Six individuals were recently awarded the Order of Lincoln, a prestigious honor in Illinois to recognize contributions and achievements. Among those singled out was columnist George Will. We listen to his remarks. And 1919 was so violent, it was given the nickname "The Summer of Red." An Illinois author joins us to look back on an Illinois race riot that year. That and more on this week's Statewide.

Recreational pot, construction projects and more — here’s what we know.

Families of those who died at the Quincy Veterans’ Home during a Legionnaire's Disease outbreak are still upset. Those deaths happened on the Rauner Administration’s watch. But now they are questioning if the new governor is doing enough. Four women who are friends -- and also state lawmakers -- talk about how working on a key piece of legislation has brought them closer together. And in southern Illinois, one of the oldest homes still standing is state-owned. But there appears to be no plan for

Imagine being put in a postion where you could lose your job and face legal repercussions for helping save the life of a young student. That was the predicament an Illinois school nurse found herself in when a crisis happened. She tells her story, which may lead to a rule change. We look back at the dangerous derecho, which some say resembled an inland hurricane, that struck southern Illinois in May of 2009. What happened and what lessons were learned. That and more on this week's Statewide.

With Illinois lawmakers negotiating over a plan to make recreational marijuana use legal, public radio stations throughout the state focused on the issue. Reporters delved into various angles and points of view. The result was the series The State of Cannabis, which aired throughout Illinois this past week. On this special episode of Statewide, we highlight that reporting.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker's budget proposal would allow the state to spend more on pressing needs. But that investment would come at a cost: shorting the state's already underfunded public pension systems. We talk with the author of an analysis about what impact that would have for the future. And, with the state's teacher shortage worsening, what can be done to get people who aspire to be teachers into those classrooms? In many cases, those individuals are already working at schools as

Milo Vieland is a caseworker for transgender and gender nonconforming people at the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago. Through a program that started last year, he helps transgender foks navigate through medical aspects of the transition process such as dealing with insurance. The transgender man says many of his clients will benefit from a new policy the state recently announced to start paying for gender reasignment surgeries through Medicaid. Maureen McKinney spoke with Vieland this week.

Technology means we are no longer disconnected. Being able to receive good news anywhere, and sharing it with others, can be a thrill. But what about bad news, like a college rejection notice? It's happening for many through email and some believe that puts more stress on today's students. We have a report. And this week marked 154 years since the death of Abraham Lincoln. We hear from a researcher who found out how the average American at the time dealt with the tragedy. Not all of them mourned

Illinois is a long state. Those in southern Illinois are closer to Tennessee than Chicago. And the political leanings can be just as far apart. We talk with a state lawmaker who has signed on to a plan calling for Chicago to be separated from the rest of Illinois. He adds he joined the effort because it's time to start a conversation over policy. Coming together can be difficult - even more so when we talk about consolidating school districts. It might save money, but that's just one

Two proposals to raise Illinois' tax on gasoline have surfaced as a way to help pay for a public works program. Lawmakers and the governor are pushing to get a plan in place during this legislative session, which ends in May. And, a cancer survivor and author explains how finding perspective can help all of us during our darkest times. That and more on this episode of Statewide.