Illinois Public Media News

Gun violence and how to stop it was the focus of a town hall meeting held Wednesday in response to the shooting outside Champaign Central High School in early December.

A lawsuit against Illinois’ Department of Healthcare and Family Services claims the state illegally withholds medically necessary services from children with severe mental health disorders. The suit's lead attorney says some parents desperate to get their children help have surrendered them to the foster care system. The case was settled in federal court this week.

On The 21st: We check in with Representative Cheri Bustos about the possibility of a government shutdown, and learn why two powerful House Democrats endorsed someone who has never run for office before in the Chicago suburbs. Plus, did you know you could rent fossils and other artifacts from the Field Museum? But first, why this year's flu season is especially bad - and how you can cope with it.

The flu season in Illinois is especially rough this year. And physicians think they know why. 

Parkland College is expanding its use of solar power. At their regular monthly meeting on Jaunary 17, the board of trustees approved a 25-year contract to install an eight-acre array of solar panels on the campus.