Illinois Public Media News

It’s common for teenagers to experiment with drugs and alcohol, but that can lead to dependency. A new high school in Columbus Ohio helps teens learn while they get sober.

Goal Getters is intended to reduce violence and provide leadership skills to youth in Champaign. The initiative was created by the Champaign Unit 4 Schools, city of Champaign and the Champaign Community Coalition in the wake of an especially violent year in Champaign-Urbana. This fall, the program will expand to provide mentorship to students enrolled in Booker T. Washington Elementary and Edison Middle Schools.

Red Summer was a series of race riots that occurred for several months in different places around the country. In Chicago, Eugene Williams' death was what sparked the city's riots, but kindling for that fire had been building for at least a few years.

This week's Illinois Issues report explores whether Illinois should -- or could -- end religious exemptions for vaccinations, something now done in New York and a handful of other states.

What does it mean to be Midwestern, and what makes this state and this region so special? We talk to some of our favorite Midwesterners about all things Illinois and the Midwest including the food, the history, the culture and the landscape around us. Plus, Gov. Pritzker recently signed a bill which creates a Restaurant Meals Program for SNAP recipients. We learn why its proponents think it can help fix the issue of food deserts and make people healthier.