Judith Ruiz-Branch
Public News Service Reporter/ProducerJudith Ruiz-Branch is an award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience as a reporter/producer for TV, radio, print, and podcast news.
She's also served as a Spanish spokesperson and led communications, media, and public relations teams at various organizations in Chicago. She began her career at WGN-TV in Chicago and went on to work for various news outlets including WBEZ Radio, Crain's Chicago Business, the Chicago Tribune, and WNIN Tri-State Media among others.
Her bilingual reporting with WNIN earned her two Murrow Awards, most recently for innovation in the digital space. Her favorite stories to report on are health, human interest, equity, justice, and immigration.
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Illinois is considering reforms to the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. Hospitals say drugmaker restrictions are reducing funding and harming care for vulnerable and rural patients, while critics argue the program is being misused for hospital profit. Lawmakers are considering bills to increase transparency and ensure savings are directed toward lowering costs and improving access for low-income patients. -
Voters in 31 Illinois counties are weighing in on an advisory question about whether the state should opt in to a federal school choice tax credit program that would provide scholarships of up to $1,700 for private and public school students. Supporters hope strong results will sway Governor J.B. Pritzker to join the program. Critics argue it diverts funding from public education. -
A health care expert in Illinois questions whether upcoming changes to how doctors bill for pregnancy-related care will actually expand access to maternal care services. While the update modernizes billing practices for the first time since the mid-1990s, he says deeper financial incentives and policy changes are needed to address the economic challenges driving the growth of OB deserts. -
As funeral services begin in Chicago for civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson, a professor is highlighting his early experiences at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign. She says Rev. Jackson's encounters with racism in the North helped shape his path to activism. -
The Corn Belt Windbreak Project is studying decades-old windbreak trees and shrubs to measure their economic and environmental value. Experts say farmers have been removing them to gain acreage, but that costs them money. Researchers at the University of Illinois will work with farmers to evaluate windbreak impacts on yields, soil, and water quality, and develop strategies to help farmers use them profitably now and in the future -
Despite an overall decline in homelessness in Illinois, the number of infants and toddlers who are unhoused is rising, with experts noting the figures likely undercount families living in “hidden homelessness” situations. Their advocates say rural barriers, stigma, and limited shelter access compound the issue. They stress that expanded early childhood education and comprehensive wraparound services are critical to addressing both housing instability and its lasting impacts on young children. -
As health insurance costs hit record highs, some Illinoisans are facing a nearly 30% increase in their premiums. With more than half of Americans not aware of what their plan includes, experts are urging residents to learn about and use the benefits they’re paying for. -
A new amendment to Illinois’ Victims Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) protects employees from employer retaliation if they use work-issued devices to document instances of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence. The change, effective Jan. 1, was prompted by a fatal out-of-state case and aims to strengthen workplace protections -
New U.S. Postal Service postmark rules could delay mail-in ballots for Illinois and other Midwest residents by dating them days after submission, a change that advocates warn will disproportionately impact rural voters and lead to more ballots being rejected. Critics argue the policy could further disenfranchise voters. -
Advocates warn that intensified federal immigration enforcement in Illinois is fueling racial profiling and fear among Latino communities, prompting even U.S. citizens to avoid public spaces or reporting crimes. Researchers say these policies are worsening mental health and distrust of law enforcement, but hope they may also spur greater Latino political mobilization.
