Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021 Today’s headlines: A fourth labor group has now agreed to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for state employees in congregate care settings. Illinois educators rewrote their environmental literacy framework for the first time in a decade. Carle Foundation Hospital will drop Aetna Medicare in January. In today’s deep dive, we’ll hear from…
Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 Today’s headlines: By the end of the month, Democrats who control the General Assembly will approve a new map determining Illinois’ congressional district boundary lines for the next decade. The Durga Puja festival took place over the weekend at the Channing-Murray Foundation in Urbana. The annual festival celebrates the Hindu goddess Durga. Nearly…
Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today101521.mp3 Today’s headlines: More than 10,000 John Deere workers at plants in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas went on strike Thursday after their union contract ran out at midnight. A 20-year-old Champaign man was arraigned Thursday for a deadly mass shooting that occurred in Champaign in July. Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is one…
Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 Today’s headlines: Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is pushing to make additional state funding for Illinois nursing homes contingent on facilities solving staffing issues. The mother of Jelani Day says she is working hard to learn how and why her son was killed. Higher fertilizer prices are pushing up the cost of growing…
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021 Today’s headlines: U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth is urging her fellow Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly to repeal a law requiring teens seeking abortions to notify their parents or guardians —or else petition a judge. Protests near the Illini Union and Alma Mater on the U of I Urbana campus may…
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 Today’s headlines: Democrats who control the General Assembly are already facing legal challenges from Republicans and Latino voting rights groups over new legislative maps the majority party passed earlier this year. University of Illinois wheelchair athletes Tatyana McFadden and Daniel Romanchuk both finished second yesterday at the Boston Marathon, less than…
Monday, Oct. 11, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois may start offering tax incentives to electric vehicle manufacturers as part of its bid to build up its green energy industry. Champaign-Urbana community members are looking for solutions to gun violence through local aid organizations. A post on the Justice for Jelani Day Facebook page says today’s scheduled burial…
Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 Today’s headlines: President Joe Biden Thursday praised Governor JB Pritzker’s vaccine mandates for Illinois teachers, healthcare workers and certain state employees during a visit to Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Lawmakers can’t really control the spread of misinformation on Facebook, but, they can try to break up the social media giant, according to University…
Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois’ violent crime rate is about 7 percent above the national average, according to new FBI data released last week. Advocates for the homeless say they’re working to close a critical gap in services in Champaign County—and they’re looking for the public’s help. Officials at the University of Illinois…
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 Today’s Headlines: A new report is calling for more robust health and housing support for LGBT Illinoisans as they age. Plans for the world’s first carbon-neutral industrial park are gaining momentum in Putnam County. A group of public commenters chastised the Normal Town Council during its regular meeting Monday night about…
Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021 Today’s Headlines: Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday banning employers with state contracts from paying sub-minimum wage to workers with developmental disabilities. Northern Illinois University administrators say they’ve avoided COVID-19 outbreaks so far, even with the rise of the Delta variant. After two months of slight declines, the Flash Index…
Monday, Oct. 4, 2021 Today’s headlines: Women’s rights activists took to the streets of Champaign-Urbana on Saturday to march for abortion rights. A Vermilion County judge ruled last week against calls from some teachers and parents to remove state mandates for COVID-19 vaccines, testing and masking in schools. After merely steady increases, the price of…
Friday Oct. 1, 2021 Today’s headlines: After more than 18 months, Illinois’ eviction moratorium will finally expire on Sunday. Flu season is coming, and it’s expected to be more severe than the relatively mild influenza outbreak seen last year. A Champaign Unit 4 high school student is dead after a fatal shooting near an elementary…
Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 Today’s headlines: An audit of the Illinois State Police’s firearm owner identification and concealed carry license program shows an increase in wait times even before the pandemic. More than 750 University of Illinois students have requested a religious exemption from the university’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement. The parent organization of WBEZ has…
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 Today’s headlines: An Illinois man died of rabies this month —the first case of human rabies in the state since 1954. Fraternities and campus organizations at the University of Illinois are hoping to educate the public about Hispanic history and culture during Hispanic Heritage Month. School board members in Champaign met…