217 Today: University of Illinois student journalists travel to Sierra Leone to document ‘period poverty’

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Women with the non-profit Uman Tok make reusable menstrual pads in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
  • Photo: Provided by Stretch Ledford, University of Illinois

Monday, March 5, 2024

Today’s headlines: 

  • The U.S. Supreme Court is putting an end to an Illinois challenge to knock Donald Trump off the ballot.
  • U.S. Senator Dick Durbin continues to push for a ceasefire in Gaza as conditions there worsen.
  • The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing tech Hub applied to receive $70 million from the Federal Economic Development Administration.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about why several University of Illinois journalism students are boarding planes to Sierre Leone this week.

Reporting today contributed by Dave McKinney, Alex Degman, Mae Antar and Reginald Hardwick.

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.