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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Business and out-of-state ownership of Illinois farmland has surged since 2005, driving up rent prices and limiting conservation practices. Unlike neighboring states, Illinois has no restrictions on corporate land purchases, raising concerns about rising costs, soil health, and long-term food security. -
Chemical runoff from Midwest farms pollutes waterways and poisons communities, according to environmental advocates. One Illinois farmer is speaking out about the dilemma he and others face when trying to implement more climate-friendly farming practices. -
Science is supposed to be fact-based and objective, but new research shows the way it's being used is definitely not. The Northwestern University study finds that partisan use of scientific data in policymaking has increased in the past 25 years, and confirms a widening gap between Democrats and Republicans. -
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the highest rate of tick-bite cases in more than five years, and Illinois doctors are urging people to take preventive measures to curb being infected by these pests. -
Illinois schools have already been grappling with a teacher shortage, budget deficits, and growing student needs. Experts say there was an anticipated budget shortfall of $280 million due to frozen federal K-12 funds, but administration officials say those funds are now unfrozen. -
The Illinois Department of Education, in partnership with Chapin Hall, released a new interactive trauma tool to help track adversity factors to which children may be exposed in districts across the state that may negatively impact their ability to be successful at school. Experts say they hope the Illinois Children’s Adversity Index encourages collaboration to more effectively allocate resources to districts that need it most. -
A new study analyzes some opposing views of Proposition A on Missouri's November ballot and offers data to debunk them as "myths." The measure would raise the minimum wage from $12.30 to $15 an hour by 2026. Opponents of the increase say it would primarily affect young adults and teens.
