‘If You Build It, They Will Come’: Saving Pollinator Habitat With Solar Power’s Help
From bees to butterflies , a worldwide decline in pollinators has entomologists trying to figure out how to help those bugs and the plants that rely on…
For Low Wage Workers Housing Is Out Of Reach
An estimated 10,643 people in Illinois are homeless according to federal data. Many of those are working – but still can’t make ends meet. For the…
Illinois lawmakers may regulate midwives in home births
A small but growing number of U.S. women are choosing to have their babies at home. In more than 30 states, including most of the Midwest, it’s legal for certified professional midwives–trained specifically in home birth–to assist them. Illinois is not among them; but the state Senate wants to study the issue. Carrie Vickery, vice president of the Illinois Friends…
How One Illinois Nonprofit Supports New Mothers, Promotes Safe Sleep
Across much of the Midwest, maternal and infant death rates are high—especially among African-Americans. So doctors, public health agencies and non…
Fentanyl Can Lead To Overdoses In Hospitals, Too
Experts often blame the painkiller fentanyl for skyrocketing overdose deaths among illegal drug users. Now a series of deaths at an Ohio hospital is…
Illinois Bill Aims To Help Children Get Mental Health Services
An Illinois Senate bill aims to help children who are at risk of entering state custody because of issues caused by untreated mental illness. The…
As Type 1 Diabetics Struggle To Afford Insulin, Eli Lilly Announces A Cheaper Alternative
Insulin is not a new drug, but even though it’s been around for nearly a century, its price continues to climb. People with Type 1 Diabetes have to take…
Illinois Gets A Break: New Tax Credit Could Boost Local Housing, Economies, But There’s a Catch
The Quad Cities are divided by the Mississippi River along the Illinois-Iowa border. They all took a big hit during the 1980’s farm crisis, and were…
How Measles Outbreak Threatens A Young Cancer Patient
Measles is a potentially deadly illness that is spreading in many parts of the world. Thanks to vaccines, the disease was eliminated from the U.S….
How Racism, Trauma And Mental Health Are Linked
Research shows African-Americans are less likely to access treatment for mental illness. Cultural norms and the stigma associated with having a mental…
Why Are There So Few Black Men In Medicine?
Dr. Don Arnold’s home office overflows with medical textbooks, old anatomical prints and six pages of a recommendation letter from his first application…
How Two Professors Are Helping Students Cope With Violence
Dr. Wanda Thruston and Dr. Barb Pierce are examining what they call a “wicked problem” – helping children deal with trauma and violence. We sat down…
Prisoners With Mental Illness Still Waiting For Treatment
Ashoor Rasho has spent more than half of his life alone in a prison cell—22 to 24 hours a day. The cell was so narrow he could reach his arms out and…
New Law Helps Police Find Missing People With Disabilities
An Illinois law will make it easier for police to help find missing persons with intellectual disabilities. The law, which went into effect the first of…
#MeToo? Some Hospitals Allow Pelvic Exams Without Explicit Consent
A law professor in Illinois wants to put a stop to a medical practice that she says treats women’s bodies like cadavers. Across most of the U.S.,…