In the News

In a new series called "Our Representatives,"Morning Shiftis reaching out to all 26 House members and senators in Washington that represent the people in the WBEZ listening area. In this first installment, host Jenn Whitetalks with Illinois Democratic Congressman Bill Foster.

For Batavia veteran Larry Orsborn, attending the wellness fair in Aurora Thursday for veterans was the "right thing to do."

"Unfortunately there are not a lot of 'outside' people who know as much about the resources available as the people that are here do," Orsborn said.

Illinois Democrats in Congress expressed outrage over the

A roundtable discussion in Aurora on President Donald Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program Saturd

Each day, more than 90 Americans die from heroin and opioid overdoses. In my home state of Illinois, there were 1,835 overdose deaths in 2015 — a 16 percent increase in just two years. New synthetic versions of heroin like fentanyl and carfentanil are exacerbating the crisis. Overdose deaths from these drugs increased by over 70 percent from 2014 to 2015.

Moments after Trump effectively put an end to Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Illinois Congressman Bill Foster (D-11), condemned the decision. Foster, who represents Illinois District 11, said, "the President fails to appreciate the important contributions these Americans make to our country's rich diversity and economic prosperity."

For Metea Valley High School Principal Darrell Echols, true diversity is something that schools still need to keep working on.

At an event at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora Wednesday that focused on diversity, Echols shared a story that shows how far society needs to go to truly embrace differences among people.

JOLIET – It's time we stop naming substance users as addicts, Will County Director of Substance Use Initiatives Dr. Kathleen Burke said.
"I want to ask everyone today to stop using the word ‘addict' because it's derogatory and it stigmatizes," Burke said Wednesday. "People have a medical disease. It's a substance use disorder. ‘Substance users' is what I try to say."