WILL-AM

News Local/State

As President Donald Trump continues to wage a multi-front trade war with some of the U.S.’ biggest economic partners, farmers have borne some of the heaviest financial burden.

News Local/State

Champaign County will lose two of its weekly newspapers at the end of this month, when the Leader and the County Star put out their final editions. Both papers announced in their August 16 issues that they would be ending publication.

News Local/State

On August 10, a San Francisco court ordered the agribusiness company Monsanto to pay nearly $290 million in damages to a California man who alleges his cancer was caused by Roundup, the company’s most widely used herbicide. The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting reached out to Charles Benbrook, one expert for the plaintiff, to learn more about the trial and what it could mean for the future of glyphosate. 

News Local/State

Governor Bruce Rauner defended his amendatory veto of the Illinois Secure Choice retirement savings plan, during a visit to the University of Illinois to sign legislation on Thursday.

News Local/State

For nearly half a century, the Taste of Champaign-Urbana festival has showcased local art, music and food. The event will take place this weekend at West Side Park in Champaign, and organizers say this year will be one of the busiest yet.

News Local/State

Thousands of Illinois Democrats met Thursday in Springfield for the party’s annual state fair brunch. Candidates repeated familiar attacks on Republicans. But some say they need to do more.

News Local/State

Beginning next year, a new law will require People’s Gas to pay for yearly state inspections of its downstate natural gas storage field, and to notify local residents and authorities whenever a leak occurs. Governor Bruce Rauner signed the legislation at the University of Illinois Thursday. 

News Local/State

Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker made his pitch to downstate voters on Wednesday at a campaign stop at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union hall in Champaign. 

News Local/State

According to a new study from the University of Nevada, nearly 70 percent of surveyed childcare professionals in the state indicated they have at least some difficulty caring for infants and toddlers with disabilities. A lack of childcare providers willing to accept children with both social, emotional and physical special needs is a common problem for families in Illinois. 

News Local/State

Aretha Franklin's voice is the voice of America. No other contemporary artist embodied the nation's brash optimism with as much flair, nor exemplified its sorrow-forged resilience as convincingly. No one better expressed American joy. Her murmurs gave shape to a sensuality that defeated repressive moral codes and replaced them with the commandments of tenderness, of sweet bitter love. Her high notes made hope happen. When she sang, we remembered that we could walk on the moon.