217 Today: Trees are spreading across the Great Plains. They’re actually making climate change worse

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Eastern red cedars emerge from a grassland.
Eastern red cedars are taking over grasslands in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. In most temperate grasslands around the world, gaining a tree canopy won't help cool the planet.
  • Photo: Barb Van Slyke / Konza Prairie Long-Term Ecological Research

Friday, May 24, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • The Champaign County Board voted to censure County Auditor George Danos on Thursday for unprofessional conduct and failure to do his job as a watchdog.  
  • Democratic lawmakers in Springfield are hoping to expand protections for patients seeking abortion services in Illinois.
  • Public special education day schools in Illinois could soon see more funding opportunities.
  • Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is not a fan of a symbolic referendum in Madison County that will ask voters if they should explore separating from the Chicago area.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn why trees pose a threat to grasslands and ranchers.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Mae Antar, Mawa Iqbal, Will Bauer and Celia Llopis-Jepsen.

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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.