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Grassley Wants Appeal of Pork Processing Line Speeds Decision

Iowa's senior U.S. senator says he wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Justice to appeal a recent federal court ruling that keeps pork plants from operating faster processing line speeds.

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Illinois Lawmakers Want Better Memorial To MLK At State Capitol

Rich Egger

Rapid Re-Housing Program in Macomb

Illinois Republicans Sue Over Democrat-Drawn Legislative, Judicial Maps

By editor • Jun 10, 2021

Illinois Republicans on Wednesday sued to block new legislative and judicial district boundary maps drawn and approved by Democrats — maps that’ll be in use for a decade’s worth of elections and political change.

The suit, filed in federal court, is the first of several expected over the new maps, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law on Friday. It’s the culmination of an argument months in the making over Democrats’ use of non-2020 Census data to draw the maps, as that data is delayed due to the COVID pandemic.

Illinois Economy Rebounding, According to Flash Index

By Jim Meadows • Jun 10, 2021
Alex Coleman/Illinois Newsroom

The Illinois economy has been in growth mode for two months in a row, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index.

No Vaccination Incentive for Macomb City Employees

By • Jun 9, 2021
Rich Egger

The city administration had proposed offering a financial incentive for city workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. But this week it dropped the plan.

New Food Delivery Program in Macomb

By • Jun 9, 2021
Courtesy GFC

A new non-profit has formed in Macomb to continue the food delivery programs that started last year during the pandemic. Good Food Collaborative (GFC) consists almost entirely of volunteers. The only paid employee is Executive Director John Curtis.

Concerns about Police Conduct Toward Journalists

By • Jun 8, 2021

RTDNA reported that it has joined more than 100 other groups in urging the Justice Department to include “treatment of the press” in its reviews of the Minneapolis Police Department, Louisville Metro Police Department, and any future inquiries the Justice Department might pursue. 

Big Hollow Lake Floatilla Raises Water Quality Concerns

By • Jun 8, 2021
David Hightower/TSPR

It was a picture perfect summer afternoon at Big Hollow Lake's beach. There were blue skies, warm temperatures, and a small crowd on the beach.

Animal Disease Labs Stepped Up During COVID-19 And Could Help Prevent The Next Pandemic

By Seth Bodine • Jun 8, 2021

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, animal disease labs across the country stepped up to expand testing capacity, and they could play a role in preventing the next pandemic. 

Spillover events, animal diseases that jump to humans, happen often, according to Jonna Mazet, a professor of epidemiology and disease ecology at the University of California - Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. 

Most novel diseases and emerging infections that jump from one species to another don’t cause big problems, she says. In other cases, it can be bad. 

Ezike to Knox Graduates: You Have Earned Your Spot at the Table

By • Jun 7, 2021

The head of the Illinois Department of Public Health told Knox College graduates to write their own stories – and make those stories Pulitzer Prize winners.

Pritzker Signs New Legislative Maps into Law One Week After Democrats Push Them Through

By • Jun 4, 2021

Governor JB Pritzker on Friday signed new legislative district maps Democrats pushed through the General Assembly a week ago — maps Democrats approved on partisan lines over objections from community advocacy organizations, self-styled government reform groups and Republicans.

“Illinois’ strength is in our diversity, and these maps help to ensure that communities that have been left out and left behind have fair representation in our government,” Pritzker said in a statement. “These district boundaries align with both the federal and state Voting Rights Acts, which help to ensure our diverse communities have electoral power and fair representation.”

Even with Recent Rains, Parts of the Midwest And High Plains Remain Parched by Drought

By Katie Peikes • Jun 4, 2021
UNITED STATES DROUGHT MONITOR, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN

Even with recent rains across the region, scientists say expanses across the Midwest and High Plains remain in a long-haul drought.

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Animal Disease Labs Stepped Up During COVID-19 And Could Help Prevent The Next Pandemic

By Seth Bodine • Jun 8, 2021

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, animal disease labs across the country stepped up to expand testing capacity, and they could play a role in preventing the next pandemic. 

Spillover events, animal diseases that jump to humans, happen often, according to Jonna Mazet, a professor of epidemiology and disease ecology at the University of California - Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. 

Most novel diseases and emerging infections that jump from one species to another don’t cause big problems, she says. In other cases, it can be bad. 

Even with Recent Rains, Parts of the Midwest And High Plains Remain Parched by Drought

By Katie Peikes • Jun 4, 2021
UNITED STATES DROUGHT MONITOR, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN

Even with recent rains across the region, scientists say expanses across the Midwest and High Plains remain in a long-haul drought.

Spring Festivals Are Back And Helping Small Towns Blossom

By Katie Peikes • May 29, 2021

Boys and men, wearing traditional Dutch outfits of black caps, long button-down shirts, black pants and wooden shoes, throw buckets of water onto the street in downtown Orange City, Iowa. Girls and women wear Dutch bonnets and long dresses or skirts while they push brooms on the water. 

How A Robot Could Keep Farmers Out of Grain Bins

By Melissa Rosales & Nebraska Public Media • May 28, 2021
Cecil Smalley Photography

A few times a year, farmers have to do a dangerous task; go inside large grain bins to take care of their harvest. Last year, more than 30 of them were trapped inside silos in the U.S., according to Purdue University.

Rural Areas Lag In Vaccination Rates, CDC Report Shows

By • May 21, 2021

COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower in rural counties than in urban counties, according to a new

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