Statewide: Legislative Ethics Response; Baseball's Scandalous Summer

Illinois state government was rocked last year when the utility Commonwealth Edison admitted to a bribery scheme.  It even led to the downfall of long-time House Speaker Michael Madigan.  While there have been promises of ethics changes since then, it remains uncertain what can get done in the final weeks of the legislative session.

We also learn about a podcast focused on baseball's famous homerun race of 1998 - and the steroid scandal that would follow.  

Those stories and more on this week's Statewide.

This week:

* Patrick Smith talks with the great aunt of a 16 year old, killed by Chicago police in 2016. She spoke about the Derek Chauvin verdict and her hope for more police accountability.

* Lee Gaines with Illinois Newsroom details a new law requiring Black history be taught in Illinois schools. She introduces us to a parent who has made it her mission to teach that history.

* Herb Trix with WVIK tells us about a new timely mural in downtown Dubuque that puts a focus on racial issues.

* Dave McKinney with WBEZ reports on efforts to bring ethics changes to Illinois in the wake of a bribery scandal involving politicians and Commonwealth Edison.

* Christine Hatfield explains there is a dispute among Illinois car dealers and the electric automaker Rivian over options consumers have to purchase vehicles.

* Yvonne Boose with WNIJ talks with two northern Illinois farm executives who say focusing on our health can help the environment.

* Peter Medlin explains it has been a tough year for educators. He asks some of them about lessons they have learned.

* We listen to excerpts of a podcast called "Crushed" about the 1998 baseball season, which captured the attention of fans in St. Louis and Chicago, and the scandal that followed. We also talk with the sportswriter behind the project.

Statewide for the week of April 23, 2021Listen to Statewide across Illinois in:

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• Olney - WUSI 90.3 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
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• Rockford/DeKalb – WNIJ 89.5 (Saturdays 6-7 a.m., Sundays 2-3 p.m.)
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• Pittsfield - WIPA 89.3 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
• Urbana/Champaign – WILL 580 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 7-8 p.m.)

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