Illinois Public Media News

On the 21st: St. Elmo Brady got a scholarship to go to the University of Illinois in 1912—and four years later, he became the first African-American to earn a Ph.D in Chemistry. Plus, we revisit our conversation about how young evangelical Christians are hoping to move the needle on climate change. And, our interview with Illinois filmmaker Bing Liu, whose Rockford documentary 'Minding The Gap' has been nominated for an Academy Award.

More than two dozen school districts learned last week that they're eligible for property tax relief grants from the Illinois State Board of Education. Most of those districts have inadequate funding. But a few already exceed what's needed to provide a good education.

Fights involving students at Urbana High School led to several arrests and the early dismissal of class Monday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reports 35 confirmed cases of Hepatitis A in the month of January, which are part of a recent Hep A outbreak concentrated in the Midwest. Three of those cases were in Champaign county. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is working to reduce the risk of Hepatitis A, HIV and other infections among people who use illicit drugs by offering clean syringes, harm reduction counseling and vaccinations.

On The 21st: 2017 saw some sizable federal tax code changes. This coming tax season will be the first since it’s taken effect, so what can Illinois taxpayers expect and prepare? Plus, most parents out there know how hard it can be to help children with their homework. A new program in Champaign called the 'Parent Lab” is helping tutor parents so that they have the right tools. Also, Governor Pritzker has signed eight executive orders since his term began three weeks ago. We’ll break down what’s new and what these orders say about Pritzker’s administration.