217 Today: Rev. Jesse Jackson Senior has stepped down from his role as leader of the Rainbow PUSH Co

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The Rev. Jesse Jackson is stepping down as leader of Rainbow PUSH, a civil rights organization he founded five decades ago.
  • Photo: Owen Ziliak / Chicago Sun-Times

July 18, 2023

Today’s headlines:

  • The Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District was awarded $6.6 million to purchase low to zero-emission buses.
  • Illinois is running out of time to update statewide emission standards before it starts running afoul of federal guidelines.
  • A new study finds that 63% of Great Lakes beaches were closed to swimming for at least one day last year due to water contamination.
  • Abortion-rights activists rallied outside Aid for Women in Chicago this weekend for using deceptive practices to steer patients away from abortion.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll hear a conversation with Natalie Moore about Reverend Jesse Jackson Senior’s work during his time as leader of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Mae Antar, Alex Degman, Noah Jennings, Anna Savchenko and Natalie Moore.

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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.