URBANA, Ill. – In recent weeks, India has seen a surge in positive COVID-19 cases. Hospitals are crowded and oxygen supplies have dwindled. As of Thursday, the Indian Health Ministry is reporting a record 412,262 new cases and 3,980 new deaths in the past 24 hours. More than 21 million people in India have been
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have reported an increase in their experiences of racism, hostility and outright violence. A recent study from California State University found anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in major U.S. cities rose 150% last year — even as overall hate crimes dropped 7%. And
URBANA – With summer camps on the horizon, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance and recommendations on April 24 for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Among them: mask-wearing, spacing out three to six feet apart, good ventilation and being outdoors as much as possible. “They also now recommend that all
Friday, April 30, 2021 Today’s Headlines: Gov. JB Pritzker has made public a long-awaited investigation into a COVID outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home last fall that killed 36 residents. A new report from the Illinois Department of Public Health finds Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white
Friday, April 23, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinoisans who want to own guns would have to be fingerprinted before getting or renewing their concealed carry license under a measure advancing in the Illinois House. The Illinois House Thursday night voted unanimously to pass a measure ending the use of isolation time out rooms in schools and
URBANA – For the second year in a row, Muslims in the Champaign-Urbana community are observing Ramadan in the middle of a pandemic. During Ramadan 2020, it was difficult to adjust the usual Ramadan traditions to the new norms set forth due to the pandemic, such as social distancing, says Waleed Jassim, president of the
Friday, April 16, 2021 Today’s headlines: Video of the fatal Chicago police shooting of Adam Toledo shows the 13-year-old raising his arms above his head the moment he is shot. COVID-19 is seeing a new resurgence in Region 2 of Illinois. The president of OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria says his hospital is currently at
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 Today’s headlines: Voters are choosing candidates Tuesday for local offices from mayor to school board. Polls are open until 7 p.m. Gov. JB Pritzker stopped in Champaign on Monday to discuss money coming to schools from the American Rescue Plan Act. Republican Congressman Rodney Davis is calling for the governor to live up
Friday, April 2, 2021 Today’s headlines: One state lawmaker wants to make submitting standardized test scores to colleges and universities permanently optional. Republican Congressman Rodney Davis is telling his fellow Republicans to trust the science and get vaccinated for COVID-19. Rantoul village officials say the first commercial development near the new Family Sports Complex is in the
The state reported 3,526 new confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 Thursday, the highest one-day total since Feb. 5. That drove the seven-day rolling…
Wednesday, March 31, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today3-31-21.mp3 Today’s headlines: Illinois Republicans are again calling for an independent commission to draw Illinois’ new legislative maps. A bill introduced in the Illinois House earlier this year would require the state to tackle gun violence as a public health issue. Dozens of people gathered outside the Champaign City Building Tuesday
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today3-30-21.mp3 Today’s headlines: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says he hopes Democrats and Republicans can come to an accord which avoids the elimination of the filibuster. Public colleges and universities in Illinois are asking the Governor and Illinois Department of Public Health to force college students to get coronavirus vaccines or not attend classes
Friday, March 26, 2021 Today’s headlines: More than two-thirds of staff at Illinois prisons rejected their chance at getting the COVID-19 vaccine. A bill state legislators say would expand voting rights is on its way to the governor after passing the Senate. It would increase vote by mail options and allow curbside voting. Larger cities in Illinois
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines, schools and their response to the pandemic and business and government aid. Please note: This information is accurate as of March 23, 2021.
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign County health officials are urging caution ahead of the upcoming NCAA tournament, where the University of Illinois men’s basketball team will compete for the first time in eight years. With fans fired up from a series of recent wins, officials are worried that packed sports bars and watch parties could contribute to