Ask The Newsroom: In Deciding On Judge Candidates, Does Party Affiliation Matter?
Two competitive judicial races for circuit court are on the ballot in Champaign County this year, which doesn’t happen often.
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From Plants To Panels: Solar Debate Plays Out In Fields Around Illinois
Rural counties are facing a lot of heat over Illinois’ booming solar power development. The big push started in late 2016 when the state legislature passed the Future Energy Jobs Act. It sets aside at least $180 million yearly to help fund renewable energies like solar, which will help the state meet its goal of…
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Civil Rights Leader Urges Students: Keep Fighting, With Love
Earlier this month, Diane Nash told a full auditorium of University of Illinois Springfield students that she and fellow civil rights activists, “Loved…
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Who Benefits From Video Court?
In 2000, Charles Davidson was arrested the day before the 4th of July for a crime he said he didn’t commit. Urbana Police responded that evening to a complaint of fireworks and came upon Davidson, who claims he made the complaint on behalf of his mother. According to court records, police accused the now 68-year-old…
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Ask The Newsroom: How Are Early Voting And Mail-in Ballots Handled?
In the past, Ann Quackenbush would wake up early on election day to get to her polling place. The elementary school teacher in Champaign says it was often hard to make time to vote during a busy school day. For the primary last March, she tried something different – mailing in her ballot before election…
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Technology Changing Access And Outcomes In Abortion Debate
Technology changing access and outcomes in abortion debate President Donald Trump has stood strongly behind the anti-abortion movement, and his Supreme…
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Obama Visits U Of I Campus, Urges Students To Get Out & Vote
In his first major political speech since leaving office, former President Barack Obama took aim at the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress — blaming them for inciting division and stoking fears in the country. Obama delivered the address at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, where he also accepted the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics…
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The 1908 Race Riot & ‘Being Black At School’
Earlier this month, we reported on the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield and what’s being done to remember and reconcile 110 years after the violence broke…
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Ask the Newsroom: Election Edition
You want to be an informed and confident voter this election season, and Illinois Newsroom wants to help. Our statewide public media collaboration is delivering you the highest quality information around the Midterm Elections. And you’ll be our guide. We’re launching our Ask the Newsroom: Election Edition project so you can ask us your pressing…
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Lawsuit Alleges Former JBS Employee Harassed By Coworkers Due To Religion, Race
Major meatpacking company JBS USA faces another religious discrimination lawsuit. The federal lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Denver, alleges…
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For Shrinking Illinois Towns, A ‘Smarter’ Approach
Farm towns in Illinois have been shrinking for decades, and the trend doesn’t show signs of reversing. By 2025, rural counties with populations of less than 10,000 people will see 7.4 percent of their residents leave, while counties with populations between 10,000 and 25,000 will lose 5.4 percent. That’s according to projections from the Illinois Department…
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Confronting Our Racist Past: The 1908 Springfield Race Riots
It’s been 110 years since the 1908 Race Riot erupted in Springfield. The violence and its aftermath inspired the founding of the NAACP, the prominent civil rights organization. A number of groups in the city recognized and remembered the violence and lives lost in a series of public events earlier this month. There are also…
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Women’s Suffrage Memorabilia Grows In Popularity – And Price
Just before noon on a recent Saturday, a group of political memorabilia collectors jostled for a spot around an exhibit table, checking their final bids…
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Why Is ICE Arresting Undocumented Immigrants In A Sanctuary City
The answer lies within the Russian nesting doll structure of our government and law enforcement jurisdictions. The City of Urbana sits within Champaign County which sits within the State of Illinois which sits within the United States of America. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal agency that enforces federal immigration laws, and its…
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As Shootings Rise, Local Leaders Grapple With Gun Violence
In a community with as many resources as Champaign-Urbana, why does gun violence persist? That’s the question Donte’ Lotts, a community liaison for CU Fresh Start — an initiative created in 2015 to mitigate gun violence — asked a group of about 50 Champaign-Urbana residents, social service providers, university employees and other community leaders on…
