URBANA – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have created a saliva-based COVID-19 test. During a webinar hosted Tuesday by U of I Chancellor Robert Jones and other university staff, Martin Burke, a U of I chemistry professor, announced that they had the capacity to test up to 10,000 people per day. He
ComEd Quadruples Payments To Powerhouse Law Firm Amidst Corruption Probe Amid a sprawling federal corruption probe, Commonwealth Edison quadrupled its payments last year to a powerhouse Chicago-based law firm that’s representing the utility giant in the investigation of its Springfield lobbying practices. Federal regulatory documents show ComEd paid Jenner & Block nearly $2.4 million in
GOP Sues Pritzker Seeking Exemption From 10-Person Limit CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ Democratic governor was sued Monday by the state’s Republican Party, which is seeking exemption from the 10-person limit on public gatherings. The Chicago Tribune reports the GOP contends in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s limit on
Blood drives have been considered an essential service in Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’ve still seen a decline in donations since the pandemic began. Now, as elective surgeries return to full swing at hospitals, local blood centers are asking for more people to donate. The drop in blood donations initially corresponded with a
SPRINGFIELD – The state announced Friday that the 2020 Illinois and Du Quoin State Fairs will be cancelled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Illinois joins Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and other states in canceling the annual gathering of livestock displays, entertainment and food. The Department of Agriculture is arranging a virtual Junior Livestock Show
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we’ve answered questions on pools reopening during Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan, and SNAP benefits for the month of June. Please note, the information
CHAMPAIGN – After 26 years, the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum in Champaign is closing, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its building is being put up for sale. Orpheum board president Janet Wattnem says the decision to close was difficult, because they believed the museum provided a valuable resource. “I think the community deserves
Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago announced Thursday they’ve performed the first successful double-lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient in the United States. The woman in her 20s was otherwise healthy but developed a severe case of COVID-19 that resulted in hospitalization, says Dr. Ankit Bharat, Northwestern’s chief of thoracic surgery. For two months,
A Dialogue On Race Begins With Police In Bloomington-Normal NORMAL – On Saturday, a diverse group of around 60 people gathered in the parking lot of CrossFit Bloomington-Normal to have a conversation about race. Called “The Community Unification Project,” the event was organized by CrossFit owner Chad Hobbs in coordination with the Normal Police Department
URBANA – The union for graduate student workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign wants most instruction to stay online through the fall semester — as a precaution against the coronavirus. U of I officials released a report last week produced by a university-appointed task force that outlines possible scenarios for the fall semester,
SPRINGFIELD – In the months after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools in Illinois to be closed, calls to the state’s child abuse and neglect hotline dropped significantly. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said in a statement June 1 that calls to report suspected abuse and neglect are down by 57% compared to
Remnants of Cristobal Will Bring Winds And Heavy Rains To Illinois Tropical Storm Cristobal could soon renew its strength by merging with another storm system to form a large cyclone. After drenching much of the South, forecasters now expect the storm to bring fierce winds and heavy rain to much of the Midwest by Tuesday.
Illinois Reports 867 New Coronavirus Cases, 43 New Deaths SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 867 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 127,757. The department on Sunday reported 43 additional deaths from the disease in the past 24 hours, raising that
URBANA — The Champaign County Fair in Urbana and the Georgetown Fair in Vermilion County are the latest summer events to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a post on their Facebook page, the Champaign County Fair Association board of directors stated that “after weeks of monitoring and many discussions between our board members and local
Fire Chief Apologizes For Sharing Post On Shooting Looters LINCOLN — The fire chief of the central Illinois city of Lincoln is apologizing for sharing a social media post asserting supporters of President Donald Trump would blow the heads off looters. Chief Bob Dunovsky said Thursday the decision to share the Facebook post was made