Monday, August 23, 2021 Today’s headlines: The percentage of available intensive care beds has dropped below 20% in Illinois, as the number of COVID hospitalizations continues to rise. A pediatric hospitalist at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria says a recent spike in childhood respiratory illnesses has her worried. A shooting in Champaign’s Campustown…
Friday, August 20, 2021 Today’s headlines: With a difficult governor’s race next year, Illinois GOP leaders face an uphill battle to unite the party behind one message. Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis says he believes Americans would support maintaining a footprint of a few thousand soldiers in Afghanistan indefinitely to help keep the peace. As Gibson…
Thursday, August 19, 2021 Today’s headlines: Leaders in charge of the Democratic Party of Illinois are preaching party unity even as former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s absence has left fractures. The University of Illinois has hired its first Associate Vice Chancellor for Native Affairs on the Urbana-Champaign campus. University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen…
Wednesday, August 18, 2021 Today’s headlines: At the Illinois State Fairgrounds Wednesday, Democrats will promote party unity at their annual rally day. But just outside, environmental activists will spotlight an issue that’s divided Democrats all summer. U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) says the country’s focus in Afghanistan right now should be on evacuations, including America’s…
Tuesday, August 17, 2021 Today’s headlines: Gov. JB Pritzker is brushing off findings by Republicans and independent consultants that the new legislative maps passed by Democrats this spring are unconstitutional. University of Illinois President Tim Killeen says reaction to COVID requirements at the university has been mostly in favor. As summers get increasingly hot due…
Monday, August 16, 2021 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker recently signed a series of measures that advocates say could take a sizable share of Illinoisans off the streets and into their own homes. Leaders in Illinois’ tourism and hospitality sector are asking state lawmakers to allocate more money from the most recent federal stimulus package to…
Friday, August 13, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is calling on each state legislator to get vaccinated against COVID-19. That comes after a recent WBEZ survey of lawmakers. A nearly stationary line of heavy thunderstorms brought flooding to parts of Champaign, Ford and McLean Counties Thursday. Like other industries, the clean energy sector…
Thursday, August 12, 2021 Today’s headlines: The vast majority of Illinois state legislators say they are vaccinated against COVID-19, but several Republicans would not respond to WBEZ’s survey of all 177 lawmakers asking for their vaccination status. The Illinois State Board of Education Wednesday dealt major consequences to a private Christian school in Elmhurst that’s not…
Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Today’s headlines: A Northwestern University expert is working with Illinois teachers to make them clear on core aspects of media literacy. That’s ahead of a new law that takes effect next year. Students and teachers in Illinois are heading back to the classroom beginning this week. A top teachers union has…
Tuesday, August 10, 2021 Today’s headlines: The amount of money Illinois owes for paying state retirees their pensions has ballooned to $144 billion, according to new, official calculations from state pension analysts. Across Illinois this week, schools are kicking off practices for fall sports. The IHSA is recommending member school follow IDPH guidance for masking…
Monday, August 9, 2021 Today’s headlines: After canceling the Illinois State Fair last year due to the pandemic, organizers are set to open the 10-day event next week. But the specter of COVID-19 will be present throughout the fairgrounds in Springfield. Carle Health is now requiring unvaccinated employees to wear an N-95 mask, along with…
Friday, August 6, 2021 Today’s headlines: Educators are reacting to the state’s mask mandate for schools. New bills signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker today will help provide feminine hygiene products to poor women as well as order public colleges and universities to offer the items in campus restrooms in Illinois. Illini football and…
Thursday, August 5, 2021 Today’s headlines: Masks will be required in all Illinois schools and childcare facilities effective immediately. Gov. JB Pritzker made that announcement Wednesday. Illinois Republicans running for governor were quick to condemn the governor’s masking order. School districts that were planning to allow some people to go without masks inside their buildings…
Wednesday, August 4, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly says he’s hopeful a new law will help slow illegal gun transfers, as universal background checks will be required for all private gun sales. Local health officials are encouraging people who’d previously decided against getting the coronavirus vaccine to reconsider. Bald eagle populations…
Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker has signed a new law aimed at actually removing guns from Illinoisans with revoked gun licenses. The new school year approaches, just as the COVID-19 Delta variant is surging. That has led schools to rethink mask-optional policies in place from earlier this summer. The University of…