217 Today: Health problems from alcohol use soared in the Midwest during the pandemic
Monday, June 6, 2022 Today’s headlines: A coal plant in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan is slated to close this month after operating for almost a century. But local activists and officials say the plant will stay with Waukegan residents until its owner removes two “ponds” of coal ash from the shores of Lake Michigan. […]
217 Today: Scientists use wastewater to track the spread of COVID-19 and its variants
Friday, May 27, 2022 Today’s headlines: Democratic candidates for Illinois’ 13th district David Palmer and Nikki Budzinski met Thursday night for a debate ahead of the June 28th primary. Illinois U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth isn’t optimistic that any gun control legislation will pass the Senate this year, even after the school shooting in Texas this […]
217 Today: U.S. Representative discusses proposals that address gun violence after Texas mass shooting
Thursday, May 26, 2022 Today’s headlines: After the school shooting in Texas, Democrats in Congress are once again calling on Republicans to help tighten gun control laws. Illinois Republican lawmakers in Washington have condemned the mass shooting in Texas, but they’re defending gun rights. While most students in Champaign Unit 4 schools are home for […]
217 Today: One community college is fighting the stigma of addiction in its community
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 Today’s headlines: Starting next month, the Illinois Department of Public Health will scale back the way it contacts people about COVID-19 infection. The white gunman who killed 10 African Americans in a supermarket in Buffalo was motivated by hate according to police and a 180-page document he allegedly published online. Illinois’ […]
217 Today: CDC marks Champaign County community level of COVID-19 as high
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Attorney General is warning people to look out for baby formula scams as the shortages continue. A new analysis has found that crop insurance premium subsidies cost taxpayers nearly $40 billion over 20 years across states in the Mississippi River Basin. Beginning in July, all letters, photos […]
217 Today: A glitch in the Affordable Care Act led one family to file for divorce to get health insurance
Monday, May 23, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Prisoner Review Board will have its first parole hearing in months next week after state senators rejected two nominees to the board and a third resigned. Early voting is underway in Illinois until the June 28 primary. The Champaign County History Museum observed its 50th anniversary since […]
217 Today: Small broadband providers get rural customers connected in places telecom giants left behind
Friday, May 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: A new study confirms a method for reducing nutrient pollution from chemical fertilizer that is impacting recreational and drinking water across the Midwest. The Illinois State Board of Education won’t be making any changes to federally mandated high stakes testing for now. On Wednesday night, about 20 local cyclists […]
217 Today: Two incumbent Republicans face off in the primary for Illinois’ 15th Congressional District
Thursday, May 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a measure banning the sale and ownership of “ghost guns.” The nationwide shortage of infant formula affects food-insecure families most because of state policy. Early voting begins Thursday across the state for the primary election on June 28. In today’s deep dive, we’ll […]
217 Today: Some hospitals have stopped using race to inform patient care
Wednesday, May 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: More than half the children who prompted contempt orders against the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ director are still waiting for proper placement. The Urbana Board of Education wants to explore converting its two Spanish dual-language programs into one, fully dual-language school, like International Prep Academy in […]
217 Today: New section of Kickapoo Rail Trail is expected to be finished this fall
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois is spending $11 million dollars to shore up reproductive healthcare and family planning services statewide. Chicago area-based Abbott Laboratories, which makes baby formula, says it expects its products to reach store shelves in about six to eight weeks. Dining and facilities workers at the University of Illinois at […]
217 Today: A new grain has potential to feed more people in a warming climate
Monday, May 16, 2022 Today’s headlines: In the race for Illinois Governor, Darren Bailey is trying to put some distance between himself and the rest of the Republican primary field. Some parents are turning to donated breast milk as a substitute amid a major baby formula shortage. Black farmers in the U.S. lost more than […]
217 Today: Midwest citizens could be forced to travel for abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned
Friday, May 13, 2022 Today’s headlines: A new state audit outlines several failures at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. University of Illinois scientists played a role in capturing the first-ever image of the massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. A world champion soccer coach is the featured […]
217 Today: Immigrant women face language and cultural barriers to pregnancy care in Central Illinois
Thursday, May 12, 2022 Today’s headlines: President Joe Biden said Wednesday that it’s time to invest more in agriculture in Illinois and elsewhere because the war in Ukraine is cutting off a global food supply. Student COVID cases are picking back up throughout the state of Illinois. Illinois officials expect thousands more abortion patients each […]
217 Today: Former Central Illinois U.S. Representative Tim Johnson dies at age 75
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 Today’s headlines: Work continues unwinding some Illinois pension funds from Russian assets. Behavioral health co-responders will work with law enforcement in four Illinois cities as part of a slate of public safety bills Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law Tuesday. Asian-American authors are visiting Champaign-Urbana schools all month for Asian American […]
217 Today: Recent rains aren’t enough to erase drought conditions across the Great Plains
Tuesday, May 10, 2022 Today’s headlines: State Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman says she’ll retire in July after 48 years on the bench at every level of the judiciary. The best-funded candidate in the Illinois Republican primary for governor Monday dodged questions about his support for Donald Trump and Roe v. Wade. Supporters of abortion […]
