Illinois Public Media News

While the media widely reported on the disappearance of Gabby Petito, families of missing people of color say their loved ones rarely get similar coverage.

Researchers at Northwestern University have invented winged microchips or "microfliers, " which are the smallest ever man-made flying structure. We spoke with the Northwestern professor who led the research.

"American Mariachi" is the story of a woman's quest to start an all-female mariachi band — something that would have been unheard of back in the 1970s. We talked with the play's director, Henry Godinez. 

As our communities continue efforts to get more people the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination have recently begun for other species. Zoo animals are now being inoculated using a specialized vaccine at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. 

More than 60 percent of Illinoisans, ages 12 and up, are now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, but in some parts of the state, like Southern Illinois, that number is much lower, as hospitals in the region have reached capacity in their ICUs. We were joined by reporters from around the state to talk about the latest on the pandemic in Illinois.