Judge orders federal logging project halted in Shawnee National Forest
Ruling finds Biden administration’s approval violated Endangered Species Act.
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Data center energy consumption raises concerns about long-term costs and reliability
Illinois is home to more than 240 data centers.
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Excess nutrients can lie dormant in soil for years before polluting rivers, study finds
U.S. Geological Survey researchers developed models to better understand the timing and sources contributing to nutrient pollution in streams and rivers. They say their findings can help guide efforts to improve water quality.
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Champaign County group rallying against data centers hosts second information session
Resist AI Data Centers in Champaign County launched last month to push against data center development in the county.
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In data center hubs Aurora and DeKalb, two different approaches to setting restrictions
The 10 data centers in the City of Aurora are under some of the strictest regulations in the state for the facilities.
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This handstand-performing skunk is disappearing from the Great Plains. It may be endangered soon
The plains spotted skunk is becoming harder to find in the central U.S. states it calls home. As federal officials consider the skunk for federal protections, researchers and environmentalists are hoping to learn more about the long understudied species.
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At Spunky Bottoms, an Illinois River wetland’s resilience is on display
The Nature Conservancy acquired the roughly 1,300-acre Merwin Preserve at Spunky Bottoms in the late 1990’s and allowed the site to return to being a floodplain wetland.
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USDA cuts remove local conservation experts from nearly half of Illinois counties
The Trump administration cut 22% of the Natural Resources Conservation Service staff in 2025, impacting nearly half of Illinois counties.
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‘Surreal’: Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Place attracts tourists worldwide
The Middle Fork River Forest Preserve in Champaign County is Illinois’ only International Dark Sky Place as judged by Dark Sky International. The legislature in recent years has taken steps to limit light pollution.
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Pesticide pollution in Midwest and Great Plains rivers is getting worse, decade-long study reveals
Pesticide pollution is a problem especially in the middle of the country. And sometimes there’s enough of it to possibly hurt aquatic plants and animals.
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Dangerous air continues in central Illinois on Monday, strong to severe storms tonight
An air quality alert is in effect for central, southeast, and northern Illinois.
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Tornadoes are breaking records in new Midwest states this year as Tornado Alley moves east
The majority of tornadoes this year have blasted through states in the Midwest and Southeast, including Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Iowa. Tornado activity has been increasing east of the Great Plains in recent decades.
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In the fight to save prairies, some Great Plains ranchers embrace a new landscape – with goats
These ranchers tried to protect grassland from trees and shrubs in all the traditional ways. It didn’t work. So they brought in hungry goats that turned woody plants into a cash stream.
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A potent weedkiller can drift for miles, killing crops and trees. EPA’s new rules may not stop it
New federal rules for dicamba aim to help cotton and soybean farmers control weeds. But the herbicide, which can kill other crops and trees, remains controversial.
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Meteorologist Ed Kieser returns to Illinois Public Media to team up with Andrew Pritchard on weather and severe storm coverage
Illinois Public Media Meteorologists Ed Kieser and Andrew Pritchard are working to provide forecasts and breaking weather.
