217 Today: Thursday, August 5, 2021

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Thursday, August 5, 2021

Today’s headlines:

  • Masks will be required in all Illinois schools and childcare facilities effective immediately. Gov. JB Pritzker made that announcement Wednesday.

  • Illinois Republicans running for governor were quick to condemn the governor’s masking order.

  • School districts that were planning to allow some people to go without masks inside their buildings are making quick adjustments after the governor’s order.

  • Champaign County health officials announced 52 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, and the number of active cases increased to 448.

In today’s deep dive, the internet is now for much more than entertainment, but rural areas are often the last to receive high-speed broadband.

Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Jim Meadows and Seth Bodine.

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Brian Moline

Brian Moline is the Managing Editor of Illinois Newsroom and host of Morning Edition for Illinois Public Media/WILL. He's been with WILL since 2015, after a long stint at WDWS-AM in Champaign where he covered both news and sports for more than a decade. If you have story or interview ideas, you can reach Brian at bmoline@illinois.edu.