Illinois Public Media News

A string of natural disasters has hit the central U.S. in recent weeks. Tornadoes have devastated communities, tearing up trees and homes. Record rainfall has prevented countless farmers in America's breadbasket from planting crops. Rising rivers continue to flood fields, inundate homes and threaten aging levees from Iowa to Mississippi. And while none of these events can be directly attributed to climate change, extreme rains are happening more frequently in many parts of the U.S. and that trend is expected to continue as the Earth continues to warm.

The Illinois legislative session that wrapped up a few days ago was dominated by debates over weighty topics like preserving abortion rights, legalizing recreational cannabis sales, and changing the income tax structure of the state. But no action was taken to address Illinois' continuing teacher shortage.

Last week, Illinois Newsroom reported on the removal of more than 200 books from the shelves of a college in prison program’s library inside the Danville Correctional Center in east-central Illinois. Several authors and editors of books that were removed from the EJP library agreed to speak to Illinois Newsroom.

There are more than 70,000 people in the trucking industry here in Illinois. How will the doubling of the gas tax affect them? That’s one of hundreds of bills passed this legislative session under the radar. We’ll talk about some of them. Also, we’ll get a tour of the Illinois Holocaust Museum’s newest exhibit. It focuses on the dangerous journeys that slaves made after they already got to America. And, it finally feels like summer! We’ve got a preview of some great summer music acts for you to check out.

State Representative Carol Ammons said she didn’t vote on a historic bill to legalize the use and sale of cannabis in Illinois because she didn’t have a chance to express her concerns about the legislation.