Wednesday December 9, 2020
Today’s headlines:
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Republican lawmakers are proposing changes to Illinois’ constitution that would allow for recall elections in Illinois — something currently reserved only for the governor.
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The state’s Department of Public Health reported more than 7,900 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, which brings the statewide total case count to more than 800,000.
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An effort to prevent farmer suicides is likely to reach a vote on the senate floor this week.
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The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team knocked off tenth-ranked Duke last night 83-68 in Durham, North Carolina.
In today’s deep dive, the Mississippi River town of Grafton, Illinois has had issues with flooding over the years, but we’ll learn from Illinois Newsroom’s Lecia Bushak how those flooding events are happening more frequently and more severely in recent years.
217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Amy Mayer, and Lecia Bushak.
Tuesday December 8, 2020
Today’s headlines:
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Governor J.B. Pritzker says he’s focused on cuts to help balance Illinois’ budget. He sidestepped a question about a broad tax increase during a briefing on Monday.
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Congressman Rodney Davis says President Trump is within his rights to mount a legal challenge to the election — but he expects a new president will be sworn in January 20th.
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The Champaign County Board chose Kyle Patterson to be its new chair at last night’s organizational meeting.
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llinois reported nearly 8,700 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, and 90 additional deaths. Champaign County reported 148 new COVID-19 cases yesterday. The county currently has 1,001 active cases, with 20 patients hospitalized.
In today’s deep dive, we take a closer look at data from the University of Illinois on who got infected with the coronavirus during the fall semester, and where they lived, both on and off campus. We learn more from Illinois Newsroom’s Lee Gaines.
217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts. Reporting today contributed by Sean Crawford, Ryan Denham, Jim Meadows, and Lee Gaines.
Monday December 7, 2020
Today’s headlines:
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Former State Senator Marty Sandoval died over the weekend after a battle with coronavirus.
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A trio of Republican lawmakers is calling on Governor JB Pritzker to deal with problems with fraud related to claims to the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
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Balance sheets for farms may look better at the end of 2020 than they have in years. That’s according to the US Department of Agriculture’s latest forecast.
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Over the weekend, more than 17,000 coronavirus cases were recorded across the state, along with 281 additional deaths. More than 13,000 Illinoisans have now died due to the virus. In Champaign County, health officials announced 222 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend. Three more deaths were also recorded. Currently, there are nearly 1,000 Champaign County residents who are in isolation with the virus.
In today’s deep dive, the past eight months have taken a toll on Illinois’ teachers, who were already in short supply prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new report from the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs highlights the challenges teachers are facing and recommends specific actions to hire and retain quality educators.
217 Today is produced by Olivia Butts and hosted by Brian Moline. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Maureen McKinney, Amy Mayer, and Lee Gaines.