Illinois Public Media News

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is launching the first official campaign tour of his re-election bid on Tuesday, as Democrats line up to unseat him in 2018 and the Republican tries to turn around his sagging approval ratings.

The Urbana City Council voted unanimously Monday night to continue talks towards a possible redevelopment agreement for a 94-year old downtown hotel. The latest revisions to the draft agreement for the Urbana Landmark Hotel include reducing the city’s post-construction bonds to help the project from $9.5 million down to $7 million.

Might pot and ditch weed help ease the state's financial crisis and boost its farm economy? Sponsors of legislation to legalize recreational marijuana and to clear the way for large-scale production of industrial hemp are hoping to convince their colleagues that's the case.

On Tuesday evening, the Champaign County Board starts a discussion of what to do next with the county nursing home, now that voters have rejected a tax hike but approved the possibility of selling it. Meanwhile, the nursing home advisory board will explore another proposal — running the facility as a non-profit institution with help from local healthcare institutions. 

On the 21st: Chicagoland-based Sears Holding Corporation recently announced they lost more than $2 billion dollars in the past year, leading many to doubt about the future of the company. We discuss the rise and fall of the retail giant. Plus, we ask: what role do parents and teachers have to play in preventing bullying and violence in schools? And we get the latest in Illinois politics, with a focus on the governor's race.