Illinois Public Media News

Illinois’ medical marijuana program is getting a second wind. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a pair of bills on Monday expanding who can get a medical card, and when they can use it.

Recreational marijuana will become legal in Illinois on January 1st. But there’s already a whole world of edibles that includes chefs, writers, and manufacturers. Plus, have you gone on that summer road trip yet? Because there are great food destinations that aren’t too far from Illinois. And, during the month of June, the Chicago Tribune put the spotlight on Black food and culture on the city’s South Side.

Donald Hutson is one of more than 430 inmates who have overdosed in state prisons since May 2017, according to internal data from the Missouri Department of Corrections. While there are many ways drugs are smuggled into prisons, DOC employees say internal corruption is a key part of the problem.

An electric barrier in a Chicago area canal is meant to keep Asian carp from getting into the Great Lakes from downstate rivers. Now, a study led by University of Illinois researchers suggests another force may be keeping the invasive carp from making the trip: pollution.

Connersville, Indiana once was bustling with factories that served the auto industry. Workers turned out air conditioning systems, fuel injectors and other products. Now, it has a grim distinction: the highest suicide and overdose death rates in the state.