Illinois Public Media News

More than 50 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, University of Illinois associate professor Chris Benson says the US is again facing the “mountain of despair” the civil rights leader once spoke of. The professor of Journalism and African-American Studies delivered the keynote address Friday at the Champaign Countywide King Celebration and Awards event at Parkland College, encouraging the audience of more than 150 to ''find their super power." 

Illinois outscored Nebraska 45-26 in the second half to win 79-59. The Illini improved to 8-10 overall this season and 3-2 in Big Ten conference play.

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon didn't let history repeat itself when his team defeated Illinois 62-56 on Saturday. The Terrapins were No. 11 when they came to Champaign two years ago and were upset 64-57 by an Illinois team that did not make the NCAA Tournament.

House Speaker Paul Ryan announced Thursday that Republicans will — once again — vote to cut off federal tax dollars for Planned Parenthood. They are planning to include the measure as part of a bigger upcoming bill to repeal pillars of Obamacare. This isn't the first time that they have tried to pass this type of legislation — President Obama vetoed a similar bill last January.

As we all know, Donald Trump's tweets have become a potent force in our new era. On the one hand, a single tweet can cripple opponents, activate supporters, move markets, and subsume the news cycle. On the other, they're a window into Trump's wee-hours, unfiltered id.