo Diaz serves on the board of the CU Immigration Forum, which is the main sponsor of…
URBANA – With students resuming school, coughs and sneezes have become more prevalent across campus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. And the number of flu cases has been surging ever since, according to Awais Vaid, executive director of McKinley Health Center. In response to the surge, McKinley will be providing free, walk-in flu shots…