In the last 8 years more than 10,000 bills in statehouses across the country were copied and pasted from special interest groups. And it turns out Illinois passed more of these bills into law than any other state. Also, more than 150 people in Illinois have been hit by a fungus that’s resistant to drugs. We’ll hear more on this from the new Illinois Director of Public Health. Plus, Purdue University is limiting streaming websites like Hulu and Netflix to free up bandwidth in the classroom. Will it get students to pay attention in class?

Senator Tammy Duckworth just introduced a resolution that would repeal President Trump’s travel ban on five majority-Muslim countries. Today, she joins us from Washington to talk about all of that and more. Plus, when you think performing arts, you might think of Chicago. But for 50 years, the Krannert Center in Urbana has been a thriving place for theater, music, and dance. And some of the biggest shows on television are wrapping up this year.

Illinois could legalize recreational marijuana this year but there’s already a whole world of edibles that includes chefs, writers, and manufacturers. Plus, writer and comedian Julia Sweeney talks about her role as the mom in the new Hulu series, ‘Shrill.' And, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has been on strike for five weeks. Plus, a recent study found that Chicago is actually the most dangerous city for migratory birds in both the fall and the spring.

We check in with Rep. Darin LaHood about trade, agriculture, and Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's resignation from the Department of Homeland Security. Plus, it's been about a month since a Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia—so what's changed for Boeing since then? We'll also learn about the new 'Real ID' driver's license additions that will be required for domestic air travel starting next fall, and hear from you about your favorite fish fries in Illinois.

One of Illinois’ biggest film festival is back this week! Chaz Ebert joins us to talk about the line-up that moviegoers can expect during this year’s Ebertfest. But first, David McCraw is one of the chief lawyers for the New York Times. And the Central Illinois native has a new book out called 'Truth In Our Times: Inside The Fight For Press Freedom in An Age Of Alternative Facts.'

St. Elmo Brady was the first African-American to get a Ph.D in Chemistry and he earned it at the University of Illinois, all the way back in 1916. Plus, Ike Holter joins us from the Goodman Theatre to talk about his new play, 'Lottery Day,' set in a fictional, quickly gentrifying Chicago neighborhood. And, Illinois got the sixth most robocalls in the nation last year with about 1.8 billion. The problem isn’t going away anytime soon, so we’ll bring you some tips on how to handle them.

Voters across the state of Illinois have chosen their local leaders. We recap yesterday’s results and take a look at voter turnout. Plus, 8 years ago severe flooding hit the South and the Midwest. As our region faces even more of it today, we look at how political pressure affected emergency responses back then. And, Lawrence Schiller took some of the most iconic photos of President John F. Kennedy’s life. He’s curated an exhibit that you can see now at the Lincoln Museum.

This tax season is the first under the new federal tax cut. So how can Illinois taxpayers prepare? We have some tips on how to get everything ready to file before April 15. Plus, we hear about the independent film series, Reel Midwest which showcases documentaries, features and shorts from Illinois and our neighbors. And, It’s gotten so bad for one particular endangered bee species that the NRDC is suing the federal government.

Tomorrow is Election Day for many of Illinois’ cities and towns. Voters across the state will choose their local leaders with mayoral and city council races in some of our biggest cities. Including Chicago, Champaign and Springfield. Plus, we’ll revisit our conversation with Brian Wallach. He was diagnosed with ALS a little more than a year ago. Since that time, he’s been trying to raise $100 million to help find a cure for future generations.

Charles Moore was a minister in Texas who set himself on fire to protest racism in his community. Today, we’ll hear about a new film exploring how his death affected his town. Plus, the UIC women’s gymnastics team won a conference championship but their program is still getting cut. In this March Madness season we discuss how colleges prioritize certain sports. And, southern Illinois is home to the state’s only national forest. This year, Shawnee National Forest turns 80 years old.

What would doing business with cannabis look like in Illinois? We'll talk with State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and the Mayor of Delevan, which is already home to a medical marijuana facility. Plus, the controversy over a proposed immigration facility in Dwight is not over yet. A group of Democratic House members want to ban private immigration detention centers in the whole state. And we’re finally getting our first glimpse of Spring. If you have concerns about your garden- don't worry. We talk to experts who can answer your questions. 

Lawyers representing victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy have released a public list of accused clergy in Illinois. We hear from one of those attorneys and the archdiocese of Chicago. Plus, ‘crime-free’ housing rules are meant to reduce crime in rental properties, but landlords, tenants, and police are divided over whether these rules are too broad. 

About 2,400 Illinoisans are on electronic monitoring as a condition of their release from prison. But some people say these ankle monitors actually make it harder to re-enter society. And, we’ll learn about the world’s fastest supercomputer. It’s going to be built at Argonne National Labs with help from the Department of Energy. Plus, a new play at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago takes on the decline of manufacturing jobs and tells a very personal story of its consequences. 

Alex Kotlowitz has been writing about violence in Chicago for decades - in film, in print, and for This American Life. His latest book is called “An American Summer: Love And Death In Chicago,” and it follows people for whom gun violence has become a part of daily life. Plus, Oregon may have America’s last Blockbuster store, but there are still thriving video stores here in Illinois.