An Illinois House Bill aimed at strengthening protections for students with disabilities by prohibiting certain waivers in special education agreements has passed the House and moved to the Senate for consideration. House Bill 2337 (HB2337), sponsored by State Representative Laura Faver Dias and a broad coalition of co-sponsors, seeks to […]
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans starting Monday, May 5. This marks the end of a pause that began in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The average amount of student loan debt college graduates leave with in […]
The grassroots movement “50501” is planning a peaceful demonstration called “Light in the Darkness,” on May 1. The event will take place from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. along Florida Avenue/Kirby Avenue in Urbana, stretching from Blair Park to Hessel Park. Organizers are encouraging participants to bring signs to display before […]
The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice has announced a public listening session to address the state’s ongoing public defense crisis, scheduled for May 1. The event aims to gather community input and spotlight policy solutions for improving legal representation for those awaiting trial across Illinois. Date & Time: Thursday, May […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended a major quality control program used in food safety testing due to significant staffing cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to Reuters. These reductions, affecting around 3,500 full-time employees, nearly 19% of the FDA’s workforce, were […]
The Trump administration is actively weighing a series of proposals aimed at encouraging American women to have more children. Among the most discussed ideas is a $5,000 “baby bonus” – a direct cash incentive that would be awarded to every American mother following childbirth. The bonus, if implemented, could supplement […]
A coalition of higher education leaders, including several prominent Illinois colleges, has joined a nationwide initiative urging campuses to foster constructive engagement and uphold the principles of free expression amid rising tensions and polarization. “As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the […]
President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order aimed at eliminating the use of disparate-impact liability in federal civil rights enforcement, marking a significant shift in how the government addresses discrimination and affirmative action policies. The order, titled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy,” asserts that the United States […]
The Health and Human Services Department released a statement Wednesday, stating they intend to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply through a series of new measures. Those efforts, though, will rely on voluntary efforts from the food industry. “We don’t have an agreement, we have […]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply downgraded its global economic outlook for 2025, citing intensifying trade tensions, policy uncertainty, and the lingering effects of recent tariff hikes as major headwinds for growth and inflation. In its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report released Tuesday, the IMF projects global growth […]
