skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

IL: Budget Policy & Priorities

The Public Schooling in America 2024 report said
Report touts Illinois' support for public schools

A report released this month by the Network for Public Education ranked Illinois an "A" grade for its overall support of public schools. One …

play audio
Studies show community health centers significantly reduce prescription-drug spending, as well as the need for emergency room visits and outpatient and inpatient care. (Adobe Stock) <br />
Congressional budget impasse threatens IL community health centers

Community health centers in Illinois are stuck in financial limbo as Congress contends with another potential government shutdown. More than forty …

play audio

According to America's Health Ranking, nearly 13% of adults in Illinois report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke. (Adobe Stock)
Report grades IL tobacco prevention efforts

Illinois' efforts are all over the map in a new report on what state and federal officials are, or could be, doing to discourage tobacco use…

play audio
The Education Data Initiative predicts the average yearly cost of law school tuition between 2024 and 2025 will be nearly $52,000. (Adobe Stock)
A lack of attorneys creates 'legal deserts' in rural IL counties

Labor shortages exist across the country in the medical and teaching professions but not as much is said about the lack of attorneys in some states…

play audio

The Illinois State Board of Education Literacy Standards indicate fourth graders should be able to determine the main idea of a text, explain how it is supported by key details and summarize the text. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Illinois' child well-being varies widely by race

A new report looks at children's well-being in every state and finds in Illinois, the outcomes vary greatly depending on race. In its Race for …

play audio
According to America's Health Rankings, 16% of Illinois' children live in households below the federal poverty threshold, ranking Illinois as 27th in the nation for child poverty. (Adobe Stock)<br />
IL advocacy group insists state’s tax system hurts children

A new analysis of state tax systems finds the Illinois tax structure is unfair to low- and middle-income households, especially those with children…

play audio

Farmers in Illinois and across the country are concerned over whether Congress will complete its work on a new Farm Bill by the end of the current term. (Adobe Stock)
Farm Bill delays could affect food benefits for many Americans

The once-every-five-year Farm Bill will likely be extended to six years this time around, as Congress seems months away from finding a path forward…

play audio
About 13% of Black students in the United States choose community colleges. Nationally, there are 12 historically Black community colleges and 49 predominantly Black community colleges. (Adobe Stock)
Leaders advocate for increased funding, services for Black community colleges

Historical and predominantly Black community colleges often get overlooked when it comes to funding for higher education. However, leaders nationwide …

play audio

This year Illinois lawmakers passed a bill ending life sentences without parole for people in Illinois who were under 21 when they were arrested. (Adobe Stock)
More work needed on juvenile justice reform

Advocates for juvenile justice reform recently gathered in Chicago to find ways to keep young people out of the criminal justice system. Herschella …

play audio
Tipped workers, such as waiters, must depend on the generosity of their customers to make a living wage. (Adobe Stock)
Bills Filed to Phase Out Tipped Wages in Illinois Restaurants

A pair of Illinois state lawmakers is introducing legislation to phase out what is known as the "subminimum wage" for tipped workers in the restaurant…

play audio

Illinois' population declined for the ninth consecutive year in 2022, with a record 104,437 residents lost, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Rosana/Adobe Stock)
Economists: High Tax Burden Driving IL Families, Businesses Out of State

Studies show the tax burden on people and businesses in Illinois - and particularly those in Chicago - is among the highest in the country. …

play audio
About 6% of all cars sold in the United States in 2022 were battery-electric powered, but officials say the number of EVs is expected to grow to 25% by 2030. (ake1150/Adobe Stock)
Report: EVs Could Impact Future Highway-Maintenance Funding

Most experts agree that putting more electric vehicles on the road is a positive step toward fighting climate change, but a new report warns that …

play audio

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021