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…
Monday, August 2, 2021 Today’s headlines: Senator Dick Durbin hopes to use the budget reconciliation process to pass a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. The number of coronavirus cases is rising once again in much of central and southern Illinois. Local health officials say most cases are occurring among unvaccinated people, following a national…
Friday, July 30, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois students with special needs will no longer have to immediately leave high school when they age out at 22. In Rockford, officials recently shut down a longtime homeless encampment near the city’s downtown. Health officials are sounding the alarm about counterfeit drugs, especially with large music festivals on…
Thursday, July 29, 2021 Today’s headlines: This week, the city of Champaign dedicated a portion of University Avenue to police officer Chris Oberheim. Illinois lawmakers are still mulling whether to get rid of, replace or contextualize statues and monuments on state property. At Illinois state parks, officials say balancing conservation and tourism is trickier with…
Wednesday, July 28, 2021 Today’s headlines: Two-and-a-half weeks after the Centers for Disease Control said it was OK for people vaccinated against COVID-19 to go mask-less indoors — including schools — the agency reversed course Tuesday. Beginning January 1, certain employer-sponsored health insurance plans offered in Illinois will be required to cover infertility treatments for…
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 Today’s headlines: The so-called Delta variant of COVID-19 keeps making inroads in Illinois. The more contagious COVID-19 mutation has propelled positivity rates in some areas of the state to levels not seen since the first half of January. The St. Louis region this week became one of the first places in…
Monday, July 26, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he will be taking his wife and some friends to Lollapalooza in Chicago this weekend. That comes as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. A bill aimed at preventing maternal mortality by changing emergency department and insurance policies is awaiting Governor J.B….
Friday, July 23, 2012 Today’s headlines: A new court filing contains previously unknown details about alleged sexual misconduct against a Chicago Blackhawks player by an assistant coach in 2010. Our global food supply is at risk due to the rise in infectious diseases, according to a new study from the University of Illinois, which focused on…