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Illinois Public Media News Headlines:
Quinn to Abolish Controversial Scholarship Program
Urbana Council Approves Hike in Gas Tax
Flatlander Donates Money Raised for Cooking Classes
Ill. Board of Education Chair Worries About Funding
Quinn Dismisses Gambling as ‘Shiny’ Distraction
Ill Lawmakers Vote to End Legislative Scholarships
GOP Candidate Davis Prepares for Campaign Trail
High Court Won’t Hear Ill. Redistricting Challenge
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Arnold O. Beckman 1900 - 2004
Story air date: Wednesday, May 19, 2004
The Illinois native and UI graduate whose inventions in scientific instruments eventually led to $400 million in donations to scientific research -- including the UI's Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology - died Tuesday May, 18, 2004, at the age of 104.
AM 580's Jay Pearce talked about Beckman's life and legacy with Beckman Institute director Pierre Wiltzius on Morning Edition.
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Same-Sex Marriage Closer to Home
Story air date: Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Gay rights activists in Illinois want the same right to marry that same-sex couples now have in Massachusetts. On the day Massachusetts begin granting same-sex marriage licenses, a few same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses in Champaign County. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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Riding the Bus for Civil Rights
Story air date: Tuesday, May 11, 2004
43 years ago this month, 13 people challenged the segregation of interstate buses and bus stations in the south. Calling themselves Freedom Riders, the group - both black and white - were attacked by angry white mobs for their efforts. AM 580’s Jim Meadows spoke with two of the original Freedom Riders who visited Champaign-Urbana.
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Jack Valenti on Movies and the Digital Age
Story air date: Friday, April 23, 2004
As the retiring head of the Motion Picture Association of America, Valenti says the illegal downloading of movies over the Internet could harm the film industry. At a panel on the issue during Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival, Valenti heard from critics of the movie trade’s intense guarding of its product from copying. Valenti defended the Copyright Term Extension Act, which extended the life of copyrights much longer than previously allowed.
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Valenti on his development of the MPAA rating system :
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Same-sex Marriage Under the Microscope
Story air date: Thursday, April 08, 2004
The national discussion over gay marriage became an academic discussion Wednesday at UIUC. Professors of law, education, philosophy and English sat down to discuss the potential impact of legalizing same-sex unions. But while all the panelists supported gay rights, they didn’t agree on what the benefits of gay marriage would be. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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Passion Plays in the Year of The Passion
Story air date: Friday, April 02, 2004
The Passion of the Christ remains one of the nation's top box office attractions. But Mel Gibson's movie about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus is far from the first dramatization of the central story of the Christian faith. Every spring, churches and other groups throughout the country put on passion plays, following a tradition that dates back to medieval Europe. AM 580's Jim Meadows visited one passion play (left) that's been staged in Bloomington-Normal for more than 80 years.
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The Spreading Chestnut Trees
Story air date: Thursday, April 01, 2004
To see a mature American Chestnut in nature is a rarity. The trees, which once took up about a quarter of Eastern US forests, were driven to near-extinction by a fungal disease introduced about 100 years ago. AM 580’s Ali Kawa speaks with Purdue University scientist Doug Jacobs (left, under a chestnut in Wisconsin), who is working to restore the once-tremendously valuable American Chestnut.
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Bill Gates on Computer Science and Innovation
Story air date: Wednesday, February 25, 2004
The man who founded Microsoft is touring a select few college campuses across the nation, encouraging students to consider software development as a career. But Bill Gates’ visits also involve some forecasting in the world of technology. Speaking at the University of Illinois’ Foellinger Auditorium , Gates revealed that like many of us, he’s not immune to the phenomenon known as e-mail spam…and in relating his story, he hinted at what software developers should be working on.
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