217 Today: Chicken farmers sue Tyson after the company closed a plant and ended their contracts

Shawn Hinkle stands inside of one of his empty chicken houses. Hinkle had a contract with Tyson, until August of last year, when the company announced it was closing its processing plant in nearby Dexter, Missouri.

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • A key Senate hearing on Capitol Hill this week focused on the growing problem of hate speech in America.
  • Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says the state needs to do more – and faster – if it hopes to meet energy production goals laid out in a major environmental bill.
  • The cities of Champaign and Urbana proclaimed this week to be pride fest week.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn why some farmers are suing Tyson Farms.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Linda Kenyon, Alex Degman, Mae Antar and Frank Morris.

Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.