Illinois Public Media News

Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly pushed back last spring against Republican President Donald Trump's hardline stance on immigration, aiming to protect Illinois residents regardless of their residency status and, in some cases, firing off direct repudiation of the nation's top executive. Here's a look at policies Illinois lawmakers approved in their spring session, all of which await action by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Amid sweltering heat with index values of well over 100 degrees, hundreds of demonstrators turned out to protest the separation of children and parents at the U.S-Mexico border. The demonstration was one of more than 700 planned across the country on Saturday.

The group gathered at the Douglass branch of the Champaign Public Library for a special meeting of the Champaign Community Coalition. It was an opportunity, said facilitator Tracy Parsons, to brainstorm why shootings are on the rise, and what the community can do to curb the violence.

Congressman Rodney Davis says the U.S. House will now focus on legislation to keep immigrant families together at the border. That’s after a broader effort to overhaul immigration policy failed this week, and divided Republicans in congress.

On the 21st: Parker Palmer joined us to discuss his latest book about aging, called "On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old."  Plus, you’re probably aware of endangered species, but what about endangered places, specifically in Illinois?