Illinois Public Media News

The town of Quincy, Illinois is enjoying the spotlight after being featured in the popular Netflix makeover show Queer Eye. We talk to the band teacher who brought the Fab Five to Illinois. Also, it’s finally beach season. Even though we don’t live by the ocean, Lake Michigan is always a drive away. But it turns out the water is sometimes too dirty for swimmers. Plus, Chicago officials made it clear they won’t cooperate with the Trump administration’s current immigration deportation policy. That resistance harkens back to another era more than a century ago. And, we hear tips for making classic Chicago deep dish pizza at home.

Former special counsel Robert Mueller appeared in two separate hearings before the House judiciary and intelligence committees. Though Mueller has said his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election is his testimony, lawmakers have insisted that he testified in person.

In late March, a child welfare worker visited the family home of 9-year-old Byron Casanova in Johnston City, Illinois. The social worker expressed concerns about the environment but Byron and his three siblings weren’t removed from the home. Four days later, Byron Casanova committed suicide.

Kate Rosenberg-Douglas has been managing her chronic back pain with prescription opioids for about a decade. Now she’s written an op-ed about her experience relying on opioids for pain while they’re being condemned for causing addiction. Plus, Nafissa Thompson-Spires is the author behind the novel Heads of the Colored People. Her short story collection showcases black life in a way not often written about. 

Gasoline prices have gone down in the past week. The price-tracking website GasBuddy says the average price for a gallon of Regular-grade gas in Champaign-Urbana was $2.74 on Monday, down 20 cents from last week. Across Illinois, the average price was $2.95, down 12-and-a-half cents.