
How will this spring’s General Assembly session affect education in Illinois?
State lawmakers passed dozens of education bills. They also left hundreds more on the table when they wrapped up this past weekend.

State lawmakers passed dozens of education bills. They also left hundreds more on the table when they wrapped up this past weekend.

Indiana is among 26 states — many in the Midwest and South — that have outlawed youth gender-affirming care statewide since 2021. In Illinois, political leaders have moved in the opposite direction.

Attendees of the 2025 Native American Summit, organized by the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative, were draped in regalia and leading a drum ceremony for the first time in an Illinois that was home to a federally recognized tribe.

Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of low-income people and those with disabilities. But the Trump administration wants to cut $1.5 trillion dollars in federal spending, which policy experts say won’t be possible without steep cuts to Medicaid.

The state will likely be short 6,200 doctors by 2030. Meanwhile, over 12,000 state residents have an international medical degree they can’t use.

With many county public defender offices pushed to the limits throughout Illinois, state lawmakers are moving forward on legislation to create a statewide public defender office.

In 2024, according to the governor’s office, Illinois exported more than $2.6 billion worth of goods to the U.K., making it the state’s eighth-largest export partner.

Nursing home industry officials are urging Illinois lawmakers to increase the rates they receive from the state’s Medicaid system, arguing the current rates are outdated and are forcing many facilities around the state out of business.

Tradition and Triumph is the theme for the 2025 Christie Clinic Illinois Race Weekend.
CHAMPAIGN — Nearly 5,000 designs were submitted for Illinois’ state flag contest, and Champaign-based Clanin Creative‘s design has made it as one of the top ten finalists. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with Clanin Creative’s director Scott Clanin and graphic designer Colleen Hayes about the design process — and why they feel Illinois could

Incarcerated students drafted legislation that would allow those in prison a chance to turn their work, education and disciplinary history while incarcerated into freedom.

Governor JB Pritzker is holding a press conference to address President Donald Trump’s cuts to federally-funded programs and how it will affect Illinoisans.

Lawmakers have put the soybean on track to become Illinois’s official state bean. The Prarie State is the top producer of soybeans in the U.S., with about a quarter of its land used for growing the crop.

Las escuelas de la zona y organizaciones sin fines de lucro han estado organizando talleres para ayudar a las familias indocumentadas a aprender sobre sus derechos y qué hacer si son cuestionados.

Area schools and non-profits have been hosting workshops to help undocumented families learn about their rights, and what to do if they are questioned.