Illinois Public Media News

On The 21st: In the 1940s, the Montford Point Marines fought in World War II and were the first African-American marines. Today, some of those veterans live in Chicago, and for decades they’ve relied on a local veterans center that’s now at risk of closing. Plus, Chicagoan Brian Wallach was diagnosed with ALS more than a year ago, and he’s spending his time trying to raise 100 million dollars to help find a cure for future generations.

The U.S. trade war with China has created a financial burden for farmers and companies that import Chinese goods. Consumers, on the other hand, have mostly been spared from the conflict. That could all change if this month’s negotiations between the U.S. and China don’t go well.

The Illinois State Board of Education is warning schools they may not get reimbursed for free and reduced-price lunch programs if the federal government goes into another shutdown.

Illinois lawmakers may be slowing the process to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. The proposal was expected to be called for a vote and passed out of the Senate as soon as Thursday.

On the 21st: Eight years ago, Rod Blagojevich was sent to federal prison. Now, WBEZ is tackling the rise and fall of our state’s 40th governor in a podcast called Public Official A. Also, Illinois’ House Speaker Mike Madigan is being sued by a political opponent who says the Speaker put sham candidates on the ballot. We unpack this story with the Chicago Tribune’s Ray Long. Plus, the internet of today is massive, complicated, and, as researcher Victor Bahl says, almost taken for granted. We speak with Bahl as he gets ready at a research conference for U of I students.