Tuesday December 15, 2020 Today’s headlines: Illinois received its first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday. The University of Illinois still doesn’t have emergency use authorization from the FDA for its COVID-19 saliva test, but anticipates having it by January. Illinois public health officials reported 7,214 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and an additional 103 deaths. Hospitals in Central Illinois are preparing to…
Friday December 11, 2020 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker’s administration is sending Illinois National Guard medical staff to assist with Coronavirus testing and screening at three of the state’s four veterans’ homes. The governor’s office last week announced the 50 counties in Illinois that would be first in line for vaccine distribution for healthcare workers, a demographic…
Wednesday December 9, 2020 Today’s headlines: Republican lawmakers are proposing changes to Illinois’ constitution that would allow for recall elections in Illinois — something currently reserved only for the governor. The state’s Department of Public Health reported more than 7,900 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, which brings the statewide total case count to more than…
Friday December 4, 2020 Today’s headlines: Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger is blaming Democratic Governor JB Pritzker for not controlling a fatal COVID outbreak at an Illinois veterans’ home. Illinois’ blood supply is again experiencing a critical shortage as the Coronavirus pandemic wears on. State health officials announced nearly 11,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday and almost 200 additional…
Wednesday November 25, 2020 Today’s headlines: One in four people hospitalized in Illinois are COVID-19 patients –even as the rate of COVID diagnosis has slowed down in the last two weeks. Champaign Unit 4 Schools distributed nearly 500 Thanksgiving meals to families this week. Hospitals in central Illinois are exploring ways to increase capacity to care for an increasing number…
Friday November 20, 2020 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker yesterday called on longtime Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan to resign if he won’t appear in public and answer questions about a bribery scheme. Illinois state health officials are continuing to urge residents to stay home for the holidays and avoid large indoor gatherings of any kind. They…
Friday November 13, 2020 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker is warning of another possible stay-at-home order for Illinois as Coronavirus stats keep climbing. Today is the last day for in-person classes at the Champaign Unit Four and Urbana school districts until January. Both districts say they’re switching to remote instruction only, starting Monday per recommendations from the Champaign-Urbana Public…
Friday November 6, 2020 Today’s headlines: Some high-powered Democrats are calling on House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Illinois passed another grim COVID-19 milestone yesterday. More than 10,000 Illinoisans have now died after testing positive for the virus. Champaign County reported 60 new COVID-19 cases yesterday. The County…
Friday October 30, 2020 Today’s headlines: A hearing this afternoon in a Champaign County courtroom will give a group of local Republicans their first chance to make their case against County Clerk Aaron Ammons. The region of central and western Illinois, which includes Springfield and Quincy, Thursday joined states facing additional mitigation efforts to fight COVID-19. Public health…
Friday, October 23, 2020 Today’s headlines: A national political watcher is now rating Illinois’ 13th Congressional District as a toss-up. Dave Wasserman, U.S. House Editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, says incumbent Republican Rodney Davis was slightly favored, but the unpopularity of President Donald Trump in the district is giving Democrat Betsy Londrigan an…
Friday October 16, 2020 Today’s headlines: The confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett wrapped up yesterday in the US Senate. We hear from an Illinois Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. A team at Washington University in St. Louis is testing whether lab-made antibodies could be used as a treatment for COVID-19. The C-U…
Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Google Podcasts RSS Link Friday, October 9, 2020 Today’s headlines: Governor JB Pritzker is warning of painful budget cuts if the graduated income tax plan fails at the polls next month. In August, a tornado ripped through the Walnut Grove Vocational Farm in Kirkland. We get an update on how the farm is…
Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Google Podcasts RSS Link 217 Today — Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 Today’s headlines: Pressure on Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is ramping up as one of his fellow Democrats announced a challenge to his speakership yesterday. Champaign County reported its 2nd COVID-19 death in as many days yesterday, for a total of 22…
TOP STORY — Friday, September 25 Teen Charged In Kenosha Shootings Fights Extradition The 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two protesters in Wisconsin is fighting his extradition from Illinois, but his attorneys didn’t outline their strategy during a brief hearing on Friday and legal experts say there isn’t much the teen can do…
TOP STORY — Friday, September 18 Parties Dispute How Far Feds Will Let Madigan Probe Go The U.S. attorney investigating House Speaker Mike Madigan OK’d a separate probe by a House committee, but Democrats and Republicans do not agree on how far it should go, Associated Press’s John O’Connor reports. John Lausch, U.S. attorney for…