State Rep. Carol Ammons wants descendants of slaves in Illinois to have access to free DNA testing
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State Rep. Carol Ammons wants descendants of slaves in Illinois to have access to free DNA testing

Black residents in Illinois who are descendants of slaves may soon have access to free DNA testing. Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) proposed a House Resolution urging support for the Family Roots Genealogy Program pilot, which aims to reconnect African Americans to their ancestral roots. The program is in partnership with the Department of Anthropology at University of…

Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Bost touts experience amid challenge from ‘outsider’ Darren Bailey

Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Bost touts experience amid challenge from ‘outsider’ Darren Bailey

CASEY, Ill. — In a southern Illinois town described by a local librarian as “Mayberry-esque,” a deep red community of about 2,400 people is deciding whether the support of former President Donald Trump is enough to send U.S. Rep. Mike Bost back to Congress instead of his grassroots challenger, Darren Bailey. Bost was endorsed by…

Pritzker to call for health insurance reforms in State of the State address

Pritzker to call for health insurance reforms in State of the State address

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker plans to take on the state’s health insurance industry this year by calling for legislation to curb many of the standard practices they use to hold down costs and boost profits. He plans to outline those reforms in his State of the State and budget address Wednesday, according to an…

Governor Pritzker Gives the 2024 State of the State and FY25 Budget Address

Governor Pritzker Gives the 2024 State of the State and FY25 Budget Address

Governor J.B. Pritzker’s 2024 budget proposal for Illinois forecasts $49.9 billion in revenue, down by $1.4 billion from last year, after setting aside funds for emergencies. Spending is slightly reduced but focuses on boosting education and behavioral health. Despite a projected surplus, Pritzker warns of potential deficits without careful planning, amid rising demands on state…

The Champaign City Building figures prominently in this view of downtown Champaign, as seen from University Avenue.
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Downtown Champaign bar manager dies nine days after shooting

Champaign Police are reclassifying the shooting of a downtown bar manager as a homicide, following the death of Brandon L. Hardway. The Champaign County Coroner’s office says the 45-year-old Hardway, of Champaign, died early Saturday at Carle Hospital, due to injuries he received in a shooting on the afternoon of February 8. Police say the shooting happened outside Hardway’s bar, Pour Brothers Craft Taproom, 40 E. University Avenue in downtown Champaign. Police say Hardway had come outside for a cigarette break, and was shot in the back.

With influx of state and federal funding, Illinois looks to add enough chargers to support 1 million EVs

With influx of state and federal funding, Illinois looks to add enough chargers to support 1 million EVs

Illinois’ electric vehicle charging infrastructure is on pace to double this year, buoyed by an influx of state and federal dollars. The investments are aimed at supporting both federal and state environmental goals. The Biden Administration set the goal of EVs making up half of all U.S. vehicle sales by 2030. Under the Climate and…

Here’s what research shows about how couples can thrive despite political differences

Here’s what research shows about how couples can thrive despite political differences

  As the 2024 election season approaches, political news coverage will rise — and with it, so might conflict between couples with differing political views. It’s something Emily Van Duyn is paying attention to. Van Duyn, an associate professor of communications at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led a research study where she interviewed 67 individuals who are in…

Accidents, injuries and a death at ADM Decatur raise concerns for workers’ safety

Accidents, injuries and a death at ADM Decatur raise concerns for workers’ safety

Just months before he was planning to retire, 66-year-old Robert Dautel was killed in an accident at the railyard just off of the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) West plant in Decatur, Illinois. On April 11, 2023, Dautel was in a locomotive operated remotely by a trainee. The locomotive struck a line of 25 stationary rail cars, crushing…

5 Ways America’s courts could change health care in 2024

5 Ways America’s courts could change health care in 2024

Health care policy experts are keeping close tabs on the courts in 2024. Judges are poised to weigh in on health policies — new ones, like Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices, and old ones, like the Affordable Care Act’s insurance rules. The ramifications of these decisions, some on politically charged issues such as abortion…