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Oct. 8 talk to discuss building a new era of materials characterization
Pinshane Y. Huang, Racheff Faculty Scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, will give the talk “Building a new era of atom-by-atom materials characterization with electron ptychography” at 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, in 10 Sparks Building on the University Park campus.
Downtown Urbana entertainment venue/restaurant seeks extension on opening date
While an official opening date for Fernie’s High Horse has yet to be announced, at least two concerts are already booked for late 2026: Emo brand TRSH on Dec. 4
It's Your Business | New Urbana shop aims to encourage reuse, creativity and community
In addition to reselling items, See Use Again also offers tool and mobility aid rentals, professional organization services, and workshops in partnership with artists.
How Washington Funded the Politicization of Science
Over the last half-decade, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on projects designed to influence academic policies, both in the sciences and other disciplines. The aim was to foster a progressive conception of social justice in these fields. In pursuit of this end, the foundation earmarked nearly a million dollars for a project titled “Creating Inclusive Scientific Societies through Policies and Practices,” over a million for a project on “Faculty Online Learning Communities for Gender Equity,” and over $2 million to foster “racial equity focused departmental change.” Through a public records request, I’ve obtained the proposals and progress reports for dozens of NSF grants designed to promote social justice. Although funding for these grants was eventually halted by the Trump administration, the projects illustrate an important facet of recent higher-education policy. Many of the university policies that promised “social transformation” didn’t arise in a vacuum. They were actively encouraged by outside funders—often by the federal government itself. Subscribe Accreditation—the peer-review process which enables universities to receive federal grants and student loans—has recently become a policy battleground, with accreditors wielding significant power over both universities and academic disciplines. In 2020, when Oregon Health and Science University’s medical school issued an extensive diversity action plan—which promised “consequences” for employees who failed to support “DEI, anti-racism and social justice”—it specifically pointed to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the medical-school accrediting body, to justify the overhaul. The NSF actively promoted DEI-focused accreditation policies. The proposal for a $1.2 million program on promoting “community engagement” in STEM, which I obtained through a records request, notes that the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology was exploring changes to its criteria “that would incorporate JEDI [justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion].” The proposal promised to “support broader JEDI efforts in the general criteria for engineering.” Another grant funded a conference designed to “identify and share best practices and strategies to integrate IDEA principles in accreditation criteria”—referring to an acronym that stands for “inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.” Scholarly societies have become another flashpoint in debates over higher education. Critics argue that many of these societies, which have the power to shape entire disciplines, have become increasingly politicized. Again, through its giving, the NSF played a role in promoting this politicization. In one million-dollar grant that received funding in 2024, a group of psychologists proposed a series of social-justice reforms to the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. The proposal, which I obtained via a records request, asserts that “[r]edistributing resources (such as moving different people into leadership roles) is not enough” and that the society’s “governance structures do not yet reflect its stated values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Its solution: review and rework the society’s criteria for leadership development, academic awards, conferences, and publications. Adjusting review criteria informed by “intersectionality” designed to fight “epistemic exclusion” is an easy way to introduce de facto ideological litmus tests into the peer-review process. For many of the grants I obtained, such litmus tests seem to be the point. “Academic departments are racialized social systems that produce and sustain the byproducts of systemic racism,” a proposal for a $2.7 million project funded in 2024 asserts, promising to develop “departmentally-focused change efforts that cultivate values, assumptions, and behaviors that advance racial equity.” The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s million-dollar “I-ADVANCE” project, which effectively created a small DEI bureaucracy on campus, promised to Embed 28 ADVANCE faculty fellows in STEM departments” to amplify its equity goals. Another $1.2 million project promised to create “faculty online learning communities,” made up of scientists at universities around the country, that would eventually build department-level diversity action plans. “Ultimately,” the proposal asserts, perhaps more perceptively than its authors realized, “both organizational change and intersectionality frameworks deal with power.” Indeed, such grants confer a great deal of power to administrators and scholar-activists, who can even use the mere availability of funding as a tool to advance their causes. That history is worth remembering amid today’s debate over federal involvement in higher education: Washington has been shaping university priorities for years, including by financing efforts to instill progressive ideas about race, gender, and equity into academic institutions—and many of the policies those grants encouraged remain embedded within universities long after the federal money has stopped flowing. John D. Sailer is the director of higher education policy and a senior fellow at Manhattan Institute. Share
Mercy Health’s Urbana Hospital celebrates 75 years of service
Mercy Health’s Urbana Hospital is celebrating 75 years of service in Urbana and throughout Champaign County.
Iowans, business owner react to Sunday's flooding in Marion, Cedar Rapids
KGAN CBS 2 and KFXA Fox 28 provide local news, weather forecasts, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Cedar Rapids and nearby towns and communities in the Corridor and throughout eastern Iowa, including Iowa City, Waterloo, Dubuque, North Liberty, Coralville, Marion, Morengo, Williamsburg, Washington, Tiffin, Tipton, Solon, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Central City, Urbana, Independence, Manchester, Dyersville, Oelwein, Cedar Falls, Waverly, Evansdale, Guttenberg, West Union, New Hampton, Decorah, Waukon, Maquoketa, Sigourney, Fairfield, Grundy Center, La Porte City, Dysart, Fayette, Elkader, Strawberry Point and Belle Plaine.
It's Your Business | Pedaling to peddle popsicles in Urbana
“Because it is so unique, it really does turn heads. I’ve literally been riding back from the park to my house, and cars, a minivan will drive in front of
Most car seats aren't installed properly. C-U Public Health aims to help
When a car seat is not properly installed, children and babies can be harmed, even in low-speed collisions. It’s why the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District offers free car seat safety checks.
Highlights/scores: High school sports (9/7/26)
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Check out the latest scores from Labor Day action in high school sports. FOOTBALL Villa Grove-Heritage 48, Arcola 12 BOYS’ SOCCER Danville 5, BHRA 0 Sacred Heart-Griffin 6, Lincolnwood 0 Jacksonville 8, Riverton 0 Warrensburg-Latham 1, St. Teresa 0 VOLLEYBALL Urbana 2, Uni-High 0 Central 2, Danville 0 Fisher 1, GCMS […]
This environment is antagonistic to local business
Last week, The News-Gazette reported on a real estate covenant gumming things up for a potential locally owned and operated pharmacy in Urbana. As you may recall, both the Walgreens and CVS on Philo Road ...
Champaign business owner, Mahomet resident charged with tax, wire fraud
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A Mahomet man with a business in Champaign is facing federal charges for allegedly failing to turn over more than $800,000 in employment taxes to the IRS, and for “…
Business Owner Charged with Tax Fraud, Wire Fraud Related to COVID Relief Funds
URBANA, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) - Hans Lee Grotelueschen, 56, of Mahomet has been charged with allegedly failing to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and fraud related to Economic
Illinois Announces Community Impact Partnership with Busey Bank, Carle Health and Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation
Student-athlete partnership will support community health, engagement and economic vitality across Illinois.
Highlights/scores: High school sports (08/26/26)
CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) – An action packed opening week of fall sports in Central Illinois continued on Wednesday. Check out highlights above, plus more scores below from volleyball, girls’ flag football and boys’ soccer around the WCIA 3 viewing area. GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL Champaign Central 78, Bloomington 6 Peoria High 12, Champaign Centennial 8 Urbana […]
Hospital expanding mental health services with new inpatient care floor in Urbana
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Mental health care is an important resource for some people in Central Illinois, and for those who need care, there will soon be more opportunities to get help. OSF Sacr…
How preference for sons affects women's mental health in rural India
In rural India, having a son is a strong social expectation that puts pressure on women to bear male children. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines how a firstborn son ...
Fluctuating work hours increase health risks for workers
Workers who juggle volatile work hours that change from week to week may experience adverse health effects that impact their ability to work, although the limitations vary by gender, say researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who conducted a recent study.
New nonprofit offers different path for local artists
For local artists and performers who love being on the stage but can’t find the time for weeks of nightly rehearsals, a new Champaign-Urbana non-profit is hoping to present another
Teacher of the Week: Diamond Bibbie, science, Urbana Sixth Grade Center
In her first year at the Urbana Sixth Grade Center, math teacher Diamond Bibbie made an impact beyond her classroom, taking the lead in planning the school’s Black History Month
Top of the Morning, July 14, 2026
To complement Meadowbrook Park’s “Beauty" in Urbana, Andy White has delivered “Grace” to Mattis Park in Champaign.
Tornado destroys Urbana business, owner says they plan to rebuild
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down Thursday evening in front of Becks Country Shoppe in Urbana. The main building was destroyed. Winds r…
It's Your Business | New business hopes to level up
Muhammad Iman opened Hidden Level Cyber Café at 110 E University Ave., Urbana, in late April with the goal of creating “a social space for people to come and play
It's time for Pint of Science
This week is the return of Pint of Science in Urbana. This international festival connects renown scientists with curious local people at bars across the globe to discuss the latest scientific research. Pint of Science ...
2026 Best 40-Under-40 Business Professors: Julia Fonseca, Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Over the last decade, Poets&Quants has honored more than 540 up-and-coming star MBA and graduate business professors from around the world.
Remembering Theodore “Ted” Brown, the founding director of the Beckman Institute
Theodore “Ted” Brown, the founding director of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and professor emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, died Tuesday, March 24, 2026. He was 97 years old.
Farmers and rural community members can access free mental health resources
KGAN CBS 2 and KFXA Fox 28 provide local news, weather forecasts, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Cedar Rapids and nearby towns and communities in the Corridor and throughout eastern Iowa, including Iowa City, Waterloo, Dubuque, North Liberty, Coralville, Marion, Morengo, Williamsburg, Washington, Tiffin, Tipton, Solon, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Central City, Urbana, Independence, Manchester, Dyersville, Oelwein, Cedar Falls, Waverly, Evansdale, Guttenberg, West Union, New Hampton, Decorah, Waukon, Maquoketa, Sigourney, Fairfield, Grundy Center, La Porte City, Dysart, Fayette, Elkader, Strawberry Point and Belle Plaine.
Pint of Science Festival brings local researchers to bars in Champaign-Urbana for engaging talks
The annual event connects the community with global scientists to share groundbreaking discoveries at local bars and cafes.
New C-U Public Health director says he’ll focus on access to affordable health care in Champaign-Urbana
The new head of public health in Champaign County says he’s adamant about health equity and equal access to affordable health care. Dr. Mamadou Tounkara is stepping into the role following former administrator Julie Pryde’s retirement in January after 30 years of service.
Name Dropping | ‘Names and faces changed, but it is the same entertainment’
If it involves the Virginia Theatre, the Champaign-Urbana native Mitch Marlow is likely associated with it, too.
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District set to name new admin as Pryde retires after 20 years
The board of health's agenda for Wednesday includes a closed session, followed by a vote to appoint deputy administrator Dr. Mamadou Tounkara as Pryde’s successor.