December 21, 2023 Today’s headlines: Many hourly workers across Illinois will see a bump in their paychecks in January. The death of a boy living in a Chicago migrant shelter is drawing renewed scrutiny to shelter conditions. The Transportation Security Administration says you might think twice before wrapping gifts ahead of time if you’re taking a flight this…
December 20, 2023 Today’s headlines: State officials are urging healthcare facilities to step up their efforts to curb the spread of respiratory viruses. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says new rules for buses transporting migrants were aimed at increasing collaboration between city and Texas officials. Planned Parenthood of Illinois is opening a new health center in…
December 15, 2023 Today’s headlines: The U.S. Supreme Court is again refusing to strike down Illinois’ ban on semi-automatic guns and high-capacity magazines. The shell of a 30-foot-tall Minuteman missile stands along U.S. Route 45 in the Champaign County town of Rantoul, marking what was once the western entrance to the Chanute Air Force Base. Four people…
December 14, 2023 Today’s headlines: Governor J.B. Pritzker has declared this week dog and cat adoption week in Illinois. Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office says there are no plans to pay a private security firm for construction at a now-scrapped base camp to shelter migrants. The Cook County Department of Public Health says now is the…
December 13, 2023 Today’s headlines: The Illinois state attorney general’s office entered into an agreement to stop enforcement of the law that cracked down on so-called crisis pregnancy centers. Illinois lawmakers are still hashing out permanent rules that will govern the state’s assault weapons ban, which goes into effect on Jan. 1. The pressure of finding…
Several non-profit organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area will receive a $250,000 grant to expand their services to asylum seekers. The federal funding, distributed by the Illinois Department of Human Services, will be given to the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA, the Refugee Center and Cunningham Township. According to a press release from…
December 8, 2023 Today’s headlines: The mother of one of the hostages still being held by Hamas says time is running out to get her 23 year old son and more than 130 other captives released. Dozens of people enjoyed jelly donuts, music and the celebration of the Jewish faith on the University of Illinois…
December 7, 2023 Today’s headlines: It appears highly likely Illinois will miss its 2025 goals for decreasing nutrient pollution into state waterways. Planners of next year’s Democratic National Convention are casting a wide net as they look for diverse vendors and contractors. One Illinois researcher is helping preserve the akikiki bird species as it nears extinction….
December 6, 2023 Today’s headlines: Every child under the age of five in Illinois will soon be able to receive a free book every month in the mail thanks to a between the state and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Governor J.B. Pritzker says Illinois has lots more Electric Vehicle business opportunities. Several people walked…
December 1, 2023 Today’s headlines: Opponents of Illinois’ ban on high-powered firearms want the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a temporary order blocking the law — but legal experts say the emergency appeal may be a long shot. The Illinois Air National Guard will name its first Black general in the organization’s history this weekend….
November 30, 2023 Today’s headlines: Meta’s newest data center officially came online yesterday. Construction of the 24-mile Kickapoo Rail Trail in east central Illinois began seven years ago. Now, the project could be finished in the next two years, thanks to a state grant. A one-woman show exploring four generations of the Japanese American experience in…
November 29, 2023 Today’s headlines: Gun owners in Illinois have just a month left to register their semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines that are restricted under a new state law. But relatively few gun owners have complied thus far. The state is adding 48 small businesses to the “Illinois Made” program. State public health officials…
Millions of people in the U.S. rely on monthly benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to pay for groceries. Recently, the government increased these benefits by 12.5% for the next year to match inflation. But even with the increase, SNAP benefits are not enough to cover what many families need this time of…
November 17, 2023 Today’s headlines: Governor J.B. Pritzker is stepping in with new funding to help Chicago deal with its immigration crisis. Even though it’s been unseasonably warm this week, Illinois Transportation officials say winter weather is coming and they want you to be ready. The Urbana Police hired a consulting firm this year to…
November 16, 2023 Today’s headlines: Rising seas, hotter summers, and more rain are all on the way—and in some cases are already here. The Biden Administration’s National Climate Assessment is out and the findings for the Midwest aren’t all dire. A new project called PrEP for Teens is looking to increase the number of teenagers…