Illinois Public Media News

The nighttime sub-zero temperatures that central Illinois is currently experiencing is particularly bad news for the area’s homeless population. Rob Dalhaus says he’s seeing an increase in people coming to the Phoenix Daytime Drop-In Center in Champaign during the day.

As we get ready to welcome 2018, let's take time to review another wild year in Illinois government and politics. We heard state Senators trying to craft a “grand bargain” to end the budget impasse — and 16 Republicans breaking with the governor to do just that. It was also the start of campaign season, and a time of increasing anger by and about politicians. Here now are some of the voices that made news in 2017.

On The 21st: Chicago indie director Joe Swanberg talks about the latest season of his Netflix series 'Easy.' Plus, writer and comedian Samantha Irby recaps what has been a trying 2017. But first, we revisit our conversation with law professor Suja Thomas on why it's so hard to win discrimination cases in court.

2017 was the year that Champaign County voters did not come to the aid of the county nursing home. Voters last April rejected a tax increase to help pay for the facility, and gave the county board permission to consider selling it. But the battle over the nursing home’s future continues.

A new law allowing public funding of abortion in Illinois will take effect as scheduled on January 1. That’s after a judge on Thursday ruled against anti-abortion groups who’d sued to block it.