WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Public university presidents facing ever-increasing state budget cuts are raising concerns about President Barack Obama's plan to force colleges and universities to contain tuition prices or face losing federal dollars.Illinois State University President Al Bowman says the reality is that deficits i

While fresh water is abundant in our region, water loss has an economic cost. It is common for local water utilities to lose between ten and twenty percent of treated drinking water in transmission due to leaky underground pipes.

A shipbuilder in northeastern Wisconsin plans to double its workforce thanks to a contract with the United States Navy. Marinette Marine will build at least ten Littoral Combat Ships.

An airtight solution for unemployment, the top issue in the U.S. of late, remained unsolved by politicians and policymakers alike. But for the city of Milwaukee, the economic future was clear: water.

 Twenty percent of the earth’s fresh surface water is contained in the five Great Lakes. From industry to recreation, the lakes affect life in the Great Lakes region.

WBEZ’s Front and Center series covers a host of environmental issues in the Great Lakes region–-from the air Midwesterns breathe to the water they drink. Water quality is a big challenge. Sure, Chicago has lots of freshwater – a resource many are clamoring for.

 Wednesday we reported how climate change isn’t just hitting polar bears and melting glaciers. Scientists and advocates say it’s hitting the Great Lakes too. Now, see the land and people who are feeling and researching the impact.