ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL

Mar 18 2026POLITICS

A New Senate Hope: Illinois Votes for a Black Woman with Big Support

Illinois voters have chosen a new face for the Senate, electing a Black woman who has long worked under Governor JB Pritzker. The win shows how powerful state politics can be when a governor’s backing is combined with substantial outside money. The campaign began when the incumbent senator, Richard 

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Feb 12 2026ENVIRONMENT

Data Centers: A Growing Concern for Illinois

Illinois is facing a big challenge with data centers. These huge facilities are popping up quickly, and they're causing some problems. They use a lot of water and electricity. This is making people's bills go up. Plus, they might be hurting the environment. A new law called the Power Act is being p

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Jan 11 2026POLITICS

Illinois Lawmakers Face Tough Choices with $2. 2 Billion Budget Gap

Illinois lawmakers are back at work, but this time, they're dealing with a $2. 2 billion budget gap. That's a lot of money, and it's not going to be easy to fix. The state is also dealing with some big changes in Washington, like fewer federal dollars coming in. This means lawmakers have to be extra

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Jan 09 2026HEALTH

Unlocking Local Change: How Councillors Use Research for Better Communities

Councillors in England hold significant power over local services. Yet, there's a big question: how do they use research to make decisions that affect people's health and well-being? This is where the Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) come in. These groups were set up to help local

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Dec 26 2025SCIENCE

Making Sense of Messy Environmental Data

Environmental science often deals with messy data. Small, varied data sets make it hard to build reliable models. Traditional machine learning methods often fail here. They fit the training data too well but perform poorly in real-world tests. Enter GP-BT. It's a new method designed to tackle these

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Oct 25 2025POLITICS

Illinois Stands Strong: Protecting Reproductive Rights Amidst National Challenges

Illinois has become a key player in the fight for reproductive rights, especially after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Governor JB Pritzker has been at the forefront of this battle, ensuring that Illinois remains a safe haven for those seeking abortion care. Pritzker recently

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May 24 2025HEALTH

How Pollution Shapes Diabetes

Environmental pollutants are now recognized as key players in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). This is a condition marked by issues with glucose regulation and insulin production. While lifestyle choices and genetics have long been blamed, pollutants like particulate matter, heavy metals,

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Mar 20 2025HEALTH

Illinois Health Systems Under Scrutiny: The Push for Better Reporting of Abuse

Illinois is taking steps to tackle sexual misconduct in healthcare. A recent push aims to strengthen how healthcare workers and systems handle and report sexual misconduct claims. The goal is to prevent abuse from being swept under the rug. This comes after a series of revelations about how some hea

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Feb 20 2025POLITICS

Who's Really Driving Environmental Policy Changes?

Environmental policy changes are a big deal in modern democracies. These changes have been happening a lot and are getting noticed. But why do these changes happen? There are a lot of different ideas about what causes them. Some people think it's because of what the public wants. Others point t

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Dec 10 2024ENVIRONMENT

Greening Chicago: Can Labor and Environment Work Together?

Illinois' environmental and labor leaders are exploring cooperation to tackle the state's climate challenges. Jennifer Walling, head of the Illinois Environmental Council, and Marc Poulos, a labor representative, recently visited Germany to learn about their efficient mass transit system. They hope

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