Illinois Public Media News

Governor Bruce Rauner dropped in on classes at Franklin Middle School in Champaign on Wednesday, praising educators and pledging his commitment to public school funding.

The two occupants of a small training helicopter walked away without injury after it crashed at the University of Illinois’ Willard Airport around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Willard Executive Director Gene Cossey says during a landing procedure, they lost control of the aircraft, which skidded down the runway and flipped over. 

Last year, global warming reached record high temperatures — and if that news feels like déjà vu, you're not going crazy. The planet has now had three consecutive years of record-breaking heat.

On the 21st: We checked in with the mayor of Superman's hometown, Metropolis, and got tips from financial planners. Plus, we learned about a new medieval comic drama coming to east-central Illinois.

For the past 20 years, school funding in Illinois has relied heavily on property taxes, which means schools near prime commercial or residential areas thrive, while others struggle to get by. Since August, a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers has been meeting regularly to try to come up with a better way to fund public schools.