ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of Florida residents were rescued Thursday from the aftermath of Hurricane Milton after the storm smashed through coastal communities where it tore homes into pieces, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of tornadoes that killed at least five. Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene,…
A poll conducted by the Illinois Education Association, the largest education organization in Illinois, indicates that 59% of teachers, higher education professors and education support staff are considering leaving the profession. 500 IEA members were surveyed, according to a news release. This comes in the middle of a teacher shortage in both the state…
What does a true democracy look like? And what does it take to achieve that? The speakers at this week’s Friday Forum at the University Y in Urbana hope to provide some guidance on those questions. Harry Boyte and Marie Ström, cofounders of the Institute for Public Life and Work based in Minneapolis, will give…
Results are nonbinding, but lawmakers may consider them when proposing policy Lawmakers in Illinois are asking voters to weigh in on three hot-button issues on their ballots this year: election interference, income taxes and reproductive health care. Voters in Illinois are being posed three “advisory” questions that ask voters whether they support a specific…
Fall is typically a drier time of the year for the Great Plains and Midwest. But drought is once again rearing its head in much of the region, and experts are not seeing relief anytime soon. As Ralph Lents harvests corn and soybeans on his farm in southwest Iowa, he said some precipitation would be…
Thursday, October 10, 2024 Today’s headlines: In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn how Sonya Massey’s death at the hands of law enforcement has sparked calls for changes to how emergency mental health calls are handled. 217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Adelyn Mui, Anna Savchenko, Anulika Ochuba, Anna Pope and Mawa…