Illinois Public Media News

The Trump administration wants to show rural communities, which voted for him by wide margins in the 2016 election, they are still on the president’s mind. It suggested a list of broad ideas in January to spark growth and carved out rural interests in an infrastructure plan.

At least two Illinois lawmakers have called for the director of the state’s public health department to step down, following the deaths of 13 residents from Legionnaires’ disease at a veterans’ home in Quincy since 2015. Speaking on "The 21st" on Wednesday, Dr. Nirav Shah said he thinks he still has the public’s trust and intends to continue in his role. Here are some of the highlights from Shah’s discussion with host Niala Boodhoo.

On The 21st: 13 residents of the Quincy Veterans' Home have died of Legionnaires' disease since 2015. Today, we sit down with Dr. Nirav Shah, the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. Then, we heard from WBEZ's Dave McKinney.

Agriculture uses 90-percent of the world’s fresh water supply.  And as the demand for food around the world continues to rise, so will the need to find crops that use less water.

Hundreds of classes have been canceled and dozens more relocated as a strike by graduate employees at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues into a second week. On Tuesday night, graduate workers occupied the office of university president Tim Killeen. Strikers have a variety of demands, but one of the most contentious points focuses on the future of tuition waivers -- and whether some graduate workers will have to pay tuition while employed in academic positions on campus.