217 Today: U.S. farmers were already struggling to turn a profit. Trump’s trade war will make that harder

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Glenn Brunkow feeds sheep on his farm near Wamego, Kansas. His sheep and cattle are profitable these days, but he’s worried about losing money on his corn and soybean crops this year.
  • Photo: Frank Morris / Harvest Public Media

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Today’s headlines:

  • A local Catholic educator says the late Pope Francis inspired students in Champaign to serve their community.
  • Hundreds of people came together at the Urbana courthouse this weekend to protest the Trump administration.
  • Illinois lawmakers and human services advocates kicked off a week-long campaign to increase funding for the state Department of Human Services.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn how tariffs are likely to make things more expensive for farmers. 

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Mae Antar, Isabela Nieto and Frank Morris.

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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.