Illinois Public Media News

Actress Debbie Reynolds has died, just one day after the death of her daughter, actress Carrie Fisher, NPR has confirmed. Hours before reports of her death, The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed to NPR that an elderly female was transported to Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Reynolds, 84, has had a long and celebrated career as a film actress — she was in the classic "Singing' in the Rain" — a TV star — "The Debbie Reynolds Show" — and a Broadway and Las Vegas star.

On this encore edition of The 21st: We discussed job opportunities for ex-offenders, the challenges they face, and resources available to them. We also talked with a retired police officer about building trust with the community, and spoke with the author of the memoir "Treyf: My Life as an Unorthodox Outlaw."

There’s still no budget for Illinois, but some big changes to education policy kicked in this year. As the contentious presidential election played out, several national issues affected the lives of citizens here.

The Illinois state treasurer discusses his office's decisions in 2016 on college savings programs, suspending investment activity with Wells Fargo, and pushing legislation to require insurance companies to pay benefits.

Melo Trimble scored 20 points and Jaylen Brantley added 13 as Maryland routed Illinois 84-59 on Tuesday in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Malcolm Hill had 21 points for the Illini (10-4), who saw their six-game winning streak come to an end.