Illinois Public Media News

Here's an update on the case against the alleged militia leader from Ford County, Illinois, accused of orchestrating the firebombing of a Twin Cities Minnesota mosque nearly two years ago. Federal prosecutors say Michael Hari tried to escape from custody while he was being moved from Illinois to Minnesota. 

June is Pride Month, and you may have seen hundreds of big box stores selling rainbow merchandise. But when did pride become profitable, and where do brands actually stand on LGBTQ issues? Plus, thousands of Illinois patients have been affected by data breaches in the last year. We’ll talk about what hospitals are doing about it and how you can protect your information. And we’re continuing our weeklong series featuring podcasts you can listen to this summer.

Looking at the well-being of Illinois’ children through a racial lens shows big disparities, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual KIDS count report.

Undocumented immigrants face many barriers to getting help for a mental illness. Without treatment, they may act out and get in trouble with the law, which can put them at increased risk of deportation.

Testimony resumes Tuesday morning in Peoria, in the capital murder trial of Brendt Christensen. Prosecution witnesses are continuing to describe their investigation of the disappearance of University of Illinois visiting scholar Yingying Zhang, and the man they believe kidnapped and killed her.

Cars and trucks recently surpassed coal as the number one source of emissions in Illinois. We’ll talk about what led to this shift and what policies Illinois should put in place. Plus, one of the largest earthquakes recorded in the U.S. happened in the Midwest in 1811. So how likely are earthquakes in the Midwest today? And, you might be on the hunt for news podcasts to listen to during your summer travels. We’ve got some recommendations for you during a summer podcast series we’re doing all week.

A new exhibit at the University of Illinois Rare Book and Manuscript Library features the tools that writers have used throughout history to record their words. One of the items displayed at the “Writers and Their Tools” exhibit is a typewriter that belonged to a U of I student named Hugh Hefner.

Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill mandating the Illinois Department of Corrections and Prisoner Review Board track and publicly report data on the program.

The Illinois budget that goes into effect July 1st includes a 3.5% rate increase for state-funded agencies that provide services to people with disabilities. But after more than a decade with no significant rate increases, some who work in the disabilities services sector say the new funding is not enough to ensure people with disabilities get the care they need.

Western Illinois University President Jack Thomas said his final day on the job will be June 30, 2019, ending a presidency marred by employee layoffs, declining student enrollment, and increasing tensions between the administration and faculty.