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Most Catholic health institutions in Illinois temporarily protected from assisted suicide law
A significant number of Catholic health workers in Illinois are now covered by a temporary restraining order on the state's new physician assisted suicide law that took effect Sept. 12.
Signs of opposition - Illinois Times, the capital city's source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture
Signs popping up across Springfield make a blunt pitch to voters: “Landlord registration raises your taxes! Say no.” The Springfield Area Landlord Association, which is behind the signs, said they’re meant to warn voters about what the group sees as the inevitable costs of a landlord registration program. On Nov. 3, Springfield voters will weigh […]
Local election coverage - Illinois Times, the capital city's source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture
From congressional races to contested Sangamon County Board seats and the sheriff’s race, here’s a look at who’s on the Nov. 3 ballot locally. We also have an overview of the landlord registry referendum that Springfield voters will be asked to consider. Sign up for our daily digital newsletter (https://www.illinoistimes.com/get-it-in-your-inbox/) to get timely information about […]
Illinois Women's Basketball Ranked No. 23 in Preseason AP Poll
Shauna Green's Fighting Illini are ranked in the AP Poll for the fifth year in a row.
Southern Ill. man arrested in check fraud case involving Paducah business
A multi-agency theft investigation in western Kentucky led to a southern Illinois man’s arrest.
Illinois Freshman Quentin Coleman Ranked 8 in Newcomer Rankings
Illinois freshman Quentin Coleman continues to generate buzz after an impressive exhibition debut against Cincinnati.
Mixing Politics and Perceptions of AI and Data Centers: Results from the Gardner Food & Agricultural Policy Survey
With an eye towards the rapidly approaching 2026 midterm elections, this article further reviews survey results from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, but through the lens of political…
Dan Lanning Compliments Bret Bielema Ahead of Oregon-Illinois Game
Oregon coach Dan Lanning had high praise for Bret Bielema's schemes ahead of Saturday's big game.
Get Covered Illinois offering health coverage to 9,300 residents affected by Medicaid cuts
Approximately 9,300 Illinois residents who lost Medicaid coverage due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act can now enroll in health insurance plans through Get Covered Illinois until December 31, 2026…
Cafeteria license at Advocate Illinois Masonic suspended after health inspection reveals cockroaches, black slime
The Chicago Department of Public Health has suspended the kitchen license at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Lakeview.
Larry Gies Pledges Another $100 Million To His Namesake Business School
Larry Gies welcomes Illinois business majors during a signing day ceremony at Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. (Photo by Fred Zwicky / University of Illinois Ur...
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center cafeteria closes after failed health inspection
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center cafeteria fails health inspection; 200 live roaches found in kitchen
The cafeteria at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center failed a recent public health inspection, after officials found black slime and more than 200 live cockroaches in the facility.
Opinion: How one-party politics and a complacent media fail Cook County
Cook County and lately Illinois are paying a high price for the one-party system that the monetization of politics propagates.
Opinion: How one-party politics and a complacent media fail Cook County
Cook County and lately Illinois are paying a high price for the one-party system that the monetization of politics propagates.
Rural Health, Inc. to hold 5th annual Night of the Living Health Fair on Friday
Rural Health, Inc. will hold its annual Night of the Living Health Fair on Friday, inviting the community to trick or treat while also learning about Southern Illinois healthcare services
Get Covered Illinois offering health coverage to 9,300 residents affected by Medicaid cuts
Approximately 9,300 Illinois residents who lost Medicaid coverage due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act can now enroll in health insurance plans through Get Covered Illinois until December 31, 2026…
Illinois Election Day 2026: Early voting expands across Chicago, suburbs
In Illinois, Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Central Illinois Flea Market vendors explain why they’re in business
The Central Illinois Flea Market wrapped up its season at Peoria Speedway this weekend, giving shoppers one last chance to browse a variety of unique finds.
College of DuPage brings OpenAI Academy to Illinois for inaugural AI summit
College of DuPage and OpenAI host an AI summit exploring workforce skills, higher education and the role of human judgment in an AI-driven world.
It's Your Business | UI students launch bagel business
I Bagels was co-founded by Matthew Harfield and Lev Linderman, who are both sophomores at the University of Illinois.
Community leaders: Foiled Illinois attack spurred by anti-Hindu hate
A thwarted mass shooting targeting a large Hindu temple in suburban Chicago was fueled by years of hateful rhetoric on social media against Hindus and Indians, community leaders say.
Health and Public Service Career Fair attracts students seeking internships and future careers
Career Services offered Illinois State University students the chance to connect with healthcare workers and other service workers in the community at the Health and Public Service Career Fair.
Michigan State Extends Offer to 4-Star Tackle
Jonathan Smith targets Illinois powerhouse Ben Coleman, a versatile 285-pound mauler whose rare blend of elite size and soft hands makes him a prized Big Ten commodity.
New landmark study shows Illinois lawyers are in mental health crisis
There is an eye opening look at what can only be described as a mental health crisis among attorneys in the state, according to a first of its kind analysis commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court.
Business Community Update: Fall 2026 - City of West Chicago, Illinois
The City of West Chicago is pleased to welcome several new businesses to our community, along with businesses that have recently changed ownership, relocated, or expanded their operations. These investments reflect the continued growth and diversity of West Chicago's business community. New Businesses Please join us in welcoming the following businesses to West Chicago: ALM
Health officials in Illinois say it is time to get your flu shot
Flu season is here, and health officials say now is the time to get your flu shot if you haven’t already.
C-U Public Health: The switch to generic naloxone will increase access to the lifesaving medication
Naloxone reverses opioid overdoses and is supplied to communities across Illinois thanks to federal funding. Health officials say the switch to a generic form will save money and increase the supply of the lifesaving medication across the state.
Illinois Wesleyan mourns loss of assistant business and marketing professor
Details surrounding her death were not immediately available.
Report: Illinois gets an F for financial health
(The Center Square) – Illinois is one of four states that received a failing grade on the 2026 Financial State of the States report, but Truth in Accounting said there is a legislative way to improve ...
Treating Hunger as Health Care: Franciscan Health and Food Bank of NWI Debut Illinois/Indiana State Line Food Locker
Treating Hunger as Health Care: Franciscan Health and Food Bank of NWI Debut Illinois/Indiana State Line Food Locker
Opinion: Socialism’s promises sound familiar. So does the track record.
Illinois has already tried to address high costs, limited access, and economic insecurity through government. Before giving it more control in the hope that this time will be different, we should reckon honestly with what that experience has actually produced.
State lawmakers react to IDHS decision to preserve some beds at Choate Mental Health Center
Illinois State Senators Terri Bryant (R-Murpysboro) and Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) say a new plan for Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna does not go far enough.
Food Science Pilot Plant internship helps student find passion and gain experience
The University of Illinois Food Science Pilot Plant offers space for food processing companies to test new ingredients and technologies. And it gives students real-world experience to prepare for food science careers.
Endeavor Health, Rush University System announce plans to merge
Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health announced plans to merge into a singular integrated academic health system in a Wednesday news release. The merger will create a unified network of 12 hospitals and more than 400 care sites across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana that will employ more than 46,000 people and serve...
1 in 5 Lawyers Rate Their Mental Health as 'Fair' or 'Poor,' Illinois Study Finds
Nearly 27% of lawyers surveyed by the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program said they have daily or weekly feelings of stress regarding work, and 66% believe their workplaces harm their mental health, physical health or overall wellness and would consider leaving.
Rush University System for Health, Endeavor Health unveil 12-hospital merger
Two of Chicagoland’s major healthcare players announced plans Wednesday to merge into a 12-hospital nonprofit with nearly $11 billion in annual revenue. | The resulting nonprofit system would be Illinois' largest by hospital count and comprise nearly $11 billion in annual operating revenue.
Illinois flag football rankings: USA TODAY Sports Super 10, Week 8
As the IHSA postseason reaches the quarterfinals, here's where Illinois' flag football teams stand in the latest Super 10 rankings.
Major Chicago-area health systems Endeavor, Rush University announce plans to merge
The plan, expected to close in 2027, would create one of the largest health systems in Illinois
Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health announce plans to merge
A union between Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health would create one of the largest health systems in Illinois.
Schmeling Construction Co. wins award for work at Home Base Sports Fields
Schmeling Construction Co. among “Best of the Best” in Illinois for donating time and talent to construct Home Base Sports Fields, a one-of-a-kind place to play for Buddy Baseball and All Stars Baseball programs.
David Mirkovic Returns to Practice, Eyes Season Opener Against FDU
Illinois sophomore David Mirkovic has returned to practice following offseason foot surgery, but his availability for the November 2 season opener against FDU remains uncertain.
N. Syracuse Manufacturer Marks Milestone, Plans for the Future
Air Innovations has grown from a small local manufacturer into a global business, selling its products in 74 countries organizations. Some of its clients include NASA, Blue Origin and SpaceX. By Stefan Yablonski [caption id=attachment_11117 align=alignright width=450] Michael Wetzel, president and CEO, and his father, Larry, who currently is an adviser to the board of directors. Larry served as the chairman of the board until 2024, when the company was acquired by Altus Capital Partners, a private equity firm.[/caption] Air Innovations in North Syracuse hopes to add more employees and possibly even expand its facility in the near future. The company is a global leader in designing and building environmental process control systems for applications that can’t be addressed with standard HVAC equipment, according to Michael Wetzel, president and CEO. “We customize solutions for temperature, humidity, filtration and pressurization, with additional capabilities in direct-expansion, chilled-water and thermoelectric technologies. Our business now is entirely focused on specialty or niche markets.” Air Innovations celebrated its 40th anniversary on Sept. 18, marking four decades of doing business, manufacturing products and growing in Central New York. In the beginning [caption id=attachment_11138 align=alignright width=451] A worker, Ezzy Salehi, tests a Wine Guardian condenser unit at Air Innovations.[/caption] “A guy by the name of Jim Kelley started the business [known as Floratech] in 1986. It was focused on refrigerated display cases for supermarket fresh flowers,” Wetzel said. “My father [Larry] started Clean Room Technology in the early 1980s, then sold that to a French company called Clestra Cleanroom. “My father and I bought Floratech in 1996 — 30 years ago, 10 years after it was started. Then in 1999, Floratech bought a portion of Clestra and their building. At that point everything was still called Floratech. But, as that was not reflective of the diversity of the business, we rebranded as Air Innovations in 2001.” The company rebranded to pursue a strategy of diversification in specialty HVAC systems. Wetzel explained that since then, it has become a trusted global partner, earning the President’s “E” Award for Exports and securing contracts in the most demanding fields, including aerospace, defense and semiconductor manufacturing. Air Innovations has grown from a small local manufacturer into a global business, selling nearly 70,000 units in 74 countries and territories and developing custom environmental control systems for companies and organizations including NASA, Blue Origin and SpaceX. “We work with all the big names you ever heard of and some you never heard of,” Wetzel added. The Wetzels sold the business two years ago to Altus Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on control investments in lower middle-market, niche manufacturing companies in North America. Founded in 2003, Altus Capital Partners’ headquarters is in Wilton, Connecticut, with an additional office in Lincolnshire, Illinois. “They are an equity firm. Both my father and I both maintain a small minority share. I am going to continue to be involved. I call myself a part-time CEO. I will continue that role for the foreseeable future; I don’t see any change there.” Building to the future “We are at 58 employees right now, which is a little bit down. We had a high of 70. That moves along with the activity we have,” Wetzel said. “We’ll start ramping up here in the fourth quarter into next year. More than 20% of our employees have been with the company for more than a decade. “I am fairly certain that sometime in the next several years we are going to have to enlarge the footprint of our facility and for sure we are going to have to add employees. We already are. We are probably going to have to add five or six people next year. We are always in the market for HVAC technicians; we always need those.” Air Innovations will remain in Central New York, with its current workforce staying in place, he added. “I believe the primary driver of our success over time is the diversity of our business which is a direct result of our willingness to tackle new challenges,” Wetzel said.
Pritzker says something will get done in veto session to keep Bears
The Illinois Legislature is scheduled to hold a veto session in the weeks before and after Thanksgiving.
Did Illinois’ mental health safety net fail? Rep. LaPointe responds to 7-year-old's stabbing death
The suspect charged in the murder of 7-year-old Eddimar Hernandez Chacon had a history of violent arrests and years of unaddressed psychiatric crises, according to her public defender. Former social worker and Illinois State Representative Lindsey LaPointe (D-19) breaks down why families struggle to access emergency care, current legal avenues, and what Springfield must do to build sustainable, community-based care before tragedy strikes.
Opinion: How Illinois’ treasurer is using public money to spur new housing
Michael Frerichs' office might not be the first that comes to mind on housing, but he says he's trying to go beyond the traditional mold.
EIU Hosts Small Business Fest to Showcase Local Student-Run and Community-Run Businesses
Eastern Illinois University hosted its Small Business Fest on Oct. 10, 2026, bringing together local businesses and student ran shops to showcase their products, services and work in the community. Production: Zak Rojahn
SIU zoology, computer science researchers team up for IDNR deer density study
The study focuses on white-tailed deer, a familiar sight across Southern Illinois and a species whose population levels can affect everything from agriculture to highway safety.
SIU zoology, computer science researchers team up for IDNR deer density study
CARBONDALE — White-tailed deer are a staple of Southern Illinois culture. Pope County celebrates with a festival dedicated to the animal, hunters of all ages skip school or work for
Commentary: Washington shouldn’t gut the Head Start standards Illinois families depend on
Changes proposed by the Trump administration would remove evidence-based standards that support quality instruction, protect children's safety and promote healthy development.
SIU’s 2026 Earth Science Week events focus on critical minerals, public invited
CARBONDALE — Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers are observing Earth Science Week by exploring some of today’s most important environmental and Earth science challenges — from plastic pollution and soil
Pat Fitzgerald Blasts Officiating After Michigan State’s Heartbreaking Loss
Pat Fitzgerald unloaded on officials after Michigan State's controversial onside-kick penalty against Illinois, calling the sequence one of the most confusing he'd seen.
Michigan State’s Two-Point Gamble Ends In Overtime Heartbreak
Michigan State lost 38-37 to Illinois after Pat Fitzgerald went for a two-point win in overtime. Discover how an offsides call and injuries shaped the game.
Memorial Health urges early flu shots before season begins
Memorial Health is encouraging central Illinois residents to get flu shots now as influenza activity begins earlier in some regions.
Court order temporarily shields some Illinois Catholic health care providers from assisted-suicide law
The order covers members of several religious health care associations, including the Illinois Catholic Health Association.
Michigan State football vs Illinois injury update: Key LB returns
Michigan State football senior LB Jordan Hall was left off the Spartans’ pregame availability report, meaning he appears to be a go on Saturday.
Illinois Basketball Ranks No. 5 in Toughest Non-Conference Schedules
The Field of 68 ranked Illinois basketball No. 5 nationally in non-conference schedule difficulty for the 2026-27 season.
Three Keys To A Spartans Homecoming Win Over Illinois
Pat Fitzgerald still seeks his first Big Ten win as Illinois visits for homecoming Saturday. #GoGreen
Illinois cannabis sales are on the rise again after a long slump
Sales in August and September rose 8% from the same period a year earlier on 12% higher unit sales, newly released data show.
Spartans LB Jordan Hall Upgraded, Could Play vs. Illinois
Michigan State's Jordan Hall moved from doubtful to questionable and could return against Illinois. #GoGreen
Is the new best stadium in America in Evanston, Illinois? MoneyCall
The latest free weekly sports business newsletter from The Athletic, also featuring Tebowmania at 20 and an exciting internship opportunity.
Suns HC Jordan Ott provides update on Miles Bridges
CHICAGO — The Phoenix Suns may have dodged a bullet with Miles Bridges after he left Wednesday’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls due to injury. Oct 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Miles Bridges (22) warms up prior to a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
Illinois Ranks 118th Against the Pass Before Facing Michigan State
Illinois brings the nation's 118th pass defense to Spartan Stadium on Saturday afternoon. #GoGreen
SIU hosts Saluki Care Week to promote student mental, physical health
Southern Illinois University is hosting Saluki Care Week to help students destress and connect with on-campus health services.
How a Chicago educator uses food to teach science thanks to Pilot Light, a local chef-led nonprofit
The goal was to conduct a sensory exploration of honey samples native to Illinois, while hitting a core standard of food education: Food connects us and the food and the environment are interconnected.
Alpharus Health Expands Access to Mental Health Services Across Illinois
Chicago, IL, Oct. 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alpharus Health is expanding access to mental health care across Illinois by bringing comprehensive behavioral health services to 11 of its 13 community outpatient clinics. Alpharus Health now offers outpatient mental health treatment services in Aurora, Bloomington, Carbondale, Chicago, Downers Grove, Gurnee, Jacksonville, Joliet, Peoria, Springfield, and Swansea. Alpharus Health also offers virtual mental health treatment for all Illinois resident
Argonne-Led Campaign Aims to Improve Midwest Storm Predictions
A new U.S. Department of Energy research campaign will deploy advanced instruments from Ames, Iowa, to Chicago, Illinois, to study how differences in land surfaces, from farmland to cities, impact the formation and intensity of energy-disrupting storms. LEMONT, Ill., Oct. 7, 2026 — Every year, destructive storms cause billions of dollars of damage to homes, […]
Why are out-of-state billionaires funding a California voter ID measure?
Packaging magnate and Illinois businessman Richard Uhilein and venture capitalists Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are among the big spenders bankrolling California’s voter ID measure.
Darius Wabbington commits to Indiana
Phoenix Sunnyslope High School star Darius Wabbington chose Indiana over a final group of suitors that included Arizona and Illinois.
SI Now Hosts Regional Leadership Breakfast to Boost Southern Illinois Business Growth
SI Now hosted its second Leadership Breakfast, bringing over 100 Southern Illinois leaders together to network, share insights, and drive economic growth.
Oak Park approves five-year public health plan focusing on equity
The new Illinois Project for Local Needs Assessment, or IPLAN, from the public health department aims to help fix health inequities in Oak Park.
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.
CAS inducts seven into Hall of Fame
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) inducted seven distinguished members of the CAS community into its Hall of Fame on Friday, September 18.
Dennis Hastert, longtime Republican House speaker who went to prison, dies at age 84
Dennis Hastert, who served as House speaker longer than any other Republican but later was sent to prison in a hush-money case, has died. The Kendall County, Illinois, coroner said
Paid influencers and political ads - Illinois Times, the capital city's source of news, politics, arts, entertainment, culture
My associate Isabel Miller and I worked on a story last week about paid influencers in campaigns. We decided to look into it after reading news reports about how the Chicago Teachers Union has been using paid influencers in its battle to control the elected Chicago school board and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is also […]
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert dies at age 84
The Kendall County, Illinois, coroner said Monday that Hastert died of natural causes over the weekend
Study: IL lawyers report mental health challenges, substance abuse, suicide ideation
(CAPITOL CITY NOW) - For many lawyers, the effects of the job can include declining mental health, substance abuse, problem gambling, suicide ideation, and even declining cognitive skills. These are the results of a survey of Illinois attorneys, "The Weight of Practice," commissioned by the Illinois Lawyers' Assistance Program. Factors include the stress of being
SDSU posts complete road win at Illinois State
NORMAL, Ill. (SDSU) —Josh Holst threw a pair of touchdown passes and the South Dakota State defense forced three turnovers as the second-ranked Jackrabbits came away with a 31-14 victory over Illinois State Saturday night at Hancock Stadium. SDSU improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Redbirds, who entered […]
Saturday Scoreboard
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Here’s a look at scores from around the area: College Football:Northern St. 16 Bemidji St. 9 FSDSU 31 Illinois St. 14 FUSD 44 Indiana St. 14 FAugustana 37 USF 20 F Boys Soccer:Hot Springs 4 Douglas-New Underwood 0 FSt. Thomas More-Rapid City Christian 3 Belle Fourche 0 Girls Soccer:St. Thomas […]
No. 8 YSU surges past No. 22 Southern Illinois
The No. 8 Penguins trailed 10-7 at halftime before scoring the next three touchdowns in the second half to overwhelm the Salukis.
Government Business Review names Whiteside County’s Camarano Economic Development Director of the Year
Whiteside County Economic Development Director Gary Camarano, who is also the executive director of the Northwest Illinois Film Office, has been named Economic Development Director of the Year 2026 by Government Business Review.
Illinois catering business ordered to shut down after high school football team got sick before homecoming
The unlicensed caterer served a taco bar with fajita chicken, seasoned taco beef, cheese, flour taco shells, cheesy pepper beans, cilantro corn rice and pico de gallo or salsa
5 Illinois Players to Watch vs. Purdue Boilermakers
Here are five Illinois players to watch for Saturday's 4:15 p.m. home game against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Catering business shut down after football team suffers food poisoning before game
An unlicensed home-based catering business in Illinois has been ordered to cease operations after dozens of people were sickened.
Catering business shut down after football team suffers food poisoning before game
An unlicensed home-based catering business in Illinois has been ordered to cease operations after dozens of people were sickened.
Catering business shut down after football team suffers food poisoning before game
An unlicensed home-based catering business in Illinois has been ordered to cease operations after dozens of people were sickened.
Catering business shut down after football team suffers food poisoning before game
An unlicensed home-based catering business in Illinois has been ordered to cease operations after dozens of people were sickened.
Catering business shut down after football team suffers food poisoning before game
An unlicensed home-based catering business in Illinois has been ordered to cease operations after dozens of people were sickened.
Catering business shut down after football team suffers food poisoning before game
An unlicensed home-based catering business in Illinois has been ordered to cease operations after dozens of people were sickened.
Purdue Football (1-3) vs. Illinois (2-2): Staff Predictions
Will Purdue football get a Big Ten win?
Capitol News Illinois | Optimistic data-center report met with criticism
A new study predicts data centers expected to be built in Illinois over the next decade would create thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in property-tax revenue.
Highlights/scores: High school sports (10/01/26)
CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) – IHSA girls’ flag football playoffs began on Thursday, while the regular season continued for multiple other high school sports in Illinois. Check out some highlights above, from a unique rivalry match in Champaign, and more scores below from Thursday’s action in the WCIA 3 viewing area. GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL Mahomet-Seymour 25, […]
What to know about the U.S. Senate race to replace Sen. Dick Durbin
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has served alongside Gov. JB Pritzker since 2018, faces Don Tracy, the former chair of the Illinois Republican Party.
What to know about the race for Illinois governor
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Republican Darren Bailey and independent candidate Collin Corbett are on the ballot in the race for governor in the Nov. 3 general election.
New book explores how political polarization affects close relationships
Political polarization's effects on the homefront explored in new book
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
LA to require police to record federal immigration enforcement
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass approved the ordinance Wednesday
Ex-Illinois Star Keaton Wagler Impresses Teammate as Clippers Rookie
The Los Angeles Clippers' top five pick is looking like a potential star.