Friday, February 20, 2026
Today’s headlines:
- Governor J.B. Pritzker is calling for a one-percent increase in higher education funding this year. But some advocates say that the proposal would not keep up with inflation.
- Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget address is drawing sharp reactions from some East Central Illinois lawmakers.
- The dance for a new stadium is intensifying between the Chicago Bears, Indiana and Illinois.
- Governor J.B. Pritzker’s plan to address Illinois’ housing shortage is raising concerns from the Illinois Municipal League.
- New data centers are popping up across the country. And Illinois has the fourth-highest number of data centers in the U.S.
In today’s deep dive, during the winter, Illinois is home to the largest population of eagles in the continental U.S. But the national bird didn’t always have such a large presence in the state.
217 Today is produced by Giuliana Means. Reporting today contributed by Jesse Savage, Emily Hays, Abisola Dahunsi, Mawa Iqbal, Layli Nazarova, and Sam Naftzger.