217 Today: As fentanyl devastates the nation, efforts to reduce its harm are met with resistance

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Today’s headlines:

  • A federal measure that would expand healthcare benefits for veterans is now headed to the President’s desk.
  • The amount of water in the Illinois and upper Mississippi rivers is increasing.
  • University of Illinois-owned Willard Airport won a grant from the Department of Transportation.
  • A biology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington discovered a new species of lizard on a recent trip to Peru.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about efforts to save lives from overdoses on the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Reporting today contributed by Mawa Iqbal, Tim Shelley, Harrison Malkin, Eric Stock and Mitch Legan.

217 Today is produced by Sydney Wood.

Sydney Wood